Property in Turkey | Drink

Soft Drinks
Common fruit juices include visne – sour cherry juice – and seftali – peach. Another favourite drink, particularly in hot weather, which is credited with curing all ills, is ayran, a yoghurt drink, which is often salted and, therefore, somewhat of an acquired taste. Bottled mineral water or su is cheap and easily available and fizzy drinks are sold everywhere. You'll be able to sample all the traditions when visiting your property in Turkey.

Alcoholic Drinks
Alcohol is freely available in Turkish resort and cities. It is only if you are heading off the beaten track or to particularly conservative areas that you may have to check whether or not restaurants serve alcohol. The traditional tipple is raki, an aniseed based spirit, which is sometimes known as lion’s milk. It is clear but turns cloudy when water is added. Most people do dilute it with water although some drink it only with ice. It is unusual for a Turk to drink alcohol without eating at the same time. Raki traditionally accompanies a meal of fish and in-between meals, melon and/or white cheese are often served alongside it. Sample it when visiting Turkey or serve it along with food if you’re entertaining at your property in Turkey.

Turkey is credited with being the first nation to produce wine and in recent years this traditional art has experienced something of a renaissance. Local wine producers have been studying the latest methods used in other countries and importing and developing grapes, and this, combined with the favourable local conditions has produced some excellent results. Most people will be pleasantly surprised by the varieties of both red and white wine available. Two of the biggest local producers are Doluca and Kavaklidere. Enjoy the variety of wine available when visiting your property in Turkey. Those who prefer beer will not be disappointed in the well-known local brand, Efes. There are also locally produced vodka, brandy, whisky and gin, which are a lot cheaper than imported brands although they can be a little rough and ready.

Tea
Usually Turkish tea or cay is brewed in a sort of combined kettle/tea pot which is placed directly on the hob and has water boiling in the bottom section and tea brewing in the top so it can be made weaker or stronger as required. It is drunk from small tulip-shaped glasses, always black and usually with plenty of sugar. Unless you specifically ask for Turkish tea, hotels will assume you want English tea and often present you with a cup of boiling water and a tea bag on the side.

Coffee
Turkish coffee or Turk kahvesi is the perfect way to finish off a good meal. When ordering you specify whether you want it sade (plain), orta (with some sugar) or sekerli (very sweet) and it is brewed with the specified amount of sugar mixed in with the coffee granules. It is served in small cups. It is quite an art to know when to stop drinking as one sip too many and you will end up with a mouthful of the sludgy residue which falls to the bottom of the cup. Even this has its uses, however, as you may find a local willing to tell your fortune from it – cover your cup with the saucer, wait until it becomes cold when you will be asked to turn it upside down, turn it around several times and then your destiny will be divined from the shapes which are formed. It is said that it was the Ottomans who introduced coffee to Europe when their retreating army left bags full of it at the gates of Vienna.

Try the many different and unique traditions when visiting your property in Turkey.