Laksoy


Laksoy, is a traditional Filipino distilled nipa palm liquor. It is derived from tubâ made from nipa palm sap which has been aged for at least 48 hours. It originates from Eastern Mindanao, the Visayas Islands,, the Bicol Region, and Southern Luzon . During the Spanish colonial period, it was also known as vino de nipa' in Spanish. It has a typical alcohol content of 70 to 100 proof after a single distillation.

History

, a variety of palm wine, existed in the Philippines before colonisation. They were widely consumed for recreation and important in various religious rituals. Heavy consumption of alcohol in the Philippine islands was described in several Spanish accounts. Social drinking was and continues to be an important aspect of Filipino social interactions.
Laksoy is pre-colonial in origin. Despite being distilled, laksoy and lambanog were inaccurately called vino de nipa and vino de coco, respectively, in Spanish. In Historia de Las Islas E Indios de Bisayas, the Spanish missionary Francisco Ignacio Alcina described "dalisay" as vino de la nipa, el primero que se extrae y más fuerte. In the Vocabulario de la lengua Tagala, primera, y segunda parte by Domingo de los Santos, he defines dalisay as a type of alac that is muy fuerte y bueno.
In Historia general sacro-profana, política y natural de las islas del poniente, llamadas Filipinas by Juan José Delgado, native liquor is described as being distinguished into three types: vino ordinario, dalisay, and mistela. In contrast to Alcina and other authors, Delgado applies the terms to both nipa and coconut liquor, distinguishing them as dalisay de nipa and dalisay de coco.

Description

has two main variants. The most common being the one made from coconut sap. It is distilled into lambanog. The second most common type of tubâ is made from nipa palm sap. Laksoy is derived from the sap. Like lambanog, it is particularly potent, having a typical alcohol content of 70 to 100 proof after a single distillation.

Production

Laksoy is more difficult to produce than lambanog because the nipa palm must be covered in mud for six weeks to several months in advance. The mud is scraped off and the inflorescence is cut off. The sap which flows out of the cut branch is collected in attached bamboo containers. The bamboo containers are collected every day and the inflorescence is sliced again by a few millimeters to renew the flow of the sap. The sweet sap is fermented in banga to make tubâ, which is then distilled into laksoy.