What is Paiawara? Paiawara in Papua New Guinea is the regional variant of firewater, or moonshine within Papua New Guinea and indeed other neat places within the region.
Yet unlike in other countries in the world it is both taboo and equally a social phenomenon in equal breath. This means that despite some legal ambiguity there it is available everywhere, is extremely cheap and so much rizz that there are even songs made about the stuff.
I am also a known embracer of this, being known in PNG and beyond as the paiawaraman.
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What the Paiawara
This is a moonshine, or home-brew that is predominantly found in Papua New Guinea, but also Bougainville and under different names in various countries.
Predominately it is made from rotting fruit, such as banana and while it does vary in strength and indeed quality tends to be a while liquid that is fairly string usually 40%+ proof.
It is also very cheap which I will get to later and is associated with both social ills within the country, such as you and gang culture, but also with the nightlife of PNG. This is the one cheap drink that people can afford, unlike imported and even local beers and liquors.
It is also known as home-brew in English, or colloquially as steam. I only recently heard the term steam which I kinda like.
How strong is Piaiawara and how much does it cost?
Strength varies greatly, but as it comes in usually and old coke or water bottle without branding you do not know. In my expense at least Mount Hagen makes it fairly weak, while at some places in Bougainville it is akin to rocket fuel.
Costs tend to be 10 Kina, or around $2.50 for s mall 330 ml bottle, with a liter tending to cost $5. This makes it cheaper than a bottle of beer for some context here.
How do they make Firewater in Papua New Guinea
Firewater, or Paiawara as it’s known in Papua New Guinea, is the kind of drink that’s rough around the edges—much like the country itself. It’s a homemade spirit that’s as strong as it is popular, brewed up in villages all across the country using whatever ingredients are on hand.
The process usually kicks off with sugarcane, but that’s not the only thing they use. In PNG, anything that can ferment is fair game—think cassava, sweet potatoes, and even rotten fruits. The locals know how to make the most of what they have. They start by mashing or crushing the chosen ingredient to release the juices. If it’s sugarcane, they crush the stalks to get that sweet juice flowing. If it’s something like rotten fruit, they’ll mash it up into a pulp.
This juice or mash is then left to ferment. There’s no fancy equipment or store-bought yeast—just a few days of letting nature do its thing. The fermentation turns the sugars into alcohol, and once it’s ready, the next step is distillation. This is where the fun begins. The fermented mixture is poured into a homemade still, usually a cobbled-together setup using metal drums and pipes. They heat it up, and as the liquid boils, the alcohol evaporates, travels through the pipes, and condenses into a clear, potent spirit.
Why does Paiawara exist?
As in why do people make paiawara? Quite simply it boils down to people wanting to have fun and a bit of a drink, but without the recourse to do so. Papua New Guinea is not just a country with problems, but also one which suffers from immense poverty.
Said poverty is further exacerbated by the fact that it is insanely expensive here. For context it is almost New York prices for 3rd world services. People though for the most part live on almost next to no money. Therefore there is huge demand for paiawara with the government being able to have little recourse in being able to control it.
Variants in Paiawara
While there is Paiawara everywhere, the quality varies greatly. The most famous home-brew in the country is GB from Port Moresby where it is sold openly and always tastes very pure.
Quality in Mount Hagen and Lae is very much of a lesser standard, but for all intents does the job. Other regions of the county have assured me that theirs is the best, but it is only in Bougainville that I can attest to the quality.
Steam as they call in in Bougainville is heavily ingrained in the culture and tends to be slightly stronger than that you find in the mainland, with this being true of Buka, Arawa and beyond. There is though one brew in Arawa our contacts claimed to be the best which certainly worked on our gang.
Further afield in the Solomon Islands there is their local variant which is known as Kwaso, which I did not particularly enjoy, but locals swear by. It also exists in West Papua, although under a different name. This is particularly the case in drier parts of the country.
Jayapura the capital is famous for its drunkenness, but that is truly a tale for another time!
Do you mix Paiawara and how does it taste?
I do not mix Paiawara, instead drinking and chasing with a soft rink like locally made Gold Spot. Locals though insist that it should be mixed and never taken neat.
One popular mixer I was told for years before trying was paiawara and Milo, or chocolate milk, which actually turned out to be a revelation.
As for hoe formatter tastes? Well it is a traditional white spirit, so at its best it tastes of nothing, or rather just very strong with no aftertaste. This is generally true of the better stuff, although with a least a whiff of fruitiness.
In fact that only times I have found it flavorsome was when it was not that great, such as in Mount Hagen and the Solomon Islands. It is though for all intents home brew, so quality, taste and strength do depend very much on the provider.
And the future of Paiawara?
Well if I ever get involved in the government of PNG, or more likely Bougainville I would make this drink a regulated part of PNG Cuisine and, or Bougainville Cuisine. I would make factories, trademark it and make it easier for small vendors to make, but keep it affordable for the masses.
And while it might seem whacky, I’m sure people once thought that about rum..