Tibetan Barley Wine
( 2005-10-27 )

Barley wine is a main beverage welcomed by Tibetan men and women, young and old. It is called "Qiang" in Tibetan, and is a kind of light wine made from barley grown on the highlands.

It's simple to make the wine: First, it the washed barley is cooked. Distiller's yeast is added into it after it is cooled, and the brew is placed into a pottery jar, which is thensealed and covered with a Tibetan blanket. That increases the temperature to make the barley ferment.
The jar is unsealed several days later; add an appropriate amount of pure water is added before it is sealed for a day or two more.

Barley wine appears light yellow and is mild, slightly sweet and sour. It contains little alcohol, and varies in taste, depending on the brewing method and duration of fermenting. It is a very popular drink in Tibet.

Barley wine is not only a favorite beverage of Tibetans, but also a common and essential gift. For instance, weddings have a requisite moment of drinking the wine while toasting the newlyweds in the Tibetan language. Barley wine is also used in welcoming ceremonies for distinguished guests. In this case, guests must unequivocally accept and drink a bowl filled with barley wine.

When Tibetans play host to a guest, they fill the wine glass held by their guest. The guest should take it in both hands, raise the wineglass using their right hand, and using the third finger in left hand to tend to the glass, dip it into the wine lightly and flick some wine into the sky.

This symbolizes heaven-mindedness. A guest should flick a second and third time to show Respect for the earth and Buddha.

This tradition shows that barley wine is connected with the sky, the earth and Buddha.

There is a custom to follow when drinking. The host takes the first sip of his wine and then quaffs the entire drink. When it's the guest's turn he should drink a little and the host fills the cup up again; the guest drinks a little more and the host again fills the cup. This is repeated a third time the same as the before. When the glass is filled in the fourth time, the guest should down the entire drink.

Only in this way will the host feel respected. The more the guest drinks, the happier the host feels, complimented for his excellent wine brewing.