Balinese Arrack Day Celebrated Every January 29

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Balinese arrack
Governor of Bali, Wayan Koster, is pouring arrack drink. (Image: baliprov.go.id)
  • BALINESE arrack, as a Balinese traditional drink, is now receiving modern management according to the Regulation of Bali Governor and recognition as an intangible cultural heritage
  • Even the presence of Balinese arrack gets a special celebration, namely Balinese Arrack Day which falls on January 29

In general, Balinese Arrack is consumed as a body warmer. Apart from that, this traditional drink is also used as a mixture of traditional medicines such as boreh or scrub as well as a complementary element to Hindu religious ceremonies.

In its development, after receiving modern governance and legal entity, Balinese Arrack has also become a companion or alternative for imported alcoholic beverages which are often blended into various cocktail drinks.

Recognition and Legality

Balinese Arrack is a Balinese traditional distilled drink as heritage of Balinese cultural diversity that needs to be protected, maintained, empowered, marketed and utilized to support the implementation of customary activities and to empower the people’s economy that is sustainable based on culture according to the vision of Bali’s Development “Nangun Sat Kerthi Loka Bali” through a patterned universal development plan towards a new era of Bali.

Gubernatorial Regulation No.1/2020 concerning the management of Balinese-style fermented and/or distilled drinks has raised the existence, value and dignity of Balinese Arrack from drinks that are prohibited from being produced or traded into drinks that are legal to be produced in the Bali Province and can be traded in across Bali, Indonesia and overseas.

Balinese arrack has received recognition as an intangible cultural heritage of Indonesia based on a certificate from the Minister of Education and Culture, Research and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia on October 21, 2022.

Similarly, there is a letter of recording an inventory of traditional knowledge communal intellectual property from the Indonesian Ministry of Law and Human Rights dated August 25, 2022 which stipulates that Balinese Arrack has been documented and archived at the Indonesia National Data Center for Communal Intellectual Property (CIP).

Balinese Arrack Day

Seeing the existence of Balinese Arrack in a cultural (gastronomic) context as an intangible heritage, communal intellectual property of traditional knowledge as mentioned above, the Bali Provincial Government then set January 29 as Balinese Arrack Day based on Decree of Bali Governor No.929/03-I/ HK/2022.

So, the purpose of commemorating Balinese Arrack Day celebrated every year on January 29 is: Firstly, to commemorate the promulgation of Regulation of Bali Governor Number 1/2020 concerning Management of Balinese Fermented and/or Distilled Beverages as a milestone in changing status that elevates existence, value and the dignity of Balinese arrack

Secondly, to invite all Balinese people, local governments in Bali and business players to make January 29 as a day for collective awareness of the Balinese people about the existence, value and dignity of Balinese arrack.

Thirdly, to protect and maintain Balinese arrack in accordance with cultural values and empower, market and utilize Balinese arrack as a people’s economy in a sustainable manner.

Fourthly, to appeal to all communities, local governments and business players to avoid the use of Balinese arrack for activities that are contrary to the essential values of Balinese arrack and applicable laws and regulations.

Positive response

The determination of January 29 in Bali as Balinese Arrack Day initiated by the Governor of Bali, Wayan Koster, received a positive response from academics, Hindu Dharma Council of Indonesia (PHDI), and customary youth organizations (yowana) because the commemoration of Bali Arrack Day has positive benefits, namely to revive Balinese cultural traditions inherited from ancestors. Because of that, they asked some elements not to twist the meaning of Balinese Arrack Day in a bad direction, such as getting drunk.

The Balinese arrack drink is an ancestral heritage drink produced through traditional craftsmanship by producing a delicious taste that comes from nature (coconut, sugar palm, and wine palm trees–Ed). To produce arrack, this drink is ripened through twice distillation methods.

Source: compiled from baliprov.go.id

 

 

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