Snake Wine: A Traditional Chinese Beverage with Medicinal Properties

Have you ever heard of snake wine? Imagine drinking wine that has been poured straight from a bottle containing a snake. That’s exactly what snake wine is.

Snake wine is a strong alcoholic beverage found all over South China and Southeast Asia, believed to have originated in the Western Zhou Dynasty (1046-771 BC). It is popular for its medicinal benefits and is consumed in shots to treat various ailments according to traditional Chinese medicine.

The process involves distilling the “essence” of a snake, with alcohol believed to cure everything from rheumatism to hair loss, especially when venomous snakes are used.

Wine-makers typically use one large snake per bottle and may add roots, berries, and herbs for flavor enhancement. The brew is left to steep for months in rice wine.

However, improperly drowned snakes in wine can survive and potentially harm drinkers, as seen in a 2013 incident in China’s Heilongjiang province, highlighting the rare but dangerous scenario.

Is snake wine safe? When bought from an authentic source, snake wine is completely safe to drink. It’s quite popular in Vietnam, Southeast Asia, and Southern China, though it’s illegal to import to many countries.

Prices in Vietnam range from ₹1500 to ₹1.5 lakh, depending on bottle size and wine type/quantity. The taste is strong and earthy, with a fish or chicken-like flavor from the snake infusion.