By Vinayak Khedekar
Available references indicate that from time immemorial, wine or some kind of alcoholic drink has been accepted as beverage in all parts of the inhabited world. It was a custom among primitive tribes, among both men and women.

Communities alternatively indulged in drinking and enforced prohibition from time to time and yanked from primitive groups to sophisticated societies. As regards India, prohibition is recommended in the country’s constitution in one of the directive principles.
References are available that such drink was consumed during the Vedic period and several stories are reflected in epic material as customary happenings. Liquor occupies a distinct place in Goan cultural phenomena. The offering of soro - Ront, Fenni and a thick pancake prepared out of rice floor on Wednesday and Sunday to the supernatural entity called Denvchar is prevalent as a regular custom.
Normally Goans cultivate the habit of drinking to relax after a hard day’s work. But according to the traditional custom, they have fixed hours of day when they drink. The Goan drinker’s custom also requires him to follow tradition in respect of the place, the quantity and manner of drinking. There is a rather usual example in this regard.
When a member of the Gonsay community drinks liquor he has to save his face, too. Therefore, he dips his fingers into the glass filled with liquor and throws out just one drop of the liquor as an offering to a god or any of the other supernatural entities supposed to be present in the air. This custom is also observed by a few other communities in some parts of Goa.
A ritualistic compulsion demands that the offering of Fenni to the Goddess Dishtagauri, along with other non-vegetarian dishes. The custom prevails that the partaking of this Prasad and at least one teaspoonful of fenni as teerth at the end of the pooja, is obligatory even to the visitors.
At Shiroda, outside the temple of Kamaski, a ritual is observed once a year for the sake of the Ganas. The Naivedya prepared is with the traditional Khichdi and is covered by Vade. What is relevant here is that one bottle of fenni is invariable added as a part of the ritual -Naivedy. Washing a sacred stone used for animal sacrifice with fenni is a ritual practiced in front of the Ravalnath temple.
At Pedne, an icon of a village deity has to spend 6 months of the year underwater, at the bottom of a tank, to return to his sacred seat for the next 6 months. On fixed day every year, the deity is first washed with fenni and then is offered a ritual bath with chicken blood.
Among the Christian Gawda of Goa a custom is followed as part of their marriage ceremony. The bride and the bridegroom have to leave a cup of fenny on the border line of their village. At some places there prevails the custom of purifying the place where food for the wedding feast is to be cooked, by sprinkling fenni. Like wise at the time of the Sanjao festival celebrated on June 24 every year, a compulsory ritual is observed at the end of the festival. According to it, every one present (even guests and visitors) is required first to pray to the god and then to drink at least one sip of liquor. At the same festival, married couples distribute bottles of fenni among those who participate in the Sanjao. (Harmal).
There is a custom of taking a fenny vow - Angwan at the Intruz (carnival) festival. ‘Fenny vow’ is also taken in the name of several members – deities belonging to the family of the main deity. A related custom of giving a ritual fenni bath to the stone image of the deity, together with offering fenni after the bath, also prevails in several parts of Goa. All such rituals are confined to the folk deities only.
Among the Kulmi of Goa who are classified as a tribe, drinking of liquor is prohibited. In their village there is a folk deity called Naas, parallel to Denvchar propitiated in other areas of Goa. No liquor is offered to Naas. In fact, no alcoholic drink is included in any of the Kulmi rituals.
Goans living in all parts of the state drink liquor. But no Goan misbehaves after drinking. No ethnic Goan is found to be so carelessly drunk as to be forced to fall unconscious by the roadside or in a ditch. Therefore, it is popularly maintained in Goa that if an alcoholic, is found lying unconscious in the open, surely he would be a non-Goan.