Rượu thuốc or rượu dân tộc is a kind of Vietnamese distilled liquor (rượu) with herbs and medical animals, considered by Đông Y as good for health. This drink is a mixture of alcohol mixed with herbs or animals which are used as drink and medicine in Vietnam. In Vietnam, rượu thuốc is widely believed by to help drinkers improve their health and virility.
Making
Raw herbs like ginseng, apple, or raw animals like seahorse, snake, or termites are put into a large earthenware jar of alcohol and kept for days to let the expected medical sustances in these herbs or animals to disolve in liquor before the mixture is served. Distilled liquor must be strong enough, with alcoholic concentration of 45% or more.
Drinking
Rượu thuốc is typically drunk before a meal, a small cup each time. It's believed among Vietnamese that drinking rượu thuốc may treat several diseases (not diseases caused by viruses or bacteria), also rượu thuốc is seen by female drinkers as local Viagra.