Ngari Highland Barley Wine

Ngari Highland Barley Wine

　　Ngari Highland Barley Wine is a specialty of Ngari Prefecture in the Tibet Autonomous Region. The brewing technique uses pure highland barley from Xide Village, the highest-altitude village in the world, and draws on the natural snowmelt water of Mount Kailash, revered as the “King of the Sacred Mountains of Tibet.” Carefully crafted, it becomes a heavenly nectar. Tibetan Brew Legend is the world’s only highland barley winery located at such an altitude, hence it is hailed by the Tibetan people as the “wine closest to the sun.”

　　Most highland barley wine is brewed at home by Tibetan people. Highland barley is a type of barley, and when made into wine, it still contains no fewer than white highland barley particles, giving it a cloudy appearance. Its taste is slightly sour, with an alcohol content of about 10–15 degrees, similar to beer. It is a daily and beloved essential drink for the Tibetan people.

　　The brewing method of highland barley wine is as follows: wash the highland barley, cook it, and once the temperature cools slightly, add the starter culture. Then seal it in a pottery jar to ferment. After two or three days, add cold boiled water or cold water, cover it, and wait a day—it then becomes highland barley wine. This wine is light in color, with a sweet and sour taste, and has an alcohol content of about 15–20 degrees. It is typically consumed in three rounds: first, second, and third. When visiting a Tibetan family and offered a drink, the host will first pour a full cup. You should take a sip, then have it refilled; take another sip, then have it refilled again; you must take three sips in total before finally drinking the whole cup in one go. Only then can you drink freely.

　　In the year 641, Princess Wencheng of the Tang Dynasty married King Songtsen Gampo of Tubo and brought with her the advanced highland barley brewing technique to the Tibetan people. Since then, the fragrance of highland barley wine has wafted through the snowy plateau for generations. The Tibetan Brew Legend brand of highland barley wine is located in Gar County, Ngari Prefecture, Tibet, known as the “Roof of the World’s Roof,” at an altitude of 4,300 meters. It inherits the over 1,300-year-old highland barley brewing technique, using pure highland barley from Xide Village, the highest-altitude village in the world, and drawing on the natural snowmelt water of Mount Kailash, revered as the “King of the Sacred Mountains of Tibet.” Carefully crafted, it becomes a heavenly nectar. Tibetan Brew Legend is the world’s only highland barley winery located at such an altitude, hence it is hailed by the Tibetan people as the “wine closest to the sun.”