Asian Snake Wine

Drinking The Undrinkable

Snake wine is a medicinal beverage usually produced and consumed in Southeast Asia and southern China. It's been drunk for nearly 3,000 years and, according to Traditional Chinese Medicine, is believed to strengthen the body and improve health.

Most often made of rice wine, the drink gets its name from the snakes that are preserved in the alcohol with their venom glands cut open so that the toxins can mix with the alcohol. The more venomous the snake then the more powerful the medicine is, or at least that's what people seem to think.