I travel to experience unique culture around the world. Every country and culture has it’s own drinks. This section lists drinks I enjoyed from around the world, in random order.
2019-July-Almaty, Kazakhstan: Kumys (Kumis,Koumiss) is the traditional beverage of the Kyrgyz, Mongols and Kazakhs. It is made from fermented mare’s milk.
2019 – Jul – Shymkent, Kazakhstan. Drinking Kazakh beer with a local friend and some other backpackers from my hostel.
2019 – Jul – Almaty, Kazakhstan. Indian Dinner and Beer with my traveling buddies in Almaty.
2019 – Jul – Shymkent, Kazakhstan. Drinking Georgian wine with my local friends, all of them come from different cultural backgrounds––Russian Kazakh, Kazakh, and Korean-Russian-Kazakh. Central Asia has a rich cultural diversity, with many Russian and Korean communities living in Kazakhstan for generations.
2019 – Aug – Osh, Kyrgyzstan: Kyrgyz Aragy, one of the smoothest vodka of Kyrgyzstan
2019 – Sep – Bukhara, Uzbekistan: Sarbast one of the most popular beer in Uzbekistan
2019 – Sep – Tashkent, Uzbekistan: Dispensing beer into a plastic bottles is a common sight all over FSU (former soviet union) countries
2019 – Aug – Ishkoshim, Tajikistan: The shop in the town had only one brand of the Tajik beer. It was refreshing though.
2019 – Aug – Langar, Tajikistan: Interesting wine label , not sure about alcohol content, could be 13% to 16%, also not sure about volume, could be any where between 700ml to 750ml
2018 – Mar – Malealea, Lesotho. The lady is pouring Umqombothi, a home-brewed Lesotho Beer.
2016 – Oct – San Marino. Locally Brewed San Marino Beer.
2018 – Oct – Tunis, Tunisia. Celebrating 100th country with Celtia, the most popular Tunisian Beer.
2018 – Oct – Tunis, Tunisia. Celebrating my 100th country and Raul’s first African country, with Indian cuisine and Celtia, the most popular Tunisian Beer.
2014 – Oct – Cairo, Egypt. Drinks with local friends at Mukattam hills overlooking the city of Cairo.
2014 – Oct – Cairo, Egypt. At the executive lounge of J.W. Marriott Cairo.
2018 – Jul – Yerevan, Armenia. Zoom-In, Armenians make wine from almost every fruit.
2018 – Jul – Lake Sevan, Armenia. Kilikia, My Favorite Armenian Beer, at the Lake Sevan
2018 – Jul – Minsk, Belarus. Enjoying beer with my local doctor friend.
2018 – Jul – Zaslawye, Belarus. This was the first time a saw a wine/liquor shop, that will fill up drink of your choice in vacuum sealed plastic bottle.
2018 – Jul – Minsk, Belarus. Two happy man with big bottle of home-made Calvados.
2018 – Jul – Kyiv, Ukraine. Having a cold one with my Ukrainian friend in Podil old town of Kyiv.
2018 – Jul – Kyiv, Ukraine. Having a cold Opillya Knyazhe dark beer with my Ukrainian friend in Podil old town of Kyiv.
2018 – Jul – Kyiv, Ukraine. Having a cold Berdychivske Wheat beer with my Ukrainian friend in Podil old town of Kyiv.
2018 – Jul – Lviv, Ukraine. Piana Vyshnia, Drunk Cherry in English, a Cherry liqueur served cold with more soaked cherries inside.
2018 – Jul – Lviv, Ukraine. Freshly brewed beer with homemade sausages and some fixings.
2018 – Aug – Odesa, Ukraine. A chilled kvass at the black sea. Arcadia, the party beach of Odesa.
2018 – Aug – Odesa, Ukraine. Drinks with my local friend at one of the newly opened restaurant on Derybasivska Street.
2018 – Aug – Chişinău, Moldova. One of the most popular wine of Moldova.
2018 – Aug – Chişinău, Moldova. Enjoying local beer after a day of exploring the capital city.
2018 – Aug – Brașov, Romania. A chilled Turkish beer at Strada Republicii, old own of Brașov.
2018 – Aug – Brașov, Romania. An Indian (Gujju) American friend, when I met her, she was on the road for last 4+ years. As we both were backpacking through the Balkans, met her again in Bulgaria, Albania and Kosovo.
2015 – Dec – Brașov, Romania. Vin Fiert, Mulled wine, Warm red wine mixed with various mulling spices. Best cure for a cold weather.
2018 – Aug – Sighișoara, Romania. Enjoying Transylvanian born beer Silva with freshly baked pizza over-looking Sighișoara city square.
