Those who like to keep their 'spirits' high may soon have one more reason to raise a toast, with a research institute in this Kerala city set to start alcohol production from the locally available tuber, tapioca. This is the first time in the country that such technology is being used to manufacture alcohol. Such alcohol could easily be turned into whisky, brandy or vodka by adding essence. What we have found out is that vodka manufactured from tapioca is better than Russian vodka.
Russian vodka is made out of maize and wheat, while the German vodka is made from potato.
The alcohol content of tapioca is 95 percent. The production and assembly line is being erected and we have already got the government sanction for production. The institute in 1992 had transferred this technology to two companies, one in Kerala and one in Tamil Nadu. The Kerala company is on the verge of closure because of non-availability of tapioca, while the Tamil Nadu company is getting ready for the production of IMFL, he said. Balagopal is positive that the Tamil Nadu company will be an instant success as the cost of production of alcohol from tapioca waste is just Rs.18 per liter, while producing it from raw tapioca costs Rs.60 per liter.