West Africa · Drink
Sodabi (Distilled Palm Wine Liquor)
A clear, potent Southern Togolese moonshine double-distilled from naturally fermented oil palm sap and infused with aromatic wild botanicals.
The story
Rooted in the southern palm groves of the Maritime and Plateaux regions of Togo, Sodabi is the sacred clear spirit distilled from fermented oil palm sap (Elaeis guineensis). Ubiquitous at libations, ancestral invocations, weddings, and naming ceremonies, it represents hospitality and spiritual connection across Ewe and Mina cultures. Historically perfected during the colonial prohibition era, traditional distillers rely on slow condensation through improvised copper coils and finish the spirit by steeping wild roots, spices, and bitter barks to balance the raw alcoholic bite.
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