SOME STRONG SIPS...
Alcoholic beverages have been a part of Balinese life for centuries. They were produced as a home industry in traditional style and consumed by all levels of Balinese. But nowadays, the beverage distribution has been limited by Bali's cops. Its existence is reputed to be somewhat harmful and can be linked to the increase of criminal cases. This condition has caused unrest within the producing community. But is it true that the drinks have such a bad impact on people's lives? How is its position among the Balinese?
Nyoman Sukri and her husband start off their activities early in the mornings. Her husband goes to the coconut fields to collect coconut water. Meanwhile Sukri stays at home, running the kitchen and boiling the coconut water that they have previously fermented. She spends her time carrying out household activities and watching over the distillation process. Distillation takes hours, before a colorless and sugarless Arak with strong alcoholic fumes trickles out of the tube that she keeps in a jerry can.
At times the Arak making process takes about three days and delivers about ten liters. It is handled daily by the couple using their simple traditional tools.
Nyoman Sukri and her husband are only one among the many couples who carry out this task in the Sidemen district of the Karangasem regency. They all use traditional tools and were passed on the skills from their parents and generations before them.
They distribute Arak to other parts of Bali, which in turn sell them through small warungs where many youths gather. When the number of criminal cases climbed, it was the Arak that got the blame as a contributing cause. The reason is that when people drink the intoxicating beverage and get drunk, they become easily irritable and hypersensitive and easily lose their temper or commit acts that break the law. Now policemen often sweep for Arak producers throughout Karangasem, so they do not distribute it as freely as before.
Sidemen is one of the biggest Arak producing areas in Karangasem. Karangasem itself has the reputation of producing some of the finest Arak in Bali. 'Arak Karangasem' comes from the fermentation and distillation of coconut water. However, coconut water is not the only source of Arak. Arak can also be made from the jaka or siwalan tree, lontar or palmyra tree, and from sticky white or black rice. The difference in the source ingredients will result in different alcohol strength, a different taste, and a distinctive aroma.
Learn more about the century old Arak in Bali. It has a complex meaning and purpose among the lives of the locals. In the beginning, the intoxicating beverage was used in rituals. Later its function spread to medicinal purposes, then cultural, and social.
Some old manuscripts explain that the Balinese use Arak and Brem, two of Bali's notorious beverages as homage for Butha Kala, a characterization of the spiritual netherworld. They are believed existent among humans and can create bad atmospheres, which can influence humans into negative desires and actions.
Hinduism teaches of harmony in diversity. The Balinese were told to pay tribute through ritual offerings for Butha Kala in order to evoke harmony. There are many kinds of offerings and the simple ones include segehan or rice offerings of five colors as 'the meal' and tetabuhan, which contains Arak and Brem, as 'the beverage'. This offering is made on every phase of the Kajeng Kliwon that occurs every 15 days in the Balinese Pawukon calendar system. The Balinese believe that when the Butha Kala falls hungry and begging, they can create a bad aura in a person's vicinity, which every person is required to prevent from happening.
In the historical records we can also find that in the 10th Century there was a popular mason named Tantrayana. One of his teachings was 'to drink it up until you're drunk', and do it again and again. He believed that when you do something at all times and intensely, you will later feel bored and lose desire. Then you will eventually abandon it.
Why do the Balinese drink this drink? This habit could be connected with the Balinese habit of consuming pork at almost every celebrative event. It is common for people who have wedding parties to slaughter one or more pigs. Pork, delicious as it is to most, has a fatty attribute that can cause nausea, and people often need to 'neutralize' the effect with alcohol.
The Balinese have three kinds of traditional beverages: Arak, Tuak and Brem. Each of them has a different taste, even against similar kinds from different parts of Indonesia.
Brem is derived from Tape. Tape is produced from black or white sticky rice fermentation, a kind of Balinese cake usually made by women on the days before Galungan, a big Hindu holiday. People love this holiday snack, which is sweet and juicy. The water that comes from Tape will become Brem if aged properly. Brem is sweet yet acidic, dark red, and contains 5-7% alcohol.
Differing slightly from Brem is Tuak, a fermentation result from coconut water. In the Tenganan village of Karangasem, people make Tuak from jaka or the siwalan palm. In other areas, it is made from lontar or the palmyra palm. Tuak is sweet and has a higher alcohol level than Brem. Tuak is very popular in Eastern Bali and is often closely connected to the local social pastime, Genjek. Megenjekan, or collectively performing Genjek, is done in a celebrative manner such as at wedding parties. Men sit in a circle having meals together, often called the act of 'megibung', then sing together in the routine. One of them drinks a bottle of Tuak and passes it on to another and thus the bottle journeys around them. There is no instrument except the sound of their vocals. They keep singing and drinking until one by one they swoon or stop.
Megenjekan is hard to find in other areas. But in general, intoxicating beverages in Bali have a social function among the youth. One man who wants to share or chat will come to his friends' and invite them to drink together. The venue could be at home, the beach, anywhere. Gathering with drinks and nuts makes the atmosphere warmer and chummy. Alas, the beverage is usually Arak.
Arak among the other Balinese beverages has the highest level of alcohol. It can reach 40% or even more. This fermented, distilled, and aged spirit is quite popular because people can mix it with other beverages as a liqueur in any way, just as they wish. Arak might as well fit in with other 'imported' spirits such as vodka and others. It only has a lack of promotion and marketing strategy.
Fortunately not all Arak distribution is forbidden. Some producers that have licenses can keep doing their production and distribution activities legally. One of them is Fa. Udiyana, which produces Arak and Brem and uses the goddess of fertility, Dewi Sri, for its branding. They started making Arak in the 1930s. They do not use coconut water but rice, and the beverage they produce was initially only for private use.
"My grandfather was a village socialite. He often had many guests come to our house. He served Arak and Brem for them," said Wayan Sila Sayana, spokesman for Fa. Udiyana. In the 1950s they tried a next step which was to commercialize it. In 1968, when the tourism industry grew and the Bali Beach Hotel, the first star-hotel opened in Sanur, they made their business legal. Sila admitted their business was built to support the tourism development. Big hotels needed beverages to serve to their guests. And later on the number of big hotels and tourism industries grew rapidly.
They built this professional business using modern technology to process the beverages and pack them with interesting cover designs. They also built networks for the local and overseas market. They supplied it to some big hotels, cafes, and restaurants in Bali and eventually penetrated the Japanese market.
This condition is the opposite from the traditional Karangasem Arak home industries. They do not have any special packaging and often use mineral water plastic containers. There is no label to show or even give a hint about the ingredients and alcohol strength, and there is virtually nothing to justify their products.
The fact is that this product can be found easily in many small warungs in town. This can be one big reason why the government needs to watch the traditional Arak distribution. Crime is not the only reason. We have to admit that the presence of Arak in Bali has been here for centuries, and has been a representative of the many alcoholic beverages in Bali.
"So when we mention about alcoholic drinks in Bali it means Arak, even though it could be vodka or beer," said Sila Sayana. He cares about the traditional Arak makers but thinks it needs regulations for quality standards and distribution. Do not sell it in any place where anyone can access it easily. Forbid those under 21 years of age to purchase or consume Arak, as they have not reached the adult age eligible enough to take responsibility for their actions.
Talking about rules is part of the government's duty. The Bali government needs to find the way out of this problem. The rule must be fair enough for the producer and the consumer. So both Fa. Udiyana and Nyoman Sukri with her friends in Sidemen still can produce Arak safely. ■ Text by Ni Luh Dian Purniawati
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