2018 – Aug – Sighișoara, Romania. Enjoying Ursus Dark Beer, popular Romanian Beer, in the ancient town of Sighișoara, overlooking Clock Tower, the main landmark of the ancient walled town.
2015 – Feb – Budapest, Hungary. Enjoying Budapest Sör, locally brewed beer, after a day of exploring amazing city of Budapest.
2015 – Feb – Szentendre, Hungary. Enjoying a glass of Dreher Bak, one of the most popular darker beer in Hungary
2015 – Feb – Budapest, Hungary. Forralt Bor, Mulled wine, an inextricable part of winter in Hungary. Every family and vendor has its own recipe for forralt bor.
2009 – Dec – Prague, Czech Republic. Flekovský ležák 13°, a dark lager brewed on the premises at U Fleků, a pub and brewery, founded in 1499, the only brewery in Central Europe which has been brewing continuously for over 500 years.
2009 – Dec – Prague, Czech Republic. X33 beer, ferments for 200 days in oak barrels. With 12.6% Alcohol it’s claimed to be the strongest beer in the world!
2009 – Dec – Prague, Czech Republic. Enjoying X33, the strongest beer in the world at U Medvidku Beer Hall, Originally founded in 1466.
2009 – Dec – Kutna Hora, Czech Republic. Original Budweiser, In the European Union, the American beer is marketed as Bud, as the Budweiser trademark name is owned solely by the Czech beer maker, Budweiser Budvar.
2012 – Nov – Hong Kong. Enjoying locally brewed Hong Kong Craft Beer!
2015 – Jan – Hong Kong. Hoegaarden, my favorite beer, enjoying Hong Kong’s night life with my friend.
2018 – Aug – Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Stolichno Weiss by Загорка (Zagorka Brewery), Bulgaria.
2018 – Aug – Sofia, Bulgaria. Chilled Shumensko Draught Beer, from the second oldest brewery in Bulgaria, founded in 1882.
2018 – Aug – Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Kamenitza , a Bulgarian beer, the brewery established in 1881, is based in the city of Plovdiv.
2018 – Aug – Veliko Târnovo, Bulgaria. Lunch with a view and cold Zagorka, a Bulgarian beer brand from the city of Stara Zagora.
2018 – Aug – Belgrade, Serbia. Zaječarsko, brewed since 1875, the most loved beer in Serbia. Raul decided to enjoy local home-made lemonade.
2018 – Sep – Novi Sad, Serbia. Raul’s first time drinking the Original Budweiser from the Czech Republic.
2018 – Sep – Novi Sad, Serbia. Rakija (Rakia), fruit brandy popular in the Balkans, each family has their own recipe. Following local tradition; our local friend said her Grandpa used to take a shot of Rakija every morning before cup of coffee!
2018 – Sep – Pristina, Kosovo. After long day of travel, Raul and I are enjoying Grembeer, a German beer, brewed in Kosovo.
2018 – Sep – Pristina, Kosovo. Exploring Pristina’s nightlife and having drinks with Raul, a Local Kosovar friend and Gujju-American friend, to whom I was meeting for the third time in three different countries (Romania, Bulgaria and Kosovo), will meet her again one more time in Albania.
2018 – Sep – Pristina, Kosovo. A Monastery beer, brewed by monks at the Serbian Monasteries. In the backdrop is the Gračanica (Grachanista) Monastery, built during 1313–21, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
2018 – Sep – Peja, Kosovo. Rakija (Raki) made by monks of Patriarchate of Peć Monastery.
2018 – Sep – Peja, Kosovo. Peja beer at Bogë, a small mountainous village in Rugova Vallery of the Albanian Alps mountain range, near the city of Peja.
2018 – Sep – Prizren, Kosovo. A beer with a view overlooking the old town of Prizren.
2018 – Sep – Skopje, North Macedonia. Skopsko, the most popular beer with 64% of the market in North Macedonia.
2018 – Sep – Bitola, Ohrid, North Macedonia. Bitolsko (Битолско), locally brewed beer in Bitola.
2018 – Sep – Ohrid, North Macedonia. Skopsko, the most popular Beer of North Macedonia, with Beautiful view of Lake Ohrid.
2018 – Sep – Struga, Ohrid, North Macedonia. Having Beer and Coffee at the origin of the Black Drin river, It flows out of the lake Ohrid and divides the city.
2018 – Sep – Thessaloniki, Greece. Original Greek Alfa Beer, while Raul is catching up on his messages.
2018 – Sep – Thessaloniki, Greece. Weiss Beers of Greece, Vergina and Alfa, both were refreshing.
