Spirit of Uganda · Banana Gin
Uganda Waragi
Photo: Peter b / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0
A popular story holds that the name comes from 'war gin', a term supposedly used by British colonial troops, but there is no firm record of it.
Waragi is a clear, gin-style spirit; home-distilled versions are made from bananas, cassava, millet or sugarcane, while the bottled Uganda Waragi brand, triple-distilled and flavored with botanicals, has been produced commercially since the 1960s. It's poured in bars and at street-side gatherings across the country, often mixed simply with soda or fruit juice.
Why it's made this way: Home-brewed versions using bananas, millet, or cassava have circulated in Uganda for generations, and the bottled brand grew into a genuine national symbol, nicknamed 'the spirit of Uganda.'
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