Tuak is made from just two essentials — glutinous rice and ragi — fermented together until the rice’s sugars turn into alcohol. From there, time and technique do the rest: the liquid is strained off, then rested or aged into the smooth rice wine in the bottle. It’s a deceptively simple craft built on generations of know-how.
The ingredients
- Glutinous rice — the base. Its high starch content gives tuak its body and gentle sweetness.
- Ragi — small balls of dried starter carrying wild yeast and mould cultures. Ragi is what kicks off fermentation, and the particular strains a family uses shape the final character.
- Sometimes more — sugar to feed a stronger ferment, or fruit, herbs and spices for infused styles like pineapple or Sarawak black pepper.
How tuak is made, step by step
- Steam the rice. Washed glutinous rice is steamed until tender.
- Cool it. The rice is spread out to cool — adding ragi to hot rice would kill the yeast.
- Add the ragi. The starter is crushed and mixed evenly through the rice.
- Ferment. The mix is packed into a clean jar and left to ferment. The yeast slowly converts sugars into alcohol; longer fermentation means a stronger, drier tuak.
- Strain. The liquid is drawn off from the spent rice solids — this clear-to-cloudy liquid is the tuak.
- Age and bottle. A rest period rounds out the flavour before bottling.
That’s also why tuak’s strength varies: fermentation time, sugar and yeast strain all move the final ABV.
How long does it take?
Anywhere from a few days to several weeks of fermentation, depending on how strong and dry you want it — and some expressions are then aged for months. Our barrel-rested Reserve, for example, takes far longer than a fresh, fruity pour.
Traditional method vs. craft production
In the longhouse, tuak is made by feel — passed down family to family, jar to jar, with the result differing every season. It’s beautiful, but unpredictable.
Our craft approach keeps the same two ingredients and the same fermentation, but adds controlled conditions, clean equipment and measured alcohol content, so every bottle of a given expression tastes the way it should and is clearly labelled. You can read more about that philosophy in our story.
Can you make tuak at home?
You can — it’s traditionally a home craft — but the strength and safety of home-fermented tuak are hard to control, and the flavour swings widely. If you want to taste what well-made tuak is meant to be, that’s exactly what we bottle.
Common questions
What is tuak made from? Glutinous rice and ragi, sometimes with added sugar, fruit or herbs.
How long does tuak take to make? A few days to several weeks of fermentation, sometimes followed by months of ageing.
Can I make tuak at home? Yes, traditionally — but the alcohol content is unpredictable, which is why craft makers ferment under controlled conditions.
Curious how it all started? Read what tuak is and the complete guide to tuak, or explore the range.