Sodabi is the eau-de-vie of the Togolese coastline. Artisanally distilled from fermented oil palm sap, it ranges from 40 to 50 degrees. In Aneho, no ceremony, no significant transaction, no reconciliation takes place without a bottle of sodabi being opened and shared. Transparent as water, with a powerful and characteristic odor, it is far more than alcohol: it is a social medium, a vector of the sacred, an identity marker.
From sap to eau-de-vie
Sodabi production begins at the top of the oil palm. The distiller — generally a man, unlike tchakpalo which is women's domain — climbs the trunk and incises the terminal bud. Sap flows into a calabash or plastic container tied beneath the incision. Harvesting happens morning and evening. The fresh sap, called palm wine, ferments naturally within hours under the effect of wild yeasts in the air. Once fermented, this wine is distilled in a makeshift still: a metal barrel heated over a wood fire, topped with a pipe passing through a container of cold water to condense alcohol vapors. The first stream, the strongest, reaches over 60 degrees. It is cut with subsequent streams to achieve the desired strength.
Sodabi in ceremonies
In Guin tradition, sodabi is the drink of ancestors and warriors. Palm gin libation is the first gesture of any invocation: a few drops are poured on the ground while pronouncing ancestors' names, asking for protection and benevolence, then one drinks. At funerals, sodabi flows abundantly — it accompanies the deceased, consoles the living, seals alliances between families. At weddings, the suitor offers sodabi to the bride's family, a gesture dating back to when palm alcohol served as currency.
Stigmatization and revival
For a long time, sodabi was stigmatized. Colonial authorities, then post-independence elites, saw it as a poor person's drink, dangerous, symbol of a rural, backward Togo. Imported industrial alcohol — whisky, gin, vodka — was the modern person's drink. This stigmatization lasted until the early 2000s. Today, sodabi is experiencing a spectacular revival. Artisanal distilleries are structuring themselves, offering oak-aged sodabis, versions flavored with medicinal plants or citrus. Sodabi bars are opening in Lome. Palm alcohol has become a product of national pride, served at official receptions and gastronomic restaurants. In Aneho, some distilleries offer visits and tastings — an experience our concierge can arrange.