7 Cocktails from 7 Countries You’ve Never Tried

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12th August 2025
This post was written in collaboration with CallMeChat
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Everyone’s heard of mojitos. Everyone was cosmopolitan. Maybe even a caipirinha or a negroni on a hot evening. But that’s not what we’re doing here. This isn’t a greatest hits playlist of cocktails—it’s the vinyl box in your grandfather’s attic. It’s the off-the-menu drink whispered by the bartender with a sly smile. It’s where cocktails get weird, proud, and deeply local.

The World Through a Glass: Why Try These?

Because your tongue deserves a passport. Because your Friday night deserves a new storyline. Because flavor maps are still undiscovered countries. These drinks aren’t built for popularity; they’re built from heritage. They connect you—quietly, powerfully—to people far away, often struggling to keep their traditions alive.

But there is a chance that after such cocktails you will say too much to your friends. If you don't want such consequences, use anonymous video chat. Just go to CallMeChat and you have an endless stream of acquaintances. In CallMeChat you choose the girl or guy you like and chat as much as you both want. No consequences, no digital identity, just chatting.

1. Bhutan – Arag Lemon Fire

Let’s start high—like above the clouds high. Bhutan, tucked in the Himalayas, is not a party capital, but it’s got Arag. Traditionally distilled at home (sometimes with butter, sometimes with millet), Arag is the drink of choice at village gatherings. Add fresh lemon juice, a dash of crushed Sichuan pepper, and you’ve got “Arag Lemon Fire.”

Why try it: Lightly smoky, lemony burn. Like tea, but rebellious.
Fun stat: 82% of Bhutanese over 21 have tasted Arag at least once, but only 3% of tourists ever get offered it.

2. Lithuania – Samane Sunset

Grain meets firewater. Lithuania’s home-brewed Samane is basically pure alcohol aged with rye bread and honey. Mix with cranberry juice and sparkling mineral water and you get the “Samane Sunset.” Red, fizzy, mysterious.

Why try it: Tart meets warm. Sharp meets smooth.
Served in: Dimly lit cellars in Vilnius or during midnight forest picnics.
Anonymous twist: Share your first sip reaction on apps for anonymous group chats and see who dares to try it next.

3. Madagascar – Toaka Tango

Toaka is rum—but Madagascar-style. Made from fermented sugarcane juice, it's rustic and a bit unpredictable. The “Toaka Tango” throws in coconut milk, lime zest, and crushed vanilla beans (which Madagascar grows a lot of).

Why try it: Creamy, herbal, tropical without being cliché.
Pro tip: Locals say, “If your lips burn, you’re alive.”
Stat drop: Only 5% of toaka is commercially produced—most is made in secret family stills.

4. Georgia (the country) – Chacha & Plum Fuse

Chacha is Georgia’s answer to grappa, a fierce grape-based brandy. Add plum puree, a bit of thyme syrup, and crushed ice. Welcome to “Chacha & Plum Fuse.” It kicks, then kisses.

Why try it: Bold fruit with herbal shadow.
Warning: Don’t drink too much and try to text your ex.
Stat drop: Chacha is still illegal to sell in some Georgian villages, but 94% of households keep a stash.

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5. Laos – Lao-Lao Espresso Swirl

Lao-Lao, a sticky rice whiskey, smells like campfire and tastes like countryside thunder. But mix it with condensed milk and a shot of espresso? You get the “Espresso Swirl.”

Why try it: Breakfast? Dessert? Danger? All three.
Anonymous moment: Discuss how wrong—but right—it feels in anonymous video chat rooms with coffee lovers.
Stat drop: Lao-Lao is responsible for over 70% of alcohol consumed in Laos.

6. Iceland – Brennivín Breeze

They call it “Black Death,” but don’t be scared. Brennivín is a caraway-flavored schnapps that Icelanders down with fermented shark (you won’t have to). The “Brennivín Breeze” adds cloudy apple juice and lemon thyme soda.

Why try it: It tastes like Viking poetry and smells like adventure.
Fun fact: Only 5 countries import Brennivín—most of it stays in Iceland.
Tip: Don’t serve it warm unless you're trying to make enemies.

7. Kyrgyzstan – Kumis Fizz

Let’s get wild. Kumis is fermented mare’s milk—yes, horse milk. Lightly alcoholic, creamy, fizzy. Mix with vodka, cucumber juice, and fresh dill: “Kumis Fizz.” Don’t knock it till you sip it.

Why try it: Yogurt, but wild. Cocktail, but farm.
Warning: It’s an acquired taste—but unforgettable.
Stat drop:
Over 100,000 liters of kumis are consumed annually in Kyrgyzstan during spring.

Final Sip: Talk, Mix, Repeat

Don’t just read this. Go find the ingredients. Or find a stranger who has. Post about your experiments—but only where no one knows you. That’s the charm of apps for anonymous group chats: the freedom to try, to fail, to laugh. Share your weird drink with a stranger in Peru. Get a takka recipe in exchange.

Cocktails aren’t just drinks. They’re conversations with cultures. Drunken postcards from countries you’ve never been to. Let your next toast be bold, bitter, strange—and totally unforgettable.

Drink wisely. Explore madly. Cheers to the unseen.

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Bartender's top tip

Incorporating fresh herbs like mint, basil, or rosemary can add a new dimension to your cocktails. Spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, or even black pepper can also create intriguing and complex flavors. Muddle the herbs gently to release their oils without turning them bitter, or infuse them into simple syrups.

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