Part of the joy and fun of travelling is the local cuisine and the local drink....
From the Sauvingon Blancs of Marlborough to the fresh fruit Rum punch of the Caribbean, alcohol can play an important part of the cultural and social side of a trip.
Anywhere you have been where there was strange, tasty, not so tasty or memorable drinks and drinking experiences?!
Reply to this We were few weeks ago in Cognac and Bordeaux region...so I agree with you, it can shape a lot of travelling experience...and a lot of interesting moments...
Reply to this Well Ireland and the Guniness debate.. The only time that I enjoyed a few pints of Guniess was when I was in ireland but once outside the country it just is not the same.
Czech Republic has a great range of beers! Just come back from a trip last week and what we really enjoyed about it is that you dont seem to get a large hangover due to the lack of presertives. A couple of morning we woke up and was waiting for the headache but it never arrived! Very good prices, top quality and very minor hangover.. to good 😊
Every noticed whilst on the road and not able to talk to language that after a few drinks your able to communicate like you have known each other for years?
Reply to this In Japan there are all kinds of native spirits. You have the original sake and the nigori sake. Then it starts getting crazy with imo-shu, which is a potato vodka and then you get to pull in the women with ume-shu, which is plum wine. You can also find other fruit alcohol, likes apples and apricots.
While I was in Japan, I tried imo-shu a couple times and it was like fire water to me. You get drunk fast on that stuff. Ume-shu is all sweet and a big favorite with Japanese women, and myself.
I always felt that while I was in Japan I would drink and then I would know more Japanese than I really did......
Reply to this Here in Vietnam there are various types of rice wine that alledgedly have 'curative' properties. We've drunk one that was blue and may or may not (as we were being fed it by someone who didn't speak English and our Vietnamese is shocking) have been buried for 3 months. You can also drink it with a variety of different animals in it - snakes, scorpions, insects.....
Reply to this On the islands in Micronesia they make alcohol out of coconuts, not that tasty but does the job
In Kyrgyzstan they drink fermented horse milk. Not that tasty and doesn't do the job well
In Armenia they bre 150% proof vodka from berries - tasty, does the job and is apparently very good for you. Not sure I believe that last bit...
Reply to this My husband is a connoisseur of fine beer and ale.....some might call him a beer snob.
While traveling in Scotland he tasted a few of their fine whiskies and was amazed at how smooth they were and pleasant to the palate.
Reply to this We got addicted to Caipirinhas in Rio, there were sold in huts along Copacabana beach, they were 3 Real each (about £1.20 last year) and rip roaringly strong...delicious
We also really liked the Pisco Sours in Peru, never thought i'd like a drink with raw egg in it, but it's great!
And of course New Zealand wine in Marlborough
So many happy/drunken memories!
Reply to this There's this drink in the Southern part of the Philippines and it's called "tuba". It's a native drink and people have come to love it already. In Korea, there's also what they call Soju..popular in Korean shows. It's a strong drink they say, popularly seen in green bottles.
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[Edited: 2011 Jun 01 03:51 - Rat on the Road:23681 - No advertising URLs on forums please]
Reply to this What a great question!!!
Pisco Sours in Peru, last summer although previously had been to Chile who claim Pisco as their drink!
Cana (tilde on the n) in Paraguay! Strong!!!
Cuba Libre in Cuba which just must be the most ironic name out there! Followed by just straight rum on the beach, smuggled into a night club!
Cocktails of dubious origins in A dominican nightclub in Buenos Aires!
Caipirinhas galore in Brazil, what I particualrly like is that they are included in the entrance ticket to the clubs, at least they were in Foz, and so you feel compelled to drink!!!
A welcoming 'ava cerimony in Samoa (I believe it is made of chewed up Kava roots, fermented??) which does have varyiing effects on a person! I felt very honoured though!!!
Fragolino and Noak in Friuli, Italy! Red and white wine that tastes of strawberry, delicious!
I'm sure lots of other drinks but they may be in a wee bit of a blur now!!! ;-)
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The ones that stay in our mind are: Rakija in Croatia - strong but really memorable taste; really loved the Old Monk rum in India - just could not have enough;also really enjoyed Sri Lankan ARAK - coconut rum (maybe we just have a thing for rum hahha) and of course Polish Zubrowka with apple juice;-)
Reply to this Only 3 hours south of Manila, you will find the province of Quezon where men and women drink the local wine made from coconut, called "lambanog". Very potent!
Reply to this Limiting myself to where i have travelled with Sofia.....Wine tasting in Italy, South Africa, Greece, Argentina, and Chile as well as Napa/Sonoma in California. I am a real wine geek. She has enjoyed smelling the wine, the majority of which smell like berries and cheese in her opinion. Here are some pics of wine tasting in 4 continents....
Reply to this Since I'm living in Burundi right now... Banana beer! Made from fermented bananas and sorghum. I've tried it in Rwanda and Burundi - both times I met people who were willing to let me try their home brews, so I still don't know where to buy the stuff. It's sweet and tart, and packs a punch. They also make banana wine and banana liquor.
Reply to this Drank a decent amount of
pulque in a Mexico, a mildly alcoholic beverage from the agave plant (same plant as tequila and mescal, only it's not filtered or distilled the same way). Very....viscous and kinda gelatinous. Fascinating beverage though, the consumption of which is laden with markers of social, class and nationalist identity, but reemerging with the popularity of heritage and eco-native-nostalgia tourism.
Just goes to show with the comments above you can ferment anything to preserve whatever food you have too much of. Had a lot of fruit wines across N. America too - what fruit depending on the region. Plum, blackberry, blueberry, rhubarb ... and of course apple cider and pear brandies.
Reply to this I'd like to try Banana beer, sounds great! I did try some home brewed strong alcoholic beverage in Uganda but no banana beer!!!
I didn't know about pulque, I am now curious as am off to Mesico for the Summer holidays! Where do you buy it?
Reply to this Mexico even!!! Not sure what happened to the spelling there, sorry!
Reply to this As we love beers, we have tried all kinds of beer on our RTW trip. Our favourites:
Kilimanjaro (Tansania)
Kuche Kuche (Malawi)
Mosi Lager (Zambia)
Tafel (Namibia)
Black Label (South Africa)
Speights (New Zealand)
all beers of the Kunstmann brewey especially the Gran Torobayo (Chile)
Cusquena (Peru)
Araucana (Argentina)
Pazena, the dark one (Bolivia)
Cheers :-)
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In response to: Msg #138753
I found it most readily at
pulquerias. They are/were essentially working-class pubs of sorts. I was only in the Puebla area - I don't know if it's a regional thing.
Pulque doesn't keep like as long as other hard-alcohols so you probably won't find it bottled or in a lot of the bars or resort areas - but I'm sure if you ask around, someone will know.
Reply to this We're going to a school and also staying with friends so I'm guessing if we probably have a good chance of trying it!!!
Thanks!
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