National Beer Day 2025: Have You Heard Of Zau, The Rice Beer Of Bodoland?

National Beer Day 2025 | Like most other residents of Biyonagar village in Kokrajhar district, Phonen Narzary follows the ancient way of Bathouism, the religion of the Bodo people. On a sunny afternoon, Phonen can lay out soaked rice on a wide swath of cloth. It is part of preparing a fresh batch of Zau, the traditional rice beer beloved by Bodos. He has a pot of rice fermenting in another room, a set in another process stage. Like the altar of the Sijou tree found in every Bodo household, this simple set-up to make rice beer is also ubiquitous across Bodoland. That is because Zau holds a special place in the Bodo way of life.