Bir Pletok, The Indonesian Healthy Beer

Bir Pletok or Pletok Beer is the Indonesian drink which is originally from Betawi, Jakarta. The color is red, the taste is sweet and hot, and it feels warm in our body. 

Unlike the regular beer, it doesn't make someone gets drunk. Otherwise, it can make our body feels so good because the ingredients of this drink are made from the herbs. It contains ginger, lemongrass, cardamon, pandan leaves, Secang wood, palm sugar, and water. All ingredients are boiled at once. We can serve this drink in hot or cold with ice cube.

Why is this drink called beer? This drink has already existed in Dutch colonial. At that time, the Dutch invaders brought their habit drank beer to make their bodies warmed. For Moslem people, it is forbidden to drink something that contains alcohol. To warm their body, Betawi people tried to find the way how to make a drink that can warm the body and didn't make someone who drank it got drunk. So came up the idea to make the drink from the herbs. Even the color looks similar like a wine.

Bir Pletok is one of the icons of Betawi culture. Although this drink is not really familiar drink to consume, but we can find it in the certain shops or occasion. Bir Pletok is not only good to drink but also has some benefits for our body.