Bayah: Ceremonial Rice Wine

Mission

Ifugao Center for Living Culture’s Bayah: Ceremonial Rice Wine is a quality, high-end rice wine made only with rice cultivated with heirloom seed and grown without the use of any chemicals or fertilizers. In crafting this product, we aim to prioritize indigenous methods of cultivating and processing rice, with an end result which displays to consumers our values and vision as a company. Our organic rice wine honors tradition through each stage of production, from the months of manual labor planting and harvesting, to the rituals performed throughout the season for bountiful harvest and relationship with the land and local deities.

Vision

Bayah: Ceremonial Rice Wine encourages the production of indigenous-made merchandise, derived from local ingredients and using traditional processes. We seek to share a product that has a deeper connection to the enduring culture and livelihood of the people. In the spirit of Ifugao CLC’s work, we promote indigenous culture and its forms as an effective, sustainable, holistic, and conscious way to live and grow one’s wealth. The creation and sharing of traditional rice wine gives people an opportunity to learn and relearn ceremonial ways of drinking alcohol. We drink rice wine to connect with our ancestors and to celebrate completion of seasonal agricultural work and other occasions. When we drink for these reasons we are drinking beyond a desire for simple inebriation, but rather with prayer and intention – what we call conscious drinking. It’s a celebration of our roots and connection to the natural and spirit world.

Sourcing

The majority of our rice is grown on previously abandoned rice terrace fields in Banaue with heirloom glutinous rice seeds. We use rice grown in our fields and we also purchase from local producers. As we continue to grow, we plan to use rice from the greater Ifugao region, and eventually the entire Cordillera Administrative Region. Profits from rice wine production through our brand are used to sustain and expand the operations and activities of the Ifugao CLC. We support collaboration with local agriculture associations and cooperatives, and are committed to continuing our sourcing within the region, supporting local growers and organic methods.

    Bayah Rice Wine Supports…

    • The livelihood of local farmers
    • Organic agriculture, keeping chemicals out of our bodies, lands, and waters
    • Keeping traditional spirituality alive
    • A culture of conscious drinking
    • Small-scale, local alcohol production instead of industrial & commercial
    • A better option for ancestral remembrance ceremonies that involve alcohol for rituals and altars