Lao Lao

[Josh]

Just watched Anthony Bourdain in Laos on the ol' TiVo, and a lot was made of this Laotian unaged rice whiskey called lao-lao. According to wikipedia, it's not two words, but a compound one, the first lao having a falling tone and the second having a high rising one.

Anyway, anyone out there had this stuff?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lao-Lao

[Jono]

What was he eating it with? Some odd tropical delicacy...snake or fishhead soup etc? I am sure it helped him choke it down.

[Josh]

What was he eating it with? Some odd tropical delicacy...snake or fishhead soup etc? I am sure it helped him choke it down.

He wasn't eating anything too crazy, just some simple SE Asian dishes. Noodles and meat in broth. The weirdest stuff in this episode was an ant egg omlett and smoked swallow. He didn't seem to care too much for the swallow.

At any rate, I'd love to get my hands on this lao-lao stuff. I wonder about the history too, I would guess that the French brought the distilling technology to Laos and it just took off from there, similar to how pulque became Mezcal in Mexico.

[edo]

I've been to Laos and had the beer, which is good. I don't remember drinking any whisky down that way except Mekong whisky, and that was in Thailand and Cambodia. It's really light, low proof and sweet. Like iced tea with a little kick.

[bpt]

I have had it in Laos and also brought some back home. Hard to explain the taste but, like so many liquors that I have had in foreign countries, some of it was surprisingly good and some absolutely wretched. For the most part, it is pretty mild, as far as the taste goes. But some of it can have quite a bite. A little less flavor than the Mekong that edo mentioned along with the Sang Som and Sang Thip (other Thai "whiskeys") which I remember as being more rum-like. I have also had some lao-lao that had a bunch of herbs and roots in it. I have had several versions of that and didn't much care for any of them.
Interesting stuff, that's for sure. I don't know anything about the history of it though.
I loved the Beer Lao. That is the one, IIRC, that has the female brewmaster that trained in the Czech Republic (or Czechoslovakia?). I have seen it here in Texas in some of the Asian markets. They were in the Wall Street Journal not too long ago. Apparently they want to get their name out and were going to do some huge marketing thing to increase their exports of Beer Lao. Not sure how that went for them as I still don't see it very often here.

[Josh]

I have had it in Laos and also brought some back home. Hard to explain the taste but, like so many liquors that I have had in foreign countries, some of it was surprisingly good and some absolutely wretched. For the most part, it is pretty mild, as far as the taste goes. But some of it can have quite a bite. A little less flavor than the Mekong that edo mentioned along with the Sang Som and Sang Thip (other Thai "whiskeys") which I remember as being more rum-like. I have also had some lao-lao that had a bunch of herbs and roots in it. I have had several versions of that and didn't much care for any of them.
Interesting stuff, that's for sure. I don't know anything about the history of it though.
I loved the Beer Lao. That is the one, IIRC, that has the female brewmaster that trained in the Czech Republic (or Czechoslovakia?). I have seen it here in Texas in some of the Asian markets. They were in the Wall Street Journal not too long ago. Apparently they want to get their name out and were going to do some huge marketing thing to increase their exports of Beer Lao. Not sure how that went for them as I still don't see it very often here.

Thanks for the info. Maybe I'll pass on the lao-lao The Mekong sounds interesting, though as does that beer.


How great is this site?

[ACDetroit]

"Barkeep? another Mekong please, Yes of course you can keep the change!
A new glass here for this new friend of mine... excuse me I've forgot your name?
Let's flip a coin what shall we talk about? Heads I'll tell the truth and tails I'll Lie. Well I came all the way, from Tipai today while Bankcocks pissing rain and going blind again. I haven't seen my girl in 15, 000 miles!"

Name that band!! I couldn't resist.

Tony

[Lost Pollito]

"Barkeep? another Mekong please, Yes of course you can keep the change!
A new glass here for this new friend of mine... excuse me I've forgot your name?
Let's flip a coin what shall we talk about? Heads I'll tell the truth and tails I'll Lie. Well I came all the way, from Tipai today while Bankcocks pissing rain and going blind again. I haven't seen my girl in 15, 000 miles!"

Name that band!! I couldn't resist.

Tony

The Refreshments..........

[ACDetroit]

Nice work Joe! I was expecting a Coloradian to get that one, just shows you know your musiak!

Tony