Araqe is a traditional home-distilled beverage that is made from an
assortment of cereals such as wheat, sorghum and maize, and has a high
level of ethanol. A ubiquitous feature of present day Ethiopian society,
with the exception of the predominantly Muslim communities, Araqe is
more than the alcoholic drink of choice for people living in rural and
small towns. Thanks to its qualities of divisibility, long shelf-life,
portability, and high unit value, it is also an important commodity that
is produced by, traded between, and consumed in most rural and urban
areas of the country. Its negative effects notwithstanding, it is a
major object of exchange that ties cities to their rural hinterlands and
with one another, thus becoming an important component of the social
fabric of the society. It is an important social fact that cannot be
dismissed as a fringe phenomenon. But in spite of the substantial amount
of araqe that is distilled, traded, and consumed within the informal
sector, and the important place it holds in the socioeconomic fabric of
the society, no comprehensive study has to date been undertaken on its
interrelated aspects at a national level. The general objective of this
study is to assess and document the processes (origin, introduction and
spread), patterns (arenas, manners), trends (currently evolving forms
and future directions), as well as impacts (on environment, economy,
social, health and security) of the production, marketing, and
consumption of the homemade liquor, araqe, with the ultimate aim of
indicating how and to what extent these factors contribute to economic
development/stagnation and social cohesion/disruption in rural Ethiopia
in particular as well as the country at large.
