This past weekend marked the unofficial beginning of summer here in the USA. Here we celebrate this with backyard barbecues, parades and fairs, and time by the pool. Europe is right behind, ready to celebrate summer with festivals and sitting at outdoor cafes. And what do we all need? Well, a drink of course! A lovely adult beverage, aka alcoholic drink, to relax and enjoy the easy pace of summer.
So, I’ve turned to some of my fellow travel bloggers for some of the European adult beverages that they’ve tried. Some of them they’ve liked. Some not so much. But, it’s fun to learn more about the alcoholic beverages in other countries. Who knows – it may spark an interest in you to try something new, or even invent a new drink based on these.
Drinks in Italy
Mastic Tears, Greece
The first time I heard of mastic was on MasterChef Australia. Mastic is a sticky resin from the Mastic tree and has a gum-like consistency. So imagine my excitement when I saw a liqueur made of this sticky resin, in the Duty Free Shop in Athens. I didn’t really have to try it to buy it. I knew I had to buy it. I bought the classic flavour for my father and the lemon one for me. I have to say, I do like things lemony and the same goes with the Mastic Tears. I loved my lemon flavour. The liquor is light, and so fragrant and beautifully spiced. This is more of a digestif. It is sweet and very gentle to the palette. PS- the bottle is beautifully modern and would be great if you like collecting bottles.
Pooja Deshpande-Mitra – A Bit of This and a Lot of That
Bottles of Mastic Tears from Greece
Hierbas Ibicencas, Ibiza, Spain
We came across this liqueur on our way out of Ibiza at the airport. There was a promotion of the liqueur and my husband and I couldn’t stop ourselves from trying it. (Especially since the packaging is so fun! It has a herb stem in the liqueur.) There is no way that you cannot like this liqueur if you like Sambuca and Ouzo. This liqueur is somewhere in between, very aniseed-ish but not as sweet as Sambuca and it does not have the little harsh aftertaste like Ouzo. It’s a digestif so it is drunk after your meals. If you go to Ibiza, you have to give this a shot!
Pooja Deshpande-Mitra – A Bit of This and a Lot of That
Raki, Turkey
I’m currently in Istanbul, and there is a drink here called rakı. What’s special about this anise-flavored drink is HOW you’re supposed to drink it. To begin, there are special glasses with notches on them that denote a single or double (definitely start with a single!). After you pour the rakı, you then add water to nearly fill the glass. Next, an ice cube is placed in the glass. You will be served a rather large block of cheese, and melon for the table. The typical ritual is to take a bite of cheese, followed by a sip of rakı, followed by a bite of melon. It seems to be a very social drink to partake in, and is best done over a large fish dinner!
Rebecca Vogt – Becca V Photography
Raki Bottle and glass, Turkey – photo courtesy of Becca Vogt
German Beer, Germany
When visiting Germany, of course visiting a Hofbrauhaus is on the list of things to do. And what an experience! Drinking beer from a giant stein and sitting at a long table getting to know strangers was brilliant. It was loud, smoky, energetic and lively and SO MUCH FUN! Traditional bands played German music in the background which was the queue for everybody to start cheering, singing, clapping and dancing. Of course the drink was great, but the experience is the thing that made it memorable! I’d thoroughly recommend a trip to the Hofbrauhaus if you’re ever in Munich.
Nikki L – Twenty Something Muddle
Mulled Wine, Germany
Mulled wine is a favourite at the best of times. But it seems so much tastier when you’re drinking it at a German Christmas market in Munich, with Christmas carols playing, gorgeous smells of all of the foods you can’t wait to eat and surrounded by happy festive people. Naturally mulled wine was on our list of things to do when we visited Munich during the festive period. It smelled divine. There was just no way I could walk past and it tasted just as good. The fact that it was served in the most beautiful festive boot-shaped cup added to it. Mulled wine from Munich definitely tastes best!
Nikki L – Twenty Something Muddle
Nikki drinking mulled wine at the Christmas market – photo courtesy of Nikki L
Brennivin, Iceland
Warning: You’ll need a strong stomach for this one! A hearty dose of this stuff should be able to get you through the harshest of Icelandic winters. Brennivin isn’t one for the faint hearted, but it’s a must to try when visiting the world’s most northerly capital; Reykjavik. This Icelandic tipple is described as a clear and distilled version of schnapps, sometimes referred to as Svarti dauði, meaning Black Death, which gives you an idea of what you’re getting into. Created using fermented potato mash, it’s ingredients certainly don’t help in making it sound anymore appealing. But give it a go the traditional way with a side of hakarl (putrefied shark flesh!) and try not to grimace as it goes down!
