Over the years, my drink of choice has evolved significantly.
From the broke college days of vodka and coke to having a glass (or two) of Moscato every other night, my choice of poison has reflected my state of life, being a loyal evolving companion throughout my journey (you might see this as addiction, I see it as growth).
The latest development? Tuak!
A sweet yet subtle liquor that offers complex flavours and a smooth drinking experience, quickly making it my go-to drink at bars and speakeasies, it eventually led me on a search for the best tuak out there.
Enter Tuak Alus
I first learnt about Tuak Alus at one of their pop-ups held at The Row KL.
“Would you like to try our tuak?” said the seller, offering a selection of three flavours.
And how could I say no to free drinks? (Please note that I am not an alcoholic. I just like good booze, there’s a difference.)
As I had always liked pandan I had chosen to go with that first.
Even before taking a sip from the plastic shot cup it was poured into, the delightful tropical and creamy aromas of pandan wafted up my nose, adding to the complex flavours of the rich and sweet yet boozy rice wine.
The same delights were imparted by Tuak Alus’ two other flavours, Indu and Laki, offering a sweet palm sugar profile and a stronger boozier flavour respectively.
And although I was already rather familiar with the Sarawakian liquor, Tuak Alus’ complex notes enticed me enough to pitch their story to my editor, which is why you’re currently reading this.
Humble beginnings
First founded by three friends (two Sarawakians and a self-proclaimed tuak lover), Tuak Alus came about from a feeling of homesickness.
“Tuak Alus began with a shared commitment to recreating the taste that held endless memories during Gawai. Coupled with a fiery passion for Sarawakian culture, we felt the world needed to experience this traditional drink too,” founders Ayden Chong and Raffly Langi told Vulcan Post.
Before founding Tuak Alus, Ayden was in marketing before switching over to recruitment, which he’s been doing for the past five years, along with a side gig running a durian and coffee business.
Kuching-born master brewer Raffly, however, holds a much different story. He was working as a service engineer since 2014 until being retrenched during the COVID pandemic led him to fully commit to Tuak Alus.
“It all started in a condo room with just the passion to brew and R&D a high-quality tuak here in Semenanjung,” said the founders, adding that a mere RM1,000 was invested as capital from their own savings.
“After countless R&D sessions (and drunk ones too), we developed our own yeast strain that gives Tuak Alus its smooth yet strong taste. In Iban, Alus means ‘smooth’—and that’s how the name came to be.”
“We shared it with friends and family, and soon, people began requesting more and buying from us. That’s how we began building the brand from scratch,” said the duo.
Soon enough, the brand began serving cocktail bars, wedding events, and even Borneo-themed festivals, like the Harvest Festival events.
Thus, they officially set up Tuak Alus under a Sdn. Bhd. structure, and opened a shared office space in Kuching where their tuak is brewed with locally sourced ingredients that support the communities there.
Currently, each bottle of tuak is sold at RM108, slightly pricier than an average bottle of tuak, but you can be assured that you’re paying for a high quality drink that flows smoothly down your throat, making a great companion for night out (or in).
Keeping the pace
Since their early days, Tuak Alus has gone from participating at events via pop-up booths to delivering their products across the country.
Despite tuak being a lot more accessible in bars and restaurants across the peninsula, the duo remarked on the growing competition as part of a close-knit community, supporting each other with ideas and solutions to grow tuak as a category.
And although the brand has been successful in bringing tuak to a diverse audience, their sights remain on the communities that carry on the legacy of the indigenous Sarawakian population that first made the drink.
From hosting pre-Gawai celebrations to Bornean dinners, Tuak Alus has proven itself as not just some business hoping to capitalise on indigenous cultures, but also as an honest move to preserve and inject Sarawakian tradition into an increasingly homogenous society.
“We’re not just selling rice wine—we’re representing Borneo’s heritage and culture, passed down through generations. Our recipes are adapted from family traditions, refined through years of R&D.”
Looking forward, the duo hopes to eventually open a physical experience store, where people can see how they brew and learn about the process firsthand, with further plans to expand their reach to neighbouring countries.
They have also just recently started making deliveries to customers in Klang Valley and beyond, taking the Sarawakian liquor to more communities around the country.
“Our goal is to be in more bars and create unique tuak-based cocktails. We want to promote tuak as a signature drink of Malaysia’s indigenous tribes, especially from Sarawak.”
“Our slogan is: Sarawakian Tuak, made for the world, and we hope for tuak in Malaysia to be on par with Japan’s sake, Korea’s soju, China’s baijiu, and Russia’s vodka,” said Ayden.
Featured Image Credit: Tuak Alus
