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Sweet potato spirit: Karusotju reimagines Indonesian arak
Bali-based distillery Karusotju is making its mark in the niche market of artisanal liquors with its alcoholic beverage products made from Cilembu's honey sweet potato, and taking Indonesian arak to a whole other level.
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Two bottles of Karusotju “arak”, distilled from the famed honey sweet potatoes of West Java’s Cilembu village, are displayed in this undated product photo. The artisanal distillery is based in Biyahan village in Tabanan regency, Bali, and contributes to the local economy and communities. (Karusotju/Courtesy of Karusotju)
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ince its market debut in 2021, Karusotju has made a name for itself among Indonesian alcoholic brands, garnering media attention when Nikkei Asia named it as a beverage that redefined Indonesia's ancient alcoholic tradition of arak.
Its creators describe Karusotju as arak, even though it is derived from the honey sweet potato native to Cilembu village, rather than from coconut, sugarcane or rice that is typically used to make arak.
Alisjahbana Haliman and his team of 24 employees meticulously craft Karusotju in Biyahan village, located in the hilly terrain of Mount Batukaru in Tabanan regency, Bali, drawing inspiration from Japanese shōchū and French barrel-aging techniques.
He said the idea to create the alcoholic beverage emerged while he was immersed in the atmosphere of 1980s New York, where he lived at the time.
"It was my dream to open a distillery after all my other ventures," Alisjahbana told The Jakarta Post on Nov. 22, reflecting on the four years of research and development that preceded Karusotju’s founding.
Alchemy of sweet potato arak
Alisjahbana says he has a deep passion for discovering the perfect combination of flavors in a refreshing drink, and that he had noticed a lack of research on alcoholic beverages in Indonesia.
