A Vodka a Day….
Jul 25, 2009
Ever since we arrived in the Stans there have either been these mini tank kind of things on the side of the road or drinking barrels on the side of just about every corner of town.
While walking back from an unsuccessful visit to the Kazakhstan consulate in Bishkek my curiosity got the better of me.
It is called Kvas and turns out it is vodka mixed with some sort of fruit juice. Vodka? on the side of highways and streets at anytime of the day.
The more attention I paid to these small drink stands scattered everywhere around the city, the more I noticed people wandering up, sculling a drink and wandering away. It didn’t matter what time of day it was.
The Stans are truly a drunks paradise.
Actually, all three drinks are non-alcoholic, but Kvas may contain some very low levels of alcohol as there is some fermentation. Ayran is simply a yoghurt mixed with soda water and tan something similar. I lived there for 2 years and enjoyed seeing them on all the street corners.