And here you thought the guy in your circle of friends who was willing to swallow the “worm” (technically moth larva) at the bottom of the bottle of Mezcal was a brave soul. If you’re really into alcoholic thrills and spills, then you’ll want to add these three words to your bucket list: Rượu mật rắn. Don’t worry if you can’t pronounce them. They’re Vietnamese. Besides you can just order the beverage using its translation: “snake bile wine.”
A village in Vietnam has been producing wine made from snakes and scorpions for eons. According to some sources, the cobras used are still poisonous at the time of processing, but venoms, which are protein-based, are inactivated by the denaturing effects of ethanol. Put more simply, the wine won’t poison you.
According to the Daily Mail:
Snake and scorpion wines are also known as a natural medicine used to treat different health problems such as back pain, rheumatism, lumbago and other health conditions.
If you’re really into the curative effect of snake bile, you may want to watch the educational National Geographic video here that highlights the health benefits of snake blood. (Warning: The video is not for the faint of heart.)
But I digress. Snake wine is also supposedly a strong natural aphrodisiac and is believed to enhance male virility.
So, you’re probably asking yourself where you can obtain some of this magical elixir, right? (If you’re the worm eater, the answer is probably yes.) You can shop for snake wine on Google, where you can find it starting as low as $17.96.
Bottoms up!
