All about Bir Pletok, Beer Without Alcohol from Betawi

VIVA – Bir Pletok is one of the traditional Indonesian drinks, especially for the Betawi tribe. Not like the name, bir pletok is not a drink that contains alcohol, but bir pletok is a healthy drink made from spices, such as ginger and lemongrass. This drink has been popular since colonial times.

Besides being made from ginger and lemongrass, this drink is also made from turmeric, secang wood, cinnamon, black pepper, pandan leaves, lime leaves, nutmeg, cardamom, lawang flower, cloves, salt, and sugar.

Usually, bir pletok will be more delicious when served while still hot or warm and is perfect for warming the body. Along with the times and changes in the weather, each people who made bir pletok uses these various spices, while some don't.

In fact, some Bir Pletok craftsmen use arei chili or Javanese chili as one of the raw materials used. While related to the use of sweeteners, some use granulated sugar, palm sugar, or forest honey.

Bir Pletok contains many properties such as for treating asthma, diabetes, high blood pressure, gout, ulcers, stomach acid, and cholesterol, inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, and even for drug addiction.

The history of Bir Pletok

According to the Betawi people, the origin of Bir Pletok was during the Dutch colonial period, when Indonesians didn't want to be outdone by the colonialists who liked to drink beer. Therefore, they created a drink that functions almost the same as beer, namely to warm the body.

The name Pletok is based on three assumptions, namely the pletok sound that comes out of bamboo due to the mixing of ingredients, the pletok sound that comes from new ice in a pitcher filled with beer, and the pletok sound that comes from the skin of a secang which is one of the ingredients of Bir Pletok.

Here's how to make Bir Pletok, a recipe by @mima_putri from Cookpad:

3 pieces of red ginger, which has been crushed

5 lemongrass, which have been crushed

3 pandan leaves

1 tbsp secang wood

2 pieces of Lawang flower

5 cardamoms

5 cloves

3 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 liter of water

1. Prepare the ingredients that have been prepared

2. Boil the water until it boils, then add all the ingredients, and let it boil until the water shrinks a little. Note: Don't forget to correct the taste, you can add sugar if it's not sweet enough. You can use 7 tablespoons of granulated sugar or 3 tablespoons + 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, adjust to taste.

3. Strain the drink, serve warm