2018 – Sep – Athens, Greece. After a full day of walking, enjoying Mythos, a Greek lager beer with Raul.
2018 – Sep – Santorini, Greece. Ouzo of Plomari, my favorite after dinner anise-flavored liquor!
2018 – Sep – Paros, Greece. House Wine with delicious vegetarian Greek dinner at one of many beach side restaurants.
2018 – Sept – Saranda, Albania. Birra Elbar, an Albanian Beer at the Ksamil Beach over looking the Ionian Sea.
2018 – Sept – Saranda, Albania. Birra Kaon, an Albanian Beer, celebrating Albania as Raul’s 25th Country at the Blue Eye of Albania.
2018 – Oct – Kotor, Montenegro. Raul and I enjoying drinks with my friend from China and her friends.
2018 – Oct – Kotor, Montenegro. Nikšićko Pivo, very refreshing beer from the largest brewery in Montenegro.
2018 – Oct – Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Indian vegetarian cuisine with Sarajevski beer from Sarajevska pivara, a Sarajevo brewing company founded in 1864.
2011 – Sep – Wroclaw, Poland. Having a stein of Ale at Bierhalle, a German style Beer Garden, in the old town of Wroclaw.
2016 – Oct – Monaco. Claimed to the the Oldest Beer in Monaco, since 1905. This is Europe, I am sure they had Beer before 1905, but we couldn’t find one in a bottle.
2016 – Oct – Monaco. Lunch and Wheat Beer at La Brasserie de Monaco, one of the best place for casual meal.
2017 – Jan – Riga, Latvia. Riga Black Balsam, a traditional Latvian balsam (an Alcoholic drink) bottled in ceramic bottles. The original recipe created in 1752, consists of 24 natural ingredients, including 17 botanicals.
2017 – Jan – Riga, Latvia. Brūža beer by Cēsu Alus, a Latvian brewery with its roots dating back to 1590, considered to be the oldest brewery in the Baltics.
2017 – Feb – Jurmala, Latvia. Enjoying home brewed beer in Jurmala, the pearl of Latvia, the largest resort town in the Baltics.
2017 – Feb – Vilnius, Lithuania. Celebrating Lithuania as my 75th unique country with locally brewed Beer.
2017 – Feb – Vilnius, Lithuania. Cepelinai (Potato Dumplings Filled with Minced Meat) and Kepta Duona (Fried Bread with Garlic) with home-brewed beer at Šnekutis bar/restaurant.
2008 – May – Antigua, Guatemala. Tacos with Gallo, Guatemala’s oldest continually produced beer, dating back to 1896, is also the most popular beer in the country.
2008 – May – Panajachel, Guatemala. Ron Zacapa 23, a premium Rum produced in Guatemala. It is the smoothest rum I ever had. It is priced similar to JW Black Label.
2010 – Nov – La Libertad, El Salvador. Cockteles de camaron (Shrimp Cocktails) with Cerveza Pilsener in San Salvador style Michelada (Spicy Beer and Lime Cocktail)
2010 – Nov – San Salvador, El Salvador. Cerveza Suprema with San Salvador style Michelada (Spicy Beer and Lime Cocktail)
2009 – Mar – Managua, Nicaragua. Flor de Cana, aged for 18 years, extremely-smooth rum, the best rum I ever had.
2009 – Mar – Pochomil, Nicaragua. Cerveza Toña, the most popular brand of Nicaraguan Beer, often associated with the local culture and customs.
2011 – Mar – Panama City, Panama. Three most popular beers of Panama. Tried all of them, my favorite is Atlas.
2007 – Jun – Belize City, Belize. Enjoying Belikin, a locally brewed Belizean Beer at Old Belize resort.
2007 – Jun – Rotan Island, Honduras. Two of my favorite Honduran Beers. Silva Vida is most Popular (most marketed) Beer.
2012 – May – San Jose, Costa Rica. Two of my favorite Beers in Costa Rica. Imperial is the most popular but I loved Bavaria.
2011 – Aug – Ocho Rios, Jamaica. Enjoying Red Stripe Beer, the most popular beer, brewed on the island since 1928, at the Reggae Beach!
2006 – Jul – Cancun, Mexico. Enjoying a glass of Kahlúa, a coffee liqueur from Mexico.
2011 – Dec – Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Authentic Burrito with Pacifico, one of the popular Mexican beer, overlooking Pacific Ocean.
2011 – Dec – Punta de Mita, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Enjoying spicy Michelada at Rocio with a stunning view of Pacific Ocean. Michelada is a typical Mexican drink made with beer, lime juice, spices, tomato juice, and chile peppers.
