Previously, I was not aware that moonshine in Timor-Leste or, in fact, god meat were not just available, but a “thing”. I was, though, to discover both one fateful night at Com Beach.
And you know what? Timorese moonshine is bloody good and cheap! Frankly, the perfect combination for a firewater man like myself.
Click tio read about dog meat in Timor.
Table of Contents
What Is Moonshine in Timor-Leste, AKA Tua-Sabu?
Tua-sabu is a traditional Timorese palm spirit made from the sap of palm trees, including lontar and coconut palms. The sap is first fermented into palm wine, which is then distilled to produce a much stronger alcoholic drink. Palm wine and distilled palm spirits have a long history in Timorese rural life, where they are consumed at social gatherings, ceremonies and celebrations.
Production is often small-scale, with methods and strength varying between communities and individual producers. While traditional alcohol production is part of local culture, commercial production and sales go into the good old fashioned “grey area”. Still like PNG everyones drinks it.
How to Get Moonshine in Timor-Leste?
I will have to get a little bit anecdotal with my tale of firewater in Timor-Leste. Basically, we were at the very small and simple Com Beach for a pit stop on our way to Jaco Island, which is a tale for another time.
Our local guide, knowing my TikTok and firewater fame, asked if I wanted to try the East Timorese take on moonshine. I was obviously like a red rag to a bull on this, particularly as I had tried dog as well. Basically, it seems to be readily available and, much like PNG, has its own regional varieties. My decent-sized bottle cost just $5.
Strength and Taste of Moonshine in Timor-Leste
As moonshine, there is no official percentage, with it changing depending on who brewed it. It is, though, much like the paiawara in Papua New Guinea, a bit of a creeper. That is, I estimate it to be in the 25–30% range, so a strong North Korean soju. And what do I mean by creeper? It’s not toooooo strong, so you drink more like you would with soju, and it creeps up on you.
Boy, did it creep up as well. We had an 18-year-old doing his first tour with me who tried to go drink for drink with me. It did not go well. I also ended up hammered and singing karaoke. Therefore, we can deduce that it worked. So well, I didn’t even do a TikTok video.
Taste-wise, to me, it was smooth, but more fortified-wine-style than liquor or firewater. In fact, I was surprised at just how smooth it was.
And, of course, it was cheap, so yeah, the firewater man gives his seal of approval to moonshine in Timor-Leste! How to get it? Ask a local and ignore the legality…
Click to see my tours to Timor-Leste with YPT!