Best National Drinks Part I

Vacations provide the ideal excuse to let your hair down, let loose and indulge. We tend to consume more alcohol when we travel and for good reason. Without the constraints of daily routine to bind us to conventional and even responsible behaviour, our collective guard is down. As such, we imbibe. A few daiquiris at the poolside bar, a couple of cold beers on the beach, wine with dinner and so on. All in the name of innocent escapism.

For some however, alcohol is the reason they travel and choose a particular destination. This coincidentally is what our top 10 list is all about. National drinks, or in other words, tipples that are so woven into the cultural fabic that they constitute indelible symbols incapable of separation from their country of origin. These wonderful concoctions have become tourist attractions in and of themselves. Visitors are drawn to consume them as an effective means of “blending with the locals” and spend considerable amounts touring their secretive facilities of invention.

With that, here are the top 10 national drinks ripe for tourist enjoyment.

Spain, Sherry

Poor Sherry. The brandy-fortified Spanish wine, made exclusively and by law, in and around the town of Jerez, has really fallen out of favour over the decades. Once a staple with English aristocracy especially, who took one in the parlour or library after dinner, a practice imitated by the less fortunate for appearances sake, Sherry is not as ubiquitous in liquor cabinets anymore. Partly due to the elevation of Port in popularity, not to mention the rapid rise of wine sales around the world, the national drink of Spain is considered a little old fashioned. Without that trendy tag, consumption has slumped outside of Spain.

A shame. The best Sherry is a product of fine craftsmanship and releases flavour compounds wholly unique. Which is why it behooves the curious tourist in Andaluc?a, in the south of Spain, perhaps there to see the wonderful city of Sevilla, to venture into the province of C?diz (the city by the same name as well) and the triangle of Sherry production. There, one can tour vineyards and fermentation plants and get a sense of the time-honoured tradition and heritage that goes into every bottle. A Sherry tour in Spain is well worth the time and effort.

Discover some of thebest rates on Spanish hotels before you head to Sherry country.

Japan, Sake

Japanese craftsmanship is a spectacular and wondrous process to behold. Even the most seemingly minute and inconsequential task is approached with sacred care, from flower arranging to paper folding, to raking a Zen pebble garden. The master polishers of samurai swords even have a ritual for how they sit before they apply their precious stone tools to the steel blade. No surprise then, that when it comes to the national beverage, Sake, the Japanese are fanatical in how they create, bottle, drink and collect it.

Outside of Japan, it can be quite difficult and expensive to procure decent Sake, orNihonshu, as the fermented rice beverage is known. But while in Japan, it would be criminal not to experience Sake in as authentic a manner as possible on your schedule and budget. A suggestion then. Get outside of Tokyo and book a tour of a Sake brewery (the smaller the better) in a town like Fukushima, Kobe or Naka. Hospitable and gracious, most facilities offer diverse samplings of Sake that have undergone different brewing techniques. Choosing your favourite Sake type is half the fun. Walking back to your tour bus under your own power is the other.

Jamaica, Rum

While Rum is made in a host of nations, from the Caribbean to Latin America, South America and even Africa and the South Pacific, the top producer in the world is Jamaica. The small nation of Guyana may produce the best Rum, with a littany of recent awards, but for tourism purposes, the land that gave the world reggae music and Bob Marley is the place to be.

Rum is a magical creation. Made from sugarcane by-products, the fermentation and distillation of sweet juice and molasses results in a transparent liquid that when aged in oak casks, lends the beverage a distinctive, rich flavour. Fine Rum is as sophisticated as the best wines and Scotch, and deserves as much appreciation. To experience the fine art of Rum distillery, head to exquisite Jamaica.

Affordable rates onJamaica hotels and resorts are right here for your perusal.

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