Alcohol
Almost every country I've traveled through has an alcoholic drink its people swear by - Armenians their brandy, Turks anise rakı, Basques patxaran made from wild sloes. Tasting them is as much a part of getting to know a place as walking through the local market. Otherwise, though, I prefer wine to spirits, and I'm drinking less and less these days.
I'll admit the "sober curious" thing has rubbed off on me, too. Lately I drink very little, and on the road I mostly just "taste" from fellow travelers' glasses when I can. And since my most beloved destination is the Middle East, where hardly anyone drinks, I know how to enjoy a trip without a glass in hand - in Iraq and Iran, tea takes over as the social drink.
Beer and Wine
I taste beer in almost every country I get to - in Dublin I headed straight to the Guinness Storehouse for it. But of all alcoholic drinks, wine is my favorite. Besides the classics from France, Italy and Spain, I've tasted Armenian, Israeli and Tunisian wines as well.
Brandy from the Caucasus and the Balkans
Officially, only distilleries around the French town of Cognac may use the word cognac. In the Caucasus nobody pays that any mind - brandy has been called cognac there for as long as anyone can remember. Most of my brandy tasting memories come from Armenia. In Yerevan I managed to tour both rival distilleries in a single day: the modern Ararat brandy museum - Churchill is said to have had their brandy shipped to him after the Yalta Conference - and the more old-fashioned Noy factory, where they poured me fortified wines from 1913 and 1924 (honestly, I probably wouldn't pay for the tasting a second time).
They age grape spirits further east, too. A seven-year-old Kyrgyz cognac called Kyrgyzstan completely won me over, though the scenery around Son-Kul lake, where I drank it, may have had something to do with it. I'd happily rank it alongside the five-year-old Albanian brandy Skënderbeu - that one traveled with me through the Albanian mountains. And in Bulgaria, on the Black Sea coast, I tasted Pliska brandy, named after the country's first capital.
Anise Spirits and Grape Brandies
Anise spirits are among my favorites, even though I'm not much of a spirits drinker otherwise. From my trip around Turkey I brought back a bottle of rakı Efe Göbek - göbek means belly in Turkish and refers to the middle, most prized part of the distillate. Add water and rakı turns milky white, which is why Turks call it lion's milk. In the Basque Country, wild sloes are macerated in anise spirit for months: the result is patxaran, which I first tasted in Alicante. For grape brandies, there's Albanian raki rrushi, which accompanies weddings, christenings and funerals there, and Georgian chacha.
Liqueurs: From Herbero to Limoncello
I can never turn down a digestif after a good meal. The best herbal liqueur I've ever drunk is herbero from the mountains above Alicante - they brought the four of us a round of it ice cold, on the house, and I've sworn by it ever since. Sardinian mirto, made from myrtle berries, surprised me: I was expecting something close to Becherovka, the Czech herbal liqueur, and got something gentler, faintly sage-like. And lemon limoncello from Sorrento is one of the loveliest souvenirs you can bring back from southern Italy.
If you enjoy watching producers at work, I'd recommend a tour. On Mauritius I went through the Rhumerie de Chamarel rum distillery, where a tasting of eight samples of Mauritian rum and rum liqueurs comes with the ticket. In Dublin, the Jameson Distillery is worth a visit - except there it's whiskey instead of rum.
Spanish-Style Mixed Drinks
Spain is my favorite for light daytime drinking. Tinto de verano, red wine with lemon soda, is something I gladly order on every visit to the country. In the Basque Country I go for kalimotxo instead - wine with cola, which I used to mix myself as a broke student in the dorms; back home we have our own name for it - but the quality of what goes into the Basque version is another thing entirely. Before lunch comes la hora del vermut, the vermouth hour with tapas. And sangria, declared the Spanish national drink at the 1964 World's Fair in New York, I enjoyed with my parents at Ojalá Restaurant in Madrid - traditionally macerated, it was perfect.
