Just Good Beer

Somewhere 30 minutes from Baku there is a brewery which makes very good beer. My lager was bitter sweet. The choice is between filtered and non-filtered - limited, but maybe this is where you apply the meaning of "less is more."

The selection of food is however not as great. But I did enjoy my simple herring, onions, and potatoes.

The prices are moderate - 2 AZN for a mug of beer (beer cheaper than the food).

There are however other positive things about the place such as lots of tables outside. The outside seating is in a closed (large) courtyard with 2 fountains. The tables are positioned far away from each other so you get your privacy.

You also can buy the beer to go as well as draft to go. The beer must now be in the stores, as they just recently got their license. At the brewery they pack it in a nice plastic bag labeled "brewed in Azerbaijan" which makes a perfect gift for a beer lover.

Chai Time

Tea is part of many cultures. Azerbaijan does not lag behind in its tea traditions and embraces the “çay” – a word or a derivative of cha or chai, which in so many languages (I’ve counted 40+!) means “tea.”

Azerbaijanis use “stakan” and “narbaki” – which is basically a small tulip-vase shaped glass and a small plate for their tea. Tea brewing is very important – the guys at our construction site proudly offer you a cup of tea and tell you that they have just brewed it themselves. Refusing is not an option. It is the social bonding behaviour - just like shaking hands perhaps. Every meeting starts with tea drinking then talking. Have a stakan of chai with the guy and you will solve more problems than just sitting in front of him in a formal atmosphere on the other side of the meeting table.

The tea is served with cubes of sugar and slices of lemon. Many dont put the sugar in the tea - they put it on their tongue and then wash it down with their tea. Most teas are made strong, some with herbs and spices. If you are in the mountains, get the green herbs they are selling (they can be dried or fresh, depends on the season). Mix it in your home brew and you will have a delish tea!

Chaihana means “teahouse”. There are plenty of them in the city and across the country – more than pubs for sure! I love the smoke filled room ones, full of Azeri men, smoking cigarettes, drinking tea, talking and playing “Nards” which is basically know to many as the game of backgammon. I have never been to one but you can observe from the street as the door to the outside is open for natural ventilation.

Once on the way from the mountains we stopped for tea...

A different kind of culture

Azerbaijan is different from many CIS countries for many reasons. As it is difficult to explain the reasons in a simple list of words, I hope that my blog will capture it day by day. One true thing can be told about Azerbaijan that it is less commercialized than many other countries I've visited and for a traveler it can be very interesting.