A clear spirit distilled from fermented coconut or nipa palm sap along the northern Mozambican coast. It has been outlawed periodically as an illicit brew and is made regardless.
Unlicensed distilling is illegal in Mozambique — which is why it has been repeatedly banned — and running a still without a cut leaves methanol and other volatiles in the bottle.
What goes into it
- coconut or nipa palm sap
- nothing else
How it is made
Palm sap collected from the tree is already fermenting by the time it is brought down. It is left another day or two and then run through an improvised still — a drum with a pipe cooled in water. Nothing is separated out of the run.
How long it takes: a day or two to ferment, then a day to distil
How it is eaten
Neat in small measures, in coastal bars and villages.
History
Distilled along the northern Mozambican coast from palm sap, and periodically outlawed as an illicit brew.
Frequently asked questions
What is Nipa?
Nipa is a wine & spirit from Mozambique: clear spirit distilled from fermented coconut or cashew sap. Distilled along the northern Mozambican coast from palm sap, and periodically outlawed as an illicit brew.
How is Nipa made?
Palm sap collected from the tree is already fermenting by the time it is brought down. It is left another day or two and then run through an improvised still — a drum with a pipe cooled in water. Nothing is separated out of the run. It takes a day or two to ferment, then a day to distil.
Can I make Nipa at home?
No, and the atlas gives no method for it. Unlicensed distilling is illegal in Mozambique — which is why it has been repeatedly banned — and running a still without a cut leaves methanol and other volatiles in the bottle.
What goes into Nipa?
Coconut or nipa palm sap, nothing else.
How is Nipa eaten?
Neat in small measures, in coastal bars and villages.
