Cap Tikus, Traditional Alcohol from Minahasa

Minahasa is one of the districts in the province of North Sulawesi, located in Tondano. Anyone who comes to visit Minahasa, of course, will know the kind of traditional Minahasa high alcoholic beverages commonly known as "Cap Tikus"(Rat Stampt). Local alcohol produced without chemical mixture is processed solely by the Minahasa and the Sangir farmer by profession, in the traditional way. Before created Cap Tikus, the first farmers produce drinks "Saguer" taken from Seho or palm trees - in Minahasa language called "Akel".

Saguer made by palm trees flower stalks of wrist adults, cleaned and pounded for a couple of days ago cut. This piece will come out of the white sap dripping milk quickly to need shelter seruas size bamboo. Liquid milky white color is what is called Saguer. In making Cap Tikus, saguer water was flowed through bamboo pipes that have been arranged. Hot steam through a long bamboo pipe when the melt will turn into Cap Tikus. The makers of Cap Tikus prefer a location that is cool mountains and hilly areas that bamboo pipe distillation is not in the tree but the surface soil of the hills.


Minahasa legend the god as god saguer Makawiley first (Leway = foam saguer). Then there is also the god named Left Waerong saguer associated with the manufacture of sugar from saguer cooked. The third saguer god is a god associated with water Parengkuan saguer which produces Cap Tikus. Parengkuan have the original word "rengku" means, drinking once drinking small sips place. Of the meaning of the word is the Minahasa people believe that Parengkuan is the first Minahasa make drinks Cap Tikus.

Minahasa traditional liquor was originally named gin, but the name "Sopi" changed to Cap Tikus when the Minahasa who follow military education to face the Java War, before 1829, finding mimuman "Sopi" in blue bottles with images rats. Drink "Sopi" was sold by the Chinese traders in Amsterdam Manado.

Information about drinks Cap Tikus in Ternate written by the scribe globe trotter Columbus from Spain named Antonio Pigafetta. After their ship through two islands Sangir and Talaud and December 15, 1521 they arrived at the port of Ternate - Ternate King entertained with drinks wine made from palm wine water cooked.

Unfortunately the book "Journey around the world Antonio Pigafetta" published in 1972 pages 127-128 does not explain where the King of Ternate get drinks Cap Tikus. Cap Tikus beverage distribution as well as the imported rice to Ternate from Minahasa. Cultural production and selling drinks Cap Tikus continues in Minahasa until today with the distribution of sales to Irian.

These data indicate that it is not the Spanish that teaches how to make drinks Cap Tikus in Minahasa. Because, the first time the Spanish arrived in Ternate, the drink was already there. For Spaniards, drinks Cap Tikus has backfired because through that drink Spaniards expelled from Minahasa. It happened because soldiers like booze and eventually kill Dotu Mononimbar in Tondano and injured children Walak Head Tomohon 1644.

The life span god liquor Minahasa Opo Parengkuan was before the arrival of the white man's period of Portuguese - Spanish in Minahasa in 1512 - 1523. At that time the Chinese merchant boat that has come to bring ceramics to Minahasa. From the age of Chinese ceramics in Minahasa dynasty 13th century and 14th century, it can be estimated that the Chinese was the one who taught the Minahasa to make liquor Cap Mouse by distilling Saguer.

But according to the book "Adatrechtbundels XVII. 1919 page 79 ", this traditional liquor has saved people from dependence Minahasa Opium and opium in the 18th century Because Minahasa people love drinks Saguer and Cap Tikus, the Minahasa people are no longer interested in opium and opium, although the price is quite cheap.

Picture: tribalinstinc