Raw home-distilled cane spirit, cloudy and very strong. It is distilled illicitly in Mauritian backyard stills from fermented cane juice; long prohibited, it is still made in rural districts.
Unlicensed distilling is illegal in Mauritius and almost everywhere else, and an improvised still run without discarding the volatile head leaves methanol in the bottle.
What goes into it
- sugarcane juice
- water
How it is made
Cane juice is fermented in drums for several days and then run through an improvised still. It comes off cloudy and at very high strength, and neither the cut nor the proof is consistent from one batch to the next.
How long it takes: days to ferment, then a day to distil
How it is eaten
Neat in small measures, sometimes infused with fruit or spice afterwards.
History
Distilled illicitly in backyard stills from fermented cane juice; long prohibited, it is still made in rural districts.
Frequently asked questions
What is Tilambic?
Tilambic is a wine & spirit from Mauritius: raw home-distilled cane spirit, cloudy and very strong. Distilled illicitly in backyard stills from fermented cane juice; long prohibited, it is still made in rural districts.
How is Tilambic made?
Cane juice is fermented in drums for several days and then run through an improvised still. It comes off cloudy and at very high strength, and neither the cut nor the proof is consistent from one batch to the next. It takes days to ferment, then a day to distil.
Can I make Tilambic at home?
No, and the atlas gives no method for it. Unlicensed distilling is illegal in Mauritius and almost everywhere else, and an improvised still run without discarding the volatile head leaves methanol in the bottle.
What goes into Tilambic?
Sugarcane juice, water.
How is Tilambic eaten?
Neat in small measures, sometimes infused with fruit or spice afterwards.
