Viche: How Afro-Colombians Fought For Recognition And Protection Of Their Ancestral Drink

After lunch at the jungle resort Mamá Yeya Raíces, the women of the family passed warm cups of Viche (vee-chay). The drink provided relief and comfort after a cold, wet day in the remote village of San Cipriano, tucked deep within Colombia’s rainforest along the Pacific Coast. It was clear there was a sense of healing following the brutally wet day. In that moment, I understood why Afro-Colombians turned to Viche for comfort and healing for centuries.

Known as the “moonshine of Colombia,” Viche is a sugarcane-based liquor prepared by Afro-Colombian communities on the Pacific Coast. Shaped in secrecy and historically dismissed by outsiders, the sacred drink has been a cultural and spiritual cornerstone in Afro-Colombian communities, as well as serving as a medicinal remedy.

“Traditional medicines were made at home. While this is a drink, we also see it as medicine,” the family tells Travel Noire through a translator. “Midwives would give women the drink to ease the pain of childbirth, and drink it to heal after childbirth. Men would also drink it to increase potency.”

Yet, for most of its history, Viche was unrecognized and unprotected.

Roots In Resistance

When enslaved Africans were trafficked to the Americas during the 16th and 17th centuries, they carried with them deep knowledge of cultivation, fermentation, spiritual rituals, and plant medicine. Across Brazil, Colombia, the Caribbean, and the United States, this knowledge seeped into the soil, generating agricultural wealth that did not benefit those tending the fields.

When sugarcane arrived in Colombia, enslaved Africans transferred their agricultural knowledge to it. Women learned to ferment and distill it, ultimately transforming the crop into a way that sustained the body and community.

The word Viche comes from the Bantu term bichi, meaning unripe or immature fruit. Ironically, sugarcane used to make Viche must be ripe to begin distillation.

From its sugarcane base, Viche can be infused with medicinal and other aromatic ingredients, including herbs and spices, to enhance its therapeutic properties. At the heart of Viche’s survival are Afro-Colombian women who served as midwives and healers within their communities. Women have guarded Viche’s secrets and traditions for generations.  

Criminalization And A Stigma

Despite its cultural significance, Viche was long treated as an illicit drink. As interest in beer increased and the industry expanded in Colombia, government policies and alcohol monopolies targeted traditional beverages such as chicha (fermented corn) and Viche.

There was a coordinated effort from the government that used public health campaigns to discredit these ancestral drinks as unsanitary, dangerous, and morally corrupt.  

The government persecuted communities that made artisanal liquor, primarily impacting Indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities. Police forces would raid Viche distilleries and arrest producers. In response, Viche was later distilled at night so the smoke from the fires wouldn’t alert authorities. Afro-Colombian communities would bury the bottles in the dirt to keep the drink hidden and protect tradition.

A Movement Takes Shape

Afro-Colombians fought for decades to gain recognition for Viche. A significant milestone in their struggle came with the passage of Law 70 in 1993. The law granted Afro-Colombians collective rights over their ancestral territories and formally recognized their cultural identity.

Still, the law did little to regulate or protect Viche. Outsiders began producing imitation versions, sparking outrage among the Afro-Colombian communities.

“A business went to the government stating that it had a recipe and business idea for Viche, and it started a revolution,” the family of Mamá Yeya Raíces tells Travel Noire. “We said, no. This is our drink and our heritage. This can’t be allowed.”

In 2021, after years of advocacy, lawmakers finally recognized Viche as an ancestral heritage drink. The law declared it the patrimonial beverage of Black Pacific communities and restricted its production to the territories where it originated, much like mezcal and tequila in Mexico. Now, to be considered Viche, it must be produced in one of the designated Pacific regions and reflect the knowledge of Afro-Colombian communities.

Today, Viche is making its way through restaurants, bars, and nightlife in Colombia. However, at its core is a living testimony to the resilience, spirituality, and cultural pride of Afro-Colombians.

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