Updated on 13 October 2026. The original 2008 post is kept below.
Snake wine, decoded
This bottle is a classic example of snake wine (rượu rắn in Vietnam). Whole snakes, often venomous ones, are soaked in rice wine or other strong alcohol, sometimes with herbs, scorpions or a second snake for extra drama. The tradition goes back to China’s Western Zhou dynasty, nearly 3,000 years ago, and the drink is still sold across East and Southeast Asia as a folk tonic.
The alcohol breaks down most of the venom proteins, so the wine is usually, but not always, safe to drink. Drinking it can still cause problems, and the folk belief that it boosts male potency isn’t supported by health experts. Emergency doctors have even reported a man with a serious blood-clotting problem after drinking snake wine, and Chinese media have reported snakes that survived months in the bottle and bit whoever opened it. Importing snake wine is also illegal in many countries because the snakes are often protected species. So it’s a terrible souvenir.
And to answer our 2008 question: yes, people do drink it. Bravely, and usually as a toast.
More snakes: a marine drinks cobra blood and how to skin a snake.
From the 2008 original
Here’s a drink that you can propose a memorable toast with. I particularly love the detail where the cobra is holding a smaller snake in it’s mouth. The drink was found a vietnamese liquor store.
I wonder if anyone has ever actually drank this stuff?
Source: www.hilavitkutin.com
