20 Irresistible Turkish Drinks You MUST Try Before You Die!

Turkish drinks are rooted in rich traditions stretching back thousands of years. Drinking some of Turkey’s traditional beverages, such as Kefir or Boza, will remind you of the time when humans were nomadic beings roaming the earth. These beverages preserve Turkey’s history by using the same ingredients and methods brought to the land thousands of years ago. Trying these and other traditional Turkish drinks is like sampling a taste of history on your tongue.

Turkish Drinks

Turkish Alcoholic Drinks

1- Raki

Raki is a classic Turkish alcohol made to be enjoyed with friends and family at sunset.

Always prepared with water and occasionally with ice, Raki is made from white grape pomace, known as suma, and anise seeds.

Nicknamed ‘Lion’s Milk’ due to its milky white hue after mixing it with water, Raki contains between 40 to 50% alcohol.

Similar in taste and appearance to Greece’s Ouzo and Italy’s Sambuca, Raki ties in with Turkey’s food and wine culture, where Turkish cuisine, drinking and good company are the traditional way of life.

2- Öküzgözü

Öküzgözü is a ruby-coloured red wine made from dark-skinned red Öküzgözü grapes native to Turkey’s Anatolian region.

The region’s continental climate creates the perfect environment for cultivating and producing world-class wines.

With fruity undertones of raspberry, cherry and faint hints of mint, Öküzgözü is often compared with classic Pinot Noir.

Turkish Öküzgözü wine from the Anatolia region is a top-class wine well worth trying.

3- Narince

Narince is the most abundant white wine variety in Turkey.

It is mostly produced in Turkey’s Tokat province in the Anatolia region, where most of the Narince vineyards are situated.

Narince wines have an aromatic profile that ranges from hints of orange, lime and grapefruit to floral and herbal undertones that include basil.

This unique flavour profile makes Narince wines stand out among Turkish white wines and is a great wine to pair with all sorts of meals.

4- Emir

Another of Anatolia’s great wine varieties, Emir is a light-skinned white wine grape that gained popularity during Roman times when the wine was popular on the dinner tables of the Roman aristocracy.

Emir wines are delicate and still, which means the wine does not blend well with oak and is produced for early consumption.

The grape is an excellent choice for creating sumptuous sparkling wines due to its high acidity and the region’s mineral-rich soil.

5- Efes Pilsen

Made by the 11th largest brewery on earth, Efes Pilsen is one of Turkey’s most popular alcohol.

This crisp, light-tasting beer got its start in 1969 when Kamil Yazıcı and İzzet Özilhan opened the first privately-owned brewery in the land.

Today this Turkish beer is sold in over 80 countries and is beloved for its fruity aroma and flavour.

Efes Pilsen’s addition of rice during brewing makes this beer stand out and beer lovers will want to order a cold beer to enjoy during the steamy Turkish summer.

Turkish Cocktails

6- Turkish Delight Martini

While not a traditional Turkish drink, the Turkish Delight Martini was inspired by the country’s popular treat, matching the delicateness and flavour of the candy perfectly.

Available in upscale bars and restaurants in Turkey, this is a modern twist on the classic Martini cocktail.

Made with lemon juice, egg white, grenadine, rose water, gin and icing sugar as a garnish, sipping on a Turkish Martini after sunset is a romantic thing to do on a nighttime outing in Turkey.

7- Turkish Screwdriver

Created during World War II when American soldiers in Turkey mixed natural spirits such as vodka with orange juice, the Turkish Screwdriver has been popular in bars throughout Ankara and Istanbul ever since the cocktail first appeared in the cities in 1943.

There are several variations of the Turkish Screwdriver throughout Turkey, with some recipes calling for a mixture of gin and vodka while others include bitters, cognac as well as orange juice and vodka.

8- Hot Bunny

While this Turkish cocktail has different names, the main ingredient remains unchanged.

Made from Raki, the Hot Bunny cocktail blends this Turkish liquor with pomegranate liqueur to create a cocktail to savour any time of the day.

The blend of raki, anise and fruity pomegranate combine to create a uniquely flavoured Turkish cocktail.

If you’re in the mood for one of these and don’t see it on the cocktail menu, tell the bartender you want a Rakı and pomegranate cocktail, and they’ll know exactly what you mean.

9- Turkish Delight

This delicious cocktail inspired by the Turkish sweet treats is a dessert in a glass.

Not too dissimilar from a Turkish Martini, a simple Turkish Delight cocktail uses many of the same ingredients but is a less flashy version.

A Turkish cocktail is perfect for those who might find the different flavours or the stronger alcohol content of the Martini version a bit overwhelming.

It usually contains gin, rose syrup and pieces of actual Turkish Delight candy, and a dash of chocolate liqueur, with some versions even adding some cranberry juice.

Turkish Hot Beverages and Non-Alcoholic Drinks

10- Turkish Lemonade

Turkish lemonade, or limonata, is standard lemonade we all know and love, with a little extra Turkish flair to spice up this old-fashioned liquid refreshment.

Made by peeling lemons and mixing the lemon extract with sugar and water, Turkish lemonade is much sweeter than the regular version.

Turkish lemonade is the ideal thing to cool down during those warm Turkish summers.

If you want to try making some authentic Turkish lemonade at home, you can do so by peeling a lemon.

Blend or squash the peeled lemon, then add boiling water and sugar before mixing the concoction. A sprinkle of cinnamon adds a nice touch.

11- Turkish Coffee

Turkish coffee is unfiltered coffee made in a traditional pot known as a cezve using only two ingredients, coffee and boiled water.

The pot is heated until both ingredients reach boiling point when the cezve is taken off the heat, and the coffee is consumed straight from the pot.

It has a charred, earthy flavour and a strong aroma that lures you into craving a sip.

Trying to fathom Turkish culture without Turkish coffee is unimaginable, with the caffeinated version the centrepiece during weddings, coffeehouse conversations and even fortune-telling, when shamans use the leftover coffee beans to read fortunes.

A highlight for coffee connoisseurs visiting Turkey is to try traditional Turkish coffee straight out of a cezve pot.

12- Ayran

Ayran is a non-alcoholic beverage consumed in copious amounts when the mercury hits the thermometer.

This yogurt-like staple is native to Turkey and is often paired alongside traditional Turkish dishes such as kebabs, pide and börek.

Made with yoghurt, salt and water, this Turkish summertime staple dates back to the nomadic tribes who roamed around what is today modern-day Turkey around 1,000 BC.

Ayran is relatively easy to get your hands on, as most Turkish stores sell it bottled but to savour it at its best, you need to try some homemade Ayran served in Turkey’s rural cafes.

13- Salep

While Ayran is a popular summertime treat, Salep is the go-to winter staple.

Salep’s unique taste and texture set it apart from other Turkish beverages.

It’s made from grounded wild orchid roots, sugar, milk and a dash of cinnamon on top for garnish.

The grounded orchid roots are rich in starch and have a custard-like consistency when mixed with milk, giving Salep its unique texture.

An extremely popular liquid refreshment throughout Istanbul’s streets, where vendors sell it at virtually every street corner, Salep is a great choice whenever you’re in