Michaela Manning – This FP Planet
Walnut Wine, or Vin de Noix, France
Walnut wine is an apéritif that is quite popular in the Alps and Northern Provence, France. I fell in love with it as soon as I tasted it. We made our own the first year we moved to Provence. The wine is made by picking green walnuts on St John’s Day (21st of June), bashing them, and mixing them with local red wine, sugar and eau du vie. Some people add spices but it isn’t necessary. The green walnuts aromatise the wine and turn it into a delicious amber liquor. It’s served cold, with an ice cube before a meal (or a naughty afternoon apéritif).
The ingredients for Walnut Wine – photo courtesy of Ashley Tinker
Unicom, Hungary
Budapest is the cheapest city in Europe to drink alcohol so it comes as no surprise that Hungary has quite a few national drinks. Unicum is one of those popular potent liquids. It was initially made from herbs for royalty who did not feel well, and now is downed by locals and tourists alike from dusk until dawn (and then dusk again). It does actually taste like medicine, the stuff your mum used to force feed you when you were little. Craig loves the stuff! Fun fact – the Zwack family managed to keep the formula a secret during the communist era. Unicum has survived two World Wars and communism!
Gemma – Two Scots Abroad
Craig with a glass (and a bottle!) of Unicom in Budapest, Hungary – photo courtesy of Gemma
Mirto, Sardinia, Italy
Mirto is a very Mediterranean plant. It is a berry that grows in small, short bushes right by the sea. And it makes an incredible, deliciously syrupy liquor that in Sardinia we love drinking mostly after a big, traditional meal. But we also drink it as a social thing. It’s very strong, so it is easy to get drunk with it!
Claudia Tavani – My Adventures Across the World
Aguardiente, Spain
Aguardiente, which translates to ‘burning water’, is a Spanish liquor made of leftover grape skins and seeds. And it sure does burn your throat! Luckily it isn’t usually drunk alone but just an ingredient in the mysterious and magical ‘queimadas’ of Galicia. The aguardiente is poured into a small cauldron. Sugar is added and then coffee beans, lemon and orange peels and grapes. The cauldron mixture is then set on fire. It burns with an intense blue flame while one of the people present will read out loud the conjuro or spell. This spell is said to bestow good luck on all those present for the next year! It really is a truly special event.
Sarah – Sarah Alexandra George
The flaming and mysterious Aguardiente of Spain – photo courtesy of Sarah Alexandra George
Vodka, Poland
Our favourite is Polish vodka. The traditional one is very strong (40%) but you can also drink a flavorued one which is usually softer. Vodka in general doesn’t taste good, so you need to drink it fast. The colder it is, the easier it is to drink. At the beginning it is burning your throat, then your gullet and finally your stomach. You may feel dizzy at the beginning but it passes after about 15 minutes. And now the fun starts! You will feel immortal, like you would be able to drink an entire bottle of vodka. But it’s very illusory. If you don’t stop drinking in the right moment, you will probably end up puking in the toilet or doing things you will regret the next day.
So remember! Vodka is good to try but don’t try to drink too much of it. Especially with Poles, who will do everything to get you drunk 😉
Karolina & Patryk – KarolinaPatryk
Irish Whiskey, Ireland
No post can be complete without some Irish whiskey. Jameson is probably one of the best known. I was fortunate to take my parents to the Jameson Distillery in 2010. Now, I’m not much of a whiskey drinker, although I think this is changing as I get older. But, my dad? Well, he loves Kentucky bourbon and, yes, Irish whiskey. So at the end of the tour, the guide asked for volunteers. These few folks are rewarded with a tasting of a few whiskeys. Jameson, is obviously one of them. But, these folks get to compare Jameson to things like Jack Daniels. Of course, my dad tends to like it all, but Jameson, he says, is special. It’s very smooth. And I’m beginning to agree with him more…
Lynne Nieman – Wander Your Way
My dad with his taste of Jameson whiskey in Ireland
Bellini, Venice, Italy
Nothing screams “summer” quite like a bellini. This light and refreshing Italian go-to aperitif is made from Prosecco, a sparkling wine made in the Veneto region (where Venice is located), and peach purée or nectar. You always serve it in a champagne flute. And, no ice. There are variations of the bellini with the rossini being my favorite. The rossini uses strawberry purée instead of peach. It’s a fabulous drink on a warm Sunday afternoon!
Lynne Nieman – Wander Your Way
Bellini as as aperitif, Italy
So, who’s ready to try one of these fabulous European adult beverages? Trust me – they taste so much better there. Nothing is better than a glass of Italian wine…in Italy!!
