Mum's warning after daughter died from drinking limoncello in Bali

A mum has been warning others after her daughter died from drinking limoncello in Bali.

38-year-old Kirsty McKie had been living in Bali for eight years and was aware of the risks of contaminated alcohol, but in 2022 she died after unknowingly drinking some in a bottle of limoncello bought from a seemingly reputable supplier and trying to sleep off symptoms she mistook for a hangover.

It was only months later after her body had been returned to the UK for a funeral that her family learned Kirsty's cause of death hd been methanol poisoning, and her mum Margaret has been warning others away from buying alcohol in certain countries even if it seems safe.

"There is no way to know. It can happen to anybody," she told the Manchester Evening News as she campaigned with other families who have been affected and lost loved ones through contaminated alcohol.

In 2024 six tourists died from drinking contaminated alcohol in Vang Vieng, Laos, after they had been given free shots at their hostel with methanol poisoning given as their cause of death.

Kirsty McKie's mum Margaret said her daughter was aware of the risks of contaminated alcohol and only bought drinks from reputable sources, but was still poisoned (MEN Media)

After that incident 10 people were charged with destruction of evidence and given suspended sentences while they were also fined £135, which Margaret, 66, said was 'insulting' to the families involved.

She's warned others that 'you never really know what you are consuming' as her daughter had only bought alcohol in Bali from 'high-end and reputable suppliers'.

"We had no idea what the reason was for her death," Margaret said as she spoke of how her daughter and a friend had become ill after drinking the limoncello they had bought from what appeared to be a reputable supplier.

"Her friend had also become ill but had gotten better. They had no idea that it was anything other than a bad hangover. We brought Kirsty back to the UK and had her funeral a month after she died and still didn't have any answers.

"We didn't find out it was methanol poisoning until some time after. A pathologist in Bali took samples and kept them under laboratory conditions until they could be tested, which was when we got the truth.

"They were well informed and they were careful. They only ordered their alcohol from a supplier who supplied high-end restaurants and hotels. She did not suspect that it could be anything because they just believed that they were being as careful as they needed to be."

It was months before Kirsty's family learned what had caused her death, by which time the limoncello bottle she drank from had been thrown away (MEN Media)

No legal action was ever taken over Kirsty's death as she was not initially suspected of having suffered methanol poisoning, by the time her cause of death had been confirmed the bottle of limoncello had been thrown away.

Margaret also warned that in popular tourist destinations genuine bottles from reputable suppliers could also be taken by manufacturers of contaminated drinks and resealed to make the contents appear legitimate.

She said people were recommended 'not to throw away genuine bottles without smashing them' so they couldn't be used again.

Kirsty's mum has been warning that 'it can happen to anyone' as legitimate bottles can be filled with contaminated alcohol and resealed (MEN Media)

Methanol is a clear, colourless, tasteless and flammable liquid that smells similar to ethanol so it is impossible to detect in a drink and even small amounts can render a person blind or dead within the span of 12 to 48 hours.

Margaret and other families affected by methanol poisoning have launched a campaign to raise more awareness of the dangers, with them making a short film to play in schools.

The Foreign Office have also updated their guidance on the dangers of methanol poisoning with warnings for people travelling to particular countries of the symptoms and signs to be aware of.