Bolivia Now Makes Coca-Infused Beer For $2

El Viejo Roble distillery in Bolivia, renowned for its coca leaf-based liquors, is set to launch a new coca-infused beer priced at $2, according to an Associated Press (AP) report by Paola Flores and Isabel DeBre.

Bolivia is advocating for the destigmatization and legalization of coca exports, aiming to establish a global market for various coca-based products.

Bolivia, the world’s third-largest coca leaf producer, has a rich history of using the leaf in spiritual rituals among Indigenous communities.

Recently, it has inspired various coca-related products for wider markets. Adrián Álvarez, the distillery's manager, highlighted the unique appeal of their beer, saying, “Beer can be bitter, but the sweet touch that we give it with coca makes it more palatable.”

Currently, Álvarez’s beverages and other coca-infused products are limited to artisanal fairs in Bolivia and Peru, where the leaf is legal as long as it is not used for cocaine production.

Internationally, the coca leaf remains classified as a narcotic under a UN convention.

Bolivia is advocating for the destigmatization and legalization of coca exports, aiming to establish a global market for various coca-based products. Their efforts gained momentum last fall when the WHO announced a scientific review of the coca leaf, a critical step toward potentially decriminalizing it worldwide.