No whiskey, no beer; it's Urrack time...

RUPESH SAMANT (PTI), PANAJI | 27 March 2012 17:47 IST

Michael Arauzo is a busy man in the month of March, every year. His dingy bar and restaurant along the National highway in Siridao village, 10 kms away from Panaji, becomes `must visit place for the drinkers’.

“This is a time for urrack. I get pure urrack from Canacona. I don’t believe in sourcing it from the vendors. I collect it directly from the cashew plantations,” Arauzo explained as he continued entertaining customers and cleaning the tables.

It’s a Sunday afternoon and Arauzo’s bar with hardly five tables is jam packed mostly with locals. Costing 35/-per quarter.

The much in demand drink, have people even standing outside the bar area; in the shade of a tree waiting for their turn. On all the tables, urrack is ordered.

Beverages like Beer and whisky take a backseat during this time of the year.

“Fish and urrack is my speciality,” says the 56-year old Arauzo, formerly working on the Merchant Navy ship as a cook.

‘This was a small hut earlier, which was owned by us in our barren paddy field along the highway. I got excise license with the
help of local MLA and started my own business’, he explains.

Arauzo’s wife, Christina, helps him in the kitchen. 

Urrack is the first distillate of Cashew fermentation. The brew contains 12-14 per cent alcohol content.

“Two parts of urrack and one of fermented cashew juice distilled again makes Feni,” says Minguel Braganza, Secretary, Botanical Society of Goa (BSG).

BSG has been in the work of promoting urrack amongst the tourists and also encouraging the locals, who have been into this trade for generations.

The hilly areas of Sattari, Bicholim, Canacona, Quepem, Tiswadi and Sanguem are places where urrack is distilled. The juice extracted from cashew apple is brewed into urrack.


“We are promoting urrack amongst the tourists in a big way. The recently held Konkan Fruit Festival had a special section for urrack,” Braganza mentioned.

He added that attempts are on to get GI (Geographical Indication) for this drink, which is mixed with lime juice or orange drink to accentuate it’s flavour.

The brew is available only during limited period of the year, especially in the first week of March. “It is available during limited time, for first ten days of cashew season,” said Gurudatt Bhakta, Secretary, Goa Cashew Distilleries and Bottlers Association.

The brew, he mentioned, is usually sold in bulk without being bottled.

“There is only one brand which bottles urrack,” he said. Urrack usually gets sour if it is not consumed after some time. Bhakta also explained that it cannot be marketed much amongst the tourists as `guests don’t know how to consume it properly.’

“There are certain intricacies that one has to understand while preparing a glass of urrack by mixing it with lime or orange drink” he added.

State Excise department has not been taxing this brew as a matter of policy. Excise Commissioner P S Reddy said that except for 20 paise per bottle, there is no taxation on this liquor.

“Urrack manufacturing is unique to Goa and hence it is being encouraged by the state government,” he said. 


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surely...goa is better place now to live......with new govt. it has given new face to goa.......now I feel proud to be goan....

- onkar , ponda-goa | 02 nd August 2012 12:37

 

My congratulations to the new government in Goa and l really wish u r able to keep your promise and your project continue for more than 5 years. Regarding the government employees we here in Portugal had some of the benefits you think of implementing in Goa and we nearly went to bankruptcy. Now we are going through and the government employees are those who are suffering most .I sincerely wish you good luck during your administration and I being a goan, although I am away from my country for more than 50 years she is always in my heart. I love Goa. Could the government improve the WC system on some points on the highway and in the villages?

- alice desousa, Lisboa portugal | 30 th March 2012 00:24

 

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