Rượu đế

Rượu đế is a distilled liquor from Vietnam, made of either glutinous or non-glutinous rice. It was formerly made illegally and is thus similar to moonshine. It is most typical of the Mekong Delta region of southwestern Vietnam . Its strength varies, but is typically 40 percent alcohol by volume. It is usually clear, and a bit cloudy in appearance. The term rượu đế literally means "đế (Kans grass) liquor." This name is explained by the fact that in Cochinchina (southern Vietnam) during the early period of French colonization, the imperialist government had a monopoly on alcohol production, and the only distilled alcoholic beverage the general population could legally purchase was rượu Công Ty (literally "Company alcohol"; also known as rượu Ty). Those who paid a special fee were given a sign emblazoned with the letters "RA" (an abbreviation for "Régie d'Alcool") to hang in front of their store, which gave them the privilege to be able to sell alcohol from the Société Française des Distilleries de l'Indochine, which was a diluted distilled alcoholic beverage made from rice and corn. In order to obtain liquor with a higher proof, many people resorted to distilling their own liquor in secret by hiding it in tall grass called cỏ tranh (Imperata cylindrica), or in another kind of grass called đế (Kans grass, which grows up to three meters tall), far away from their homes. Whenever such individuals saw the tax collector, they would bring their alcohol and hide it in a field overgrown with đế plants. Rượu đế is sometimes referred to as rượu lậu, literally "contraband liquor", although this term may also refer to other varieties of illegally produced Vietnamese liquor or rice wine.

Source: Wikipedia