Chibuku Shake Shake, so called by the need to shake the carton before drinking it, is brewed by Chibuku, and remains a popular beer in Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Malawi. Chibuku Shake Shake is made from a mix of sorghum and maize. It is sold in paper cartons or brown plastic containers with a wide blue lid. This thick brown millet beer costs less than a dollar and it is shaken vigorously before drinking it because of its thick Layer of sediment collected on the bottom of the carton. It has a powerful yeast flavor that is offset by a lemony tang, surprising given the color. When the liquid has been consumed and you reach the bottom of the carton, standard practice is to slurp up the pile of sludge that remains.

How to brew Chibuku

Chibuku is made by adding yeast to a thin grey-pink, gruel-like maize porridge, after which it is allowed to brew for the length of time available until it needs to be consumed. After fermentation, it doesn’t look any less sickly.