DUI charge dropped: It was mare's milk, not beer

[October 03, 2008]  ALMATY, Kazakhstan (AP) -- A court in Kazakhstan has dropped drunken-driving charges against a man who admits he had a few drinks before he was arrested. The reason? He'd consumed fermented mare's milk, not beer or liquor.

Fermented mare's milk, or kumys, is not listed as an alcoholic beverage in Kazakhstan, although it can contain up to 4 percent alcohol. The popular drink is believed to have health-boosting properties

The man, identified only as R. Iskendirov, told a court he had drunk about 1.6 quarts of kumys for medicinal purposes before getting behind the wheel in June. He was arrested on suspicion of being drunk from beer.

But prosecutors said Thursday that Iskendirov produced a doctor's prescription for a daily ration of kumys. The court dropped the charges.

[Associated Press]

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