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Turkey is a Muslim country, therefore, theoretically, according to Sharia law, alcohol is not welcomed in Turkey, but practically does not prevent citizens from drinking it freely. Such an ambiguous situation has existed for a long time, at least since the time of the Ottoman Empire, when at the beginning of the 1923th century, Sultan Murad IV issued a law prohibiting the drinking of alcohol, while being a bitter drunk himself. Since XNUMX, Turkey has been a secular state, that is, religion has no influence on state institutions, so alcohol is not officially prohibited in Turkey, and the raki drink has generally become a significant part of the national culture. However, according to polls, most of the adult population of the country prefers to abstain from alcoholic beverages, and the level of alcohol consumption per capita is the lowest in Europe.
History
Turkey is the birthplace of viticulture (along with Georgia, Iran and Armenia), people here knew how to get fragrant wine from fermented grape juice already 4000 years ago. The Ottoman Empire, which appeared on these lands at the end of the XNUMXth century, was an Islamist state, but it was tolerant of other religions and did not forbid the Greeks or Albanians living in Turkish territory to produce and drink alcohol. In the XNUMXth century, the sultan guaranteed equal rights to all his subjects, regardless of their religious affiliation, and Muslims began to openly visit “taverns”.
Features of legislation
Alcohol consumption in Turkey is legal, alcohol can be bought in bars, supermarkets, restaurants. The Conservative Party in power banned advertising of alcohol in the media and introduced a ban on the sale of alcohol at night (from 22 to 6 hours), and this is where more or less serious restrictions related to alcohol end.
Moreover, the law only applies to shops – there is no difference for tourists, you can skip a couple of cocktails in a hotel bar or restaurant at any time. Buying and drinking alcohol is allowed from the age of 18.
For drivers, the permitted concentration of alcohol in the blood is 0.5 ppm. For exceeding this norm, the violator of the law faces imprisonment for up to two years, a fine or deprivation of a driver’s license.
Import and export of alcohol
Each adult traveler can bring into Turkey one liter bottle or two bottles of 0.75 ml of any alcohol (wine or stronger spirits) in any combination. That is, it can be, for example, one vodka and one wine, or two whiskeys, or anything else. Export regulations are governed by the country of destination.
What do Turks drink
The “visiting card” of the country is, of course, raki, a strong fruit brandy with the addition of anise. In winter, people here drink boza, a low-alcohol (~1%) thick drink made from fermented grain. Also in Turkey they drink beer, wine, whiskey and a wide variety of alcohol.
Due to high alcohol excises, the cost of alcohol is quite high, so fakes that are more affordable for the buyer often come across on the market. Tourists should be careful and buy strong alcohol only in trusted places, otherwise you can buy a low-grade “sivuha”.
This is especially true for hotel bars with an all-inclusive system. For example, taxes on real American whiskey reach 700% (and this is at a solid cost of the drink), so it is obvious that no one will pour it for free in unlimited quantities.
The safest drink is beer, wine is unlikely to impress a connoisseur with the depth of the bouquet and nuances of taste, but you can also drink it, but strong imported alcohol (whiskey, gin, tequila, etc.) is best avoided.
Most Popular Drinks
As for beer, Efes Pilsen undoubtedly holds the palm here. Wheat beer is represented by the Gusta brand, and you can easily buy Tuborg, Corona, Beck’s and Heineken in stores.
Wine in Turkey is both local and imported. Local brands worth trying are Corvus, Kayra Vintage and Sarafin.
Raki is made from grapes, plums or dates, the strength of the Turkish “anise” reaches 45%. It is eaten with meat, fish, feta cheese, melon, cold and hot Turkish meze snacks. Crayfish are never drunk alone – this is a drink for feasts, it is customary to drink it with water (which is carried by the youngest participant in the party), and the Turks clink glasses not with the edges, but with the bottoms of the glasses.
The wine is made both from autochthonous varieties (Öküzgözü and Boğazkere), and from Merlot, Cabernet, Chardonnay, Pinot and even Riesling imported from France. The fortress of Turkish wine reaches 14%.
An analogue of our “we will!” or English cheers is the word Şerefe, which can be roughly translated as “your honor!”.