2011 – Dec – Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. A family size (1 L) Corona, one of the most marketed beer of Mexico. Bottled only for sale in Mexico.
2000 – Aug – Puerto Rico. Enjoying Medalla Light, the most popular Beer in Puerto Rico.
2000 – Aug – Puerto Rico. Bacardi Rum, with its home in Puerto Rico, is one of the most popular Rum in the world.
2002 – Jan – Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. Enjoying Carib Lager, a beer brewed in Trinidad.
2001 – Jul – Curaçao. Enjoying Blue Margarita, made with Curaçao’s most popular drink, Blue Curaçao.
2005 – Sep – Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. Presidente – Enjoying Dominican Republican’s nation beer with view of North Atlantic Ocean.
2005 – Sep – Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. Brugal – the most popular Rum of Dominican Republic.
1998 – Sep – Venice, Italy. First time trying Disaronno, an Italian Liquor, in the Italian Alps.
1998 – Sep – Venice, Italy. Love this bottle of Frangelico, an Italian hazelnut flavor Liquor, took a bottle home.
2016 – Oct – Florence, Italy. Enjoying Birra Moretti La Rossa after a day of exploring beautiful city of Florence.
2016 – Oct – Florence, Italy. Must try Chilled Sambuca while visiting Italy, one of my favorite after dinner anise-flavored liqueur!
2016 – Oct – Positano, Italy. Locally produced Limoncello, an Italian lemon liqueur.
2016 – Oct – Rome, Italy. Italian Sandwich and Peroni Beer from a food truck.
2016 – Oct – Rome, Italy. Enjoying Birra Moretti after a day of exploring beautiful city of Rome.
2018 – Oct – Milan, Italy. Enjoying house wine and Italian Cuisine at one of the local, non-touristy, restaurant with Raul and my Chinese friend who was studying in Milan at that time.
2009 – Feb – Montreal, Canada. Enjoying St-Ambroise, locally brewed beer by McAuslan Brewing in Montreal.
2005 – Oct – Helsinki, Finland. Enjoying a glass of Lapin Kulta, one of the oldest Finnish beer brand, established in 1873.
2005 – Oct – Helsinki, Finland. My first time drinking Sahti, a Finnish type of farmhouse ale. Sahti is recognized as one of the oldest continually brewed beer styles in the world.
2005 – Oct – Helsinki, Finland. Bought a bottle of Finland’s most popular Vodka to take it home.
2013 – Oct – Macau. Enjoying locally brewed Macau Beer Brown Ale.
1998 – Sep – Paris, France. After a long day of exploring Paris, enjoying a glass of 1664 Blanc, wheat beer produced by Strassburg based Kronenbourg Brewery founded in 1664.
1998 – Sep – Paris, France. First time drinking a glass of Grand Marnier, an orange-flavored French liqueur created in 1880.
2005 – Jul – Limerick, Ireland. A weekend in Ireland was all about trying out their world famous Beers. Loved both Murphy’s Irish Red and Irish Stout.
2005 – Jul – Limerick, Ireland. A Perfectly poured Pint of Guinness, at the local pub.
2005 – Jul – Limerick, Ireland. I brought home a bottle of Baileys, the most delicious Irish drink.
2005 – Jun – London, England, UK. Waiting for Pints of London Pride to celebrate birthday with my colleagues from MySQL AB.
2005 – Jun – London, England, UK. Enjoying a pint of London Pride, London’s most popular Beer, produced by Fuller’s Brewery since 1959.
2005 – Jun – London, England, UK. Enjoying a glass of Bass Pale Ale, once the highest-selling beer in the UK from the Bass Brewery founded in 1777.
2011 – Sep – Vaduz, Liechtenstein. Lunch time with a traditional lager beer, Krona, from Liechtensteiner Brauhaus.
2011 – Sep – Heidelberg, Germany. A bar serving Jägermeister, the most popular German digestif made with 56 herbs and spices.
2011 – Sep – Luzern, Switzerland. Enjoying Eichhof Lager, a local beer, brewed in Lucerne since 1835.
2011 – Sep – Luzern, Switzerland. Enjoying Eichhof Hubertus Dunkle, a dark beer brewed by a local brewery.
2005 – Brussels, Belgium. Enjoying a glass of my all-time favorite Hoegaarden beer, a unique, authentic Belgian wheat beer with a brewing tradition dating back to 1445.
2005 – Brussels, Belgium. Enjoying a glass of Chimay Blue, 9% ABV darker ale, brewed by the monks at Scourmont Abbey, a Trappist monastery in Chimay, Belgium.
