TRAVEL | TRADITIONS | BANANAS | ALCOHOL

Alcohol Can Be Made From Bananas!

Learn about Uganda's most traditional alcohol!

Most countries that we travel to have their own version of alcohol. Of course, there are the mainstream alcohols that you buy in liquor stores and bars, but there is also the stuff that anyone can make if they have the right ingredients. Since we have been in Uganda for almost a year combined between 2021 and 2022, we have tried all types of alcohol that they traditionally make out of bananas.

But it wasn’t until yesterday that we learned exactly how it is done.

According to Bananaman, after Brazil, Uganda is the highest banana-producing nation in the world! Bananas here are mostly eaten green. Yes, you read that right. It is referred to as Matoke (mah-toke-ay), and when you cut it up and fry it, it tastes exactly like french fries, but without the heaviness in the stomach that potatoes give you. They also boil them and mash them just like mashed potatoes, plus they cook them on a grill for yet another different flavor.

This is one of their main staples and you will see green bananas for sale all over the country in massive quantities.

The Bananaman, as he calls himself, told us that there are 30 different varieties of bananas in Uganda and that they had 15 of them growing on the property. He doesn’t use all of them to make banana juice, though. The banana juice goes on to become beer, wine or gin, depending on the process that it is put through, so the bananas used for that are specific and come from a recipe of certain types that his father started many years ago.

Let’s call it an old family recipe.

One variety of bananas was called Lady Fingers!

Setting a few banana leaves on the ground is the beginning of his demonstration. Though, he is upfront in telling us that they usually don’t make juice in these small quantities. Usually, they make a whole batch which includes filling a canoe with bananas and then having them stomped on with people's feet. Large gatherings of community members come together for these occasions and he said that it is always a good time.

I can just imagine!

He starts by collecting a bunch of bananas that he has hanging in his cool room. Once outside, he then begins peeling them and putting them into the pot. Next, he shreds yellow banana leaves and mixes them in. The reason that he uses these leaves, is because they act as a filter for the juice by collecting all of the pulp into a bundle. This way only the juice flows through and out, leaving the remaining refuse as compost.

To see a short 14 second video of The Bananaman mixing the bananas with the leaves, click here.

Fun fact: He says that after about 3 days of composting, the refuse grows edible mushrooms on it!

He also is sure to use yellow leaves because they are devoid of juice themselves. If you use green banana leaves, the juice from the leaves can compromise the final taste of the product.

After a while of mixing just the bananas and leaves, he then added a small amount of bottled water to the pot. This cuts back on the sugar from the banana to make it more palatable.

To see a short 14 second video of squeezing the juice from the leaves, click here.

He made us a couple of different juices. One was made using more bananas that were under-ripe, then the second one was made using more over-ripe bananas. There was a notable difference in the flavors, and he knows exactly how it should taste before taking it to the next process to make alcohol.

It is a certain mix of both over-ripe and under-ripe bananas.

The banana juice on its own was divine! But then he brought out the good stuff and gave us samples of the different alcohols that he had. Like I said at the beginning, we had tried all of these in various forms throughout our time here in Uganda, but I have to say that his product is exceptional.

His double-distilled Banana Gin lit our mouths on fire!

He then went on to explain the process of how to make the various alcohols. The banana beer is made by combining the juice with sorghum flour. They grow sorghum here in Uganda, and we learned that sorghum flour has its own yeast built into it. This means that by just adding a bit of sorghum flour to the juice, it will ferment quickly and you will have 5% beer in just three days!

Banana wine is made by combining the juice with store-bought yeast and black tea. It too ferments very quickly and you can make wine in a matter of days. I will say that we have had homemade banana wine a couple of different times here in Uganda and we aren’t really fans of it.

We do, however, enjoy the banana gin! We have had a few different renditions of this local hooch, but the Bananaman’s was certainly the smoothest.

Combining the gin with the fresh banana juice was to die for!

And yeah, that double-distilled stuff is crazy strong! It really does burn the inside of your mouth and nose if you breathe incorrectly.

We have no idea what the alcohol percentage is, but it is high!

To do the distilling they have an oil drum that is located at the edge of a river. The one in the distance of the below photo is used as an example. They build a fire underneath the barrel and place the fermented liquid inside. The copper coil goes into the cold river, and as the liquid boils in the drum, the vapor comes down the pipe. As the river water cools it in the coil, there is a second pipe where it goes back up and it drips, drop by drop, into a container to catch it.

Again, this process is done with many friends and family members and I can imagine that it is always a party.

Words don’t do these sorts of experiences justice. We don’t go out searching for these opportunities, they generally come to us, and for that, we are very grateful. On this particular day our host where we are staying decided that it would be a nice treat to bring us here. She was right, and we really enjoyed the experience. Learning the traditional processes of making these things is always so enlightening.

Plus, as the Bananaman is continuing a family tradition, I asked him if he is happy doing it. He assured me that he is thrilled to be continuing the work of his father, and you can certainly tell by his big smile and enthusiasm throughout. He also is very conscientious of hygiene practices and uses all bottled water for the production of the juice. Though he did say that most times they will also boil regular water to use in the process.

Bananaman on Instagram

So there you go! I bet you didn’t know that bananas can make alcohol!

If you find yourself in Uganda, make sure you look up the Bananaman at Rest In Banana near Fort Portal, for a unique cultural experience.

A special thanks to Martha and the Bananaman for making this day very enjoyable! Next time we will plan to paint you some more bananas on your building!

xo Jill

Hi there, we are 2 Canadians, Jill and Chris from Artistic Voyages. We have been nomadic since 2017 living in numerous different countries, and experiencing the life and diversity of our planet on the ground and firsthand. We paint FREE murals in exchange for accommodation. Check us out on Ko-fi!

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