Heritage
Liquid gold,
since long before us.
Toddy is not a manufactured recipe; it is a raw, living craft carried in the hands of generations of Sri Lankan toddy tappers. In the 1600s, Robert Knox wrote of this island's fresh palm sap, calling it a liquid gold as sweet and pleasant as fine wine. Camel Coconut Toddy works alongside the local tappers to bring this original, wild-fermented pour straight from the treetop to the table.
We don't reinvent it, and we don't alter it. We just bottle it with the respect it has always deserved.
A coconut sap "as sweet as honey," naturally transforming as it rested.
Robert Knox · An Historical Relation of the Island Ceylon · 1681
The Skywalk
Twenty metres up,
on a rope.
Toddy tapping is a skilled, demanding craft. Climbers scale coconut palms up to twenty metres high, then cross between the crowns on rope supports — the signature Sri Lankan "skywalk," refined over generations to navigate the groves with balance and precision.
For centuries this liquid gold has been preserved by skilled toddy tappers — the Ra Madinna. During the colonial era, expertise from Kerala further enriched the island's tradition, adding depth and refinement that endures in every pour.
The Tapper's Craft
A language
of its own.
- Ra Madinna
- The toddy tappers — keepers of the craft, generation after generation.
- Padham kireema
- Seasoning the unopened coconut flower for several days before the tap.
- Thalanawa
- The gentle beating that coaxes the flower and stimulates the flow of sap.
- Gus muttiya
- The collection vessel tied beside a small cut in the spadix, gathering sap drop by drop.
- Manna pettiya
- The tapper's simple toolkit — a wooden mallet (thalanaya), knife, and rope.
- Labu katey
- The gourd-shaped bucket that carries the dawn harvest down, before fermentation begins.
Three Generations
Eighty years
in the trade.
The foundation
The late M. K. Krishnan establishes the family trade through toddy taverns and estate canteens across the Uva and Sabaragamuwa regions, later expanding into the Western Province.
Golden Eagle (Camel) is born
The second generation moves the business into bottling, founding Golden Eagle (Camel) Bottle Toddy Manufacturer and introducing standardised production and wider distribution.
The third generation
Focused on reintroducing coconut toddy in a refined, reliable format — positioning it within modern hospitality and showing Sri Lanka's traditional beverage culture to a wider world, from our facility in Colombo.
The craft continues, one dawn at a time.
See how it's made