2005 – Jul – Bruges, Belgium. Enjoying Tripel Karmeliet, brewed using a 3-grain recipe rediscovered from the 1679 Carmelite monastery, at Plaza Gran Mercado.
2005 – Jul – Bruges, Belgium. Enjoying a glass of Leffe, an Abby style beer, brewed by Abbaye de Leffe since 1240.
2005 – Ghent, Belgium. Enjoying a glass of Petrus Blond, refreshing Belgian beer.
2005 – Ghent, Belgium. Enjoying a glass of Duvel, a golden Ale, brewed since 1871.
2011 – Sep – Heidelberg, Germany. Vetter 33, accordioning to the Guinness book of World Records 1994, this was world’s strongest beer.
2011 – Sep – Heidelberg, Germany. Wheat beer from Heidelberger, the oldest brewery in the town founded in 1753.
2011 – Sep – Heidelberg, Germany. Wheat beer from Klosterhof Brewery founded in 2009, brewing organic craft beers on grounds of a monastery dated 1130.
2011 – Sep – Heidelberg, Germany. Refreshing dark wheat beer from Sanwald brewery in Stuttgart .
2011 – Sep – Frankfurt, Germany. Enjoying locally brewed hefeweizen beer by Binding Brauerei founded in 1870.
2011 – Sep – Rothenburg, Germany. Enjoying freshly brewed Hefeweizen, unfiltered wheat beer, after a long day of walking around the old town.
2011 – Sep – Lindau, Germany. Enjoying lindauer insel weisse, a locally brewed Hefeweizen by Lindauer Inselbräu.
2011 – Sep – Erfurt, Germany. Enjoying Waldhaus Bräu, a locally brewed beer from Waldhaus Erfurt.
2011 – Sep – Leipzig, Germany. Enjoying chilled Ur-Krostitzer, Lipzig’s most popular beer, brewed since 1534 in Krostitz near Leipzig,
2011 – Sep – Leipzig, Germany. Enjoying Gose, a warm fermented beer. The beer has its unique taste, little sour and salty. Because of the use of coriander and salt, gose does not comply with the Reinheitsgebot (German purity law).
2011 – Sep – Meissen, Germany. Enjoying locally brewed Meissner Pils beer from Schwerter Brauerei, Saxony’s oldest private brewery with over 560 years of history.
2011 – Sep – Dresden, Germany. Enjoying locally brewed beer from the Brauhaus at Ballhaus Watzke, a l19th-century restaurant.
2011 – Sep – Dresden, Germany. Enjoying Schwarzbier (black beer), brewed by the Köstritzer brewery, founded in 1543, one of the oldest producers of Schwarzbier.
2000 – Oct – Bogota, Colombia. Enjoying Club Colombia, one of the most popular beer produced by Cervecería Bavaria SA.
2000 – Oct – Bogota, Colombia. Poker, a Lager beer produced by Cervecería Bavaria SA.
2000 – Oct – Bogota, Colombia. Coloma, the best tasting liqueur made from Colombian Coffee.
2006 – Apr – Lima, Peru. Enjoying the best Pisco Sour at the bar at Gran Hotel Bolivar. Chile and Peru both claim the pisco sour as their national drink, and each asserts ownership of the cocktail’s base liquor—pisco.
2006 – Apr – Lima, Peru. A cold Pilsen Callao, a Peruvian beer first brewed in 1863 in the town of Callao.
2006 – Apr – Lima, Peru. Enjoying Cusqueña Negra, a dark Lager Beer from Cusco.
2006 – Apr – Trujillo, Peru. Enjoying chilled Cerveza Trujillo at the Trujillo Beach.
2009 – Aug – Colonia, Uruguay. Enjoying Mate, caffeine-rich national drink of Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay.
2009 – Aug – Buenos Aires. Argentina. My all time personal favorite Red wine is Malbec from Mendoza Valley, I got hooked on it during my first visit to the country in 1998.
2009 – Aug – Buenos Aires. Argentina. Enjoying chilled Quilmes, the most popular beer in Argentina, while watching Tango performance in La Boca.
2001 – Apr – Santiago, Chile. Sharing bottle of Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon with my colleagues..
2007 – Oct – São Paulo, Brazil. Cachaça, also known as Brazilian rum, made from fresh sugarcane juice, fermented and distilled.
2007 – Oct – São Paulo, Brazil. Caipirinha, Brazil’s national cocktail, made with cachaça (sugarcane liquor), sugar, and lime.
In May 2017, 23 days before I was going to complete 50 years, grabbed an opportunity and took an early retirement.. Picked up a backpack and traveling ever since.. Love to travel around the world, experience different culture, local cuisine & drinks .. and take pictures.. so far been to 108 countries and still counting...