Mountain High

Many cultures make singular contributions to humanity, and in the case of the Limbu people of eastern Nepal, it is the drink known as tongba . Outsiders rarely get to savor this heady millet brew, which would have remained virtually unknown outside this remote area if it wasn't for the occasional mention in guidebooks. But tongba is like Guinness to the Irish or whisky to the Scots: it's something to celebrate and revel in, and to stumble and sing under its influence.

Upland Nepalis are avid home brewers, and nowhere is this more apparent than in the shadow...

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