On the road I treat alcohol like a spice: a pinch is enough. One glass of a local specialty tells me plenty about a country - and where nobody drinks at all, I don't miss a thing.
Taste wisely. Cheers!
Albanian Brandy Skënderbeu
Albanian brandy Skënderbeu is a traditional spirit made from Albanian grapes, renowned for its amber color and complex aroma. The brandy is named after the famous Albanian military leader Skanderbeg, who symbolizes the bravery and unity of Albanians. In Albania, Skënderbeu brandy is served at celebrations and family gatherings, and is widely available in supermarkets.
Raki rrushi: Albanian National Grape Brandy
Raki rrushi is a traditional Albanian brandy made from grapes. In Albania, it is the most popular alcoholic beverage. Raki rrushi is served at festive occasions, weddings, christenings, and even funerals. Besides raki rrushi, Albanians also distill raki from mulberries, plums, figs, or apples.
Rakı: Turkish National Alcoholic Drink
Rakı is a traditional Turkish alcoholic beverage made from grapes and anise. This distilled drink, often referred to as "the Turkish national alcoholic drink," is served with water or ice. The most prized part of rakı is called "göbek." Rakı has similar counterparts, such as ouzo in Greece or arak in the Middle East.
Kyrgyz Cognac
Cognac production in Kyrgyzstan has a tradition dating back to the mid-20th century. The largest producer, Kyrgyz Konyagy, follows classic methods and offers a wide range of cognacs aged from 3 to 20 years in oak barrels. The result is drinks with a rich flavor and aroma, which successfully rival foreign cognacs. Among the most well-known brands are the seven-year-old "Kyrgyzstan" cognac and the five-year-old "Bishkek" cognac, both of which I had the chance to taste myself.
Sangria: The Spanish National Cocktail
Sangria is a popular Spanish cocktail that Spaniards often enjoy at home. Authentic sangria is made by macerating fruit in wine for a long period. Sangria comes in many variations, such as traditional red, white, or cava sangria. In 1964, sangria was declared Spain's national drink.
Tinto de Verano: Traditional Spanish Summer Cocktail
Tinto de verano is the most popular Spanish summer cocktail, made with red wine and lemon soda. It is served in a tall glass with ice and a slice of lemon or orange. There are several variations of this drink, such as using fresh lemon juice, orange soda, or sparkling water. Although tinto de verano is very popular in Spain, it remains virtually unknown outside of the country.
La Hora del Vermut: Time for Spanish Vermouth!
Vermouth is an aromatic alcoholic beverage with a long tradition that has gained immense popularity in Spain. It is made from white wine enriched with wormwood, cinnamon, cloves, and other ingredients. Vermouth is an integral part of Spanish gastronomic culture and pairs wonderfully with local tapas. The tradition of drinking vermouth is associated with "la hora del vermut" (vermouth hour), a time spent with friends before lunch.
Patxaran: The Sloe Liqueur of Navarre and the Basque Country
Patxaran is a liqueur of wild sloes steeped for months in anise spirit - a deep ruby, sweet, ice-cold digestif drunk all over Spain. The name is Basque, but the protected designation Pacharán Navarro belongs to Navarre. What "de Arañón" on the label means, why the legend about the monks doesn't hold up, and how it tasted after a tasting menu in Alicante.
Herbero: Herbal Liqueur from Alicante
Herbero is a traditional herbal liqueur from the Sierra de Mariola mountain range in the Alicante province. It is made by macerating at least four local herbs in alcohol, which gives it a distinctive flavor and color. Popular brands include Doblón Licor de Hierbas, which I had the opportunity to try myself.
Kalimotxo: The Basque Name for Wine and Cola
Kalimotxo is cheap red wine and cola in equal parts, with ice and a slice of lemon - back home we know the same drink as houba. People had been mixing wine and cola in Spain long before that, but the name came from a crew in Getxo who had two thousand liters of wine turn sour on them in August 1972. How kalimotxo is drunk at Basque festivals, why it has two spellings, and how it tasted in the sun outside a bar in San Sebastián.