Lao Lao forms the alcoholic center of Lao drink culture. This rice whisky ranges from 40 to 50 percent alcohol by volume and is distilled in villages across the country from fermented sticky rice. Production methods vary by region, but the basic process involves steaming glutinous rice, mixing it with yeast cakes made from rice flour and herbs, fermenting the mixture in ceramic jars for three to five days, then distilling the liquid through bamboo or metal stills. The resulting spirit is clear and sharp, with a flavor profile that moves from sweet to astringent depending on distillation quality. Village producers sell Lao Lao in repurposed glass bottles or plastic containers at roadside stands and local markets for 10,000 to 30,000 kip per liter. Commercial brands like Sticky Rice and Laodi have standardized the product since the 1990s, packaging it in labeled bottles sold in shops throughout Vientiane and Luang Prabang. The whisky appears at ceremonies, temple festivals, and daily meals. Drinkers consume it neat in small glasses or mix it with ice and soda water. Lao Hai represents a communal drinking tradition where fermented rice wine sits in a large ceramic jar with bamboo straws extending from the top. Participants drink simultaneously while water is added to the jar to maintain liquid levels. This practice persists in rural areas and ethnic minority villages in northern provinces.
Beer Lao launched in 1973 under the state-owned Lao Brewery Company, which partnered with Carlsberg in 2002. The lager contains 5 percent alcohol and uses jasmine rice grown in the Mekong River valley as an adjunct to barley malt. Production takes place at the brewery in Vientiane, which expanded capacity to 300 million liters annually by 2015. The beer has become the country's most recognized export product, available in more than 20 countries. Within Laos, Beer Lao Gold offers a 4.8 percent alcohol variant marketed as smoother, while Beer Lao Dark provides a 6.5 percent lager with caramel malt character introduced in 2013. Street vendors sell 640-milliliter bottles for 10,000 to 15,000 kip, while bars charge 15,000 to 25,000 kip depending on location. The green Beer Lao logo appears on shop fronts, restaurant awnings, and promotional umbrellas throughout Vientiane, Luang Prabang, and Vang Vieng. Competitors include Tiger Beer imported from Singapore, Chang from Thailand, and locally produced brands like Lanexang Beer and Pepsi Beer, the latter a joint venture launched in 2015 that closed within three years. Draft beer systems remain uncommon outside tourist zones in Vientiane and Luang Prabang. Most consumption occurs from bottles served in ice buckets at plastic tables on sidewalks.
Coffee production in Laos concentrates on the Bolaven Plateau, where French colonists established arabica and robusta plantations in the 1920s at elevations between 1,000 and 1,350 meters. The volcanic soil and consistent rainfall create conditions that producers claim yield coffee with chocolate and caramel notes in arabica varieties and strong, earthy profiles in robusta. The plateau currently produces approximately 20,000 metric tons annually, with robusta comprising 70 percent of output. Cooperatives like Jhai Coffee Farmers Cooperative and Mystic Mountain Coffee work with smallholder farmers who harvest beans from November through February. Processing occurs through wet and dry methods, with washed arabica commanding higher prices in export markets. Dao Heuang Coffee, established in 2001, operates shops throughout Vientiane serving espresso drinks made from Bolaven beans roasted at their facility near the capital. Sinouk Coffee, founded by a Bolaven Plateau farming family, opened cafes in Vientiane and Pakse starting in 2010, offering single-origin lots identified by village and processing method. Traditional Lao coffee service involves coarse-ground dark roasted beans filtered through a cloth sock into condensed milk, served hot or poured over ice. This preparation appears at street stalls where vendors set up metal pots and glasses on wooden carts from 6:00 to 9:00 in the morning. Prices range from 8,000 to 12,000 kip per glass. Instant coffee mixed with sugar and non-dairy creamer in individual sachets dominates office and home consumption.
Lao tea culture distinguishes between black tea grown in northern provinces and herbal infusions consumed throughout the country. Phongsali Province produces black tea at elevations above 1,400 meters, where Akha and Phounoy ethnic groups cultivate tea trees planted during the early 20th century. The leaves undergo full oxidation and are twisted by hand or machine before drying. Phongsali tea carries a malty, slightly smoky flavor and is sold loose in markets or pressed into cakes for aging. Production volume remains small, estimated at 500 metric tons annually, with most tea consumed domestically. Tea shops in Vientiane serve black tea hot in small porcelain cups without milk or sugar, charging 5,000 to 8,000 kip per pot. Green tea imported from China and Vietnam appears more frequently in restaurants and homes. Herbal teas include lemongrass, pandan leaf, and bai yaanang, the latter being leaves from the Tiliacora triandra vine that release a chlorophyll-green color and grassy flavor when steeped. Vendors at morning markets in Luang Prabang and Savannakhet sell fresh bai yaanang leaves bundled with rubber bands. Cooks steep the leaves or pound them with water to extract the juice, which serves as a base for soups and drinks. The liquid has a slippery texture from natural polysaccharides. Street vendors sell chilled bai yaanang tea sweetened with sugar for 5,000 kip per plastic bag with a straw.
Sugarcane juice stands operate at morning markets and along main roads in Vientiane, Pakse, and Luang Prabang. Vendors feed peeled sugarcane stalks through motorized or hand-cranked roller presses, collecting the extracted liquid in metal bowls. The pale green juice is poured over crushed ice and served immediately in plastic bags or cups for 5,000 to 8,000 kip per serving. Some vendors add a squeeze of lime or a pinch of salt. The juice oxidizes and ferments quickly, so stands prepare it fresh throughout the day. Young coconut water remains available year-round, with vendors using machetes to open green coconuts and insert straws. Prices range from 8,000 to 15,000 kip per coconut depending on size and location. Fruit shakes blend papaya, mango, watermelon, or banana with ice and condensed milk in electric blenders at stands marked by displays of whole fruit. These shakes cost 10,000 to 15,000 kip and serve as breakfast or afternoon refreshment. Soy milk appears hot or cold from vendors who cook soybeans in large pots, grind them with water, strain the liquid, and sweeten it with sugar. This drink sells for 5,000 to 8,000 kip per serving and appears most commonly in morning markets.