5 Ways to Drink Like A Tirana Local

Part 2 of "11 Very Albanian Things to Do in Tirana"

Whether you’re visiting Albania for a day or moving here permanently, here’s a few tips for how to get in closer touch with the local culture. Last time I wrote about what to eat, and this time I’m writing about what to drink. Onwards!

1. Order a Cuppa Caj Mali

Credit: https://tourisminalbania.com/albanian-mountain-tea/

When you have breakfast, Caj Mali (Mountain Tea, pronounced Chai Maa-lee), is the Albanian nonalcoholic (yes I have to clarify, see #7) drink to order. It’s made from delicate mountain flowers, which you will see for sale all over the place once you start keeping an eye out. It’s mild, ridiculously healthy, and warm, a fabulous way to start your day.

2. Order a coffee

And by “a coffee,” I literally mean to ask the waiter for “a coffee.” They’ll bring you a tiny cup of espresso, a time bomb of caffeine you’re free to consume immediately or over the course of…6 hours is probably the outside limit.

In terms of where to order it: your personal preference is king! do you like gritty, local places? Find a bar or somewhere without a name where people are sitting drinking out of espresso cups, invite yourself to sit down (no hostesses in Albania), and ask for a coffee.

Do you like comfortable, fairly predictable places? Head for Mulliri, Sophie’s, or Mon Cheri, our biggest local chains. All three have excellent coffee available along with snacks and sandwiches, and you can pick up some mountain tea or a snack for later as well.

Do you like hip, relaxed places? Head for Hana’s (my personal favorite), or just wander the streets in Blloku, Vasil Shanto, Komuna Parisit, or Ali Demi: you’re sure to find somewhere filled with students and the “alternative” crowd. That scene has grown a lot in Tirana now (people don’t even hide their faces the whole time during the Pride Parades), and you’re sure to find a cute place if you look hard enough or search Google Maps carefully.

3. Have a sip—or a shot—of raki

Credit: https://premium1.al/raki-rrushi-origjinale-si-nje-tradite-e-vjeter/

As you walk around the city in the morning, you’ll probably notice men sitting in front of coffee houses with glasses of “water.” That ain’t water: super-high proof alcohol, and it’s the traditional men’s breakfast drink in the Balkans. If you want an interesting and empirical-evidence-free conversation with many Albanians, ask about the medicinal properties of various types or raki: everyone’s got an opinion.

You’ll see this clear liquid for sale in many shops, but the “real” raki is from your friend’s cousin’s neighbor’s backyard distillery, and it comes in reused plastic bottles. I honestly have no idea how a tourist would buy it! But many bars have the “real” stuff, so if you want the “authentic” experience you can go there and get your throat burnt.

Alternatively, bars like Komiteti (a perennial recommendation) make a mean raki cocktail, and fancy bars like Komiteti and Radio let you choose among dozens of options for raki flavors.

Now, raki isn’t just distilled from one kind of fruit or nut. Basically anything can be raki! The most common/cheapest options are plum (kumbull) and grape (rrushi), but I’ve known people who swear by cinnamon or walnut raki. My personal favorite is blackberry (manaferre). But be warned: any and all of these will burn on the way down!

4. Order Yourself a Beer Korca

   

I’m not a beer drinker myself, but even I’ve succumbed to the temptation for a cold beer with a pizza during the lovely long Tirana summers. Korca is a city in southern Albania, and it’s the main beer producer in Albania. It even survived Communist rule! They make plenty of varieties, so chat with the waiter or pick drop into a supermarket to find the one that best suits you.

5. Get a Glass of the House Wine

A lot of wine in Tirana is actually over from Italy, because it’s cheap and good! But you know what’s also cheap and good? The local stuff! Albania has vineyards sprawling from one end of the country to another. Most of these are small and don’t export, so enjoy them while you can in the only place you can.