North Korea claims it has invented a 'hangover-free' alcohol, but don't celebrate just yet - a spirits expert has his doubts.
The secretive country's state-owned Pyongyang Times says scientists worked for years to create the spirit, where they replaced the sugar with "boiled and scorched glutinous rice".
The drink is made with ginseng and organic rice and has alcohol content between 30-40 percent, Sky News reports.
"It is highly appreciated by experts and lovers as it is suave and causes no hangover," the paper says.
"The subtle blend of the scorched starch with the sweetness of glucose cannot be produced with any spices."
Koryo Liquor has reportedly won a number of awards in the North Korean food and beverage industry.
But based on what is claimed by North Korea, Spirits New Zealand chief executive Robert Brewer thinks it could be too good to be true.
"Essentially a hangover is caused by drinking too much of any alcoholic beverage. No matter how much alcohol is in a product, if you drink too much you will get a hangover.
"The product in the story contains alcohol therefore if you consume too much then you will wake up with a sore head," Mr Brewer says.
The only way to be hangover-free is by moderating your drinking, he says.
This includes not drinking more than one standard drink an hour, about the amount of alcohol your body can process at one time, and plan to eat and drink water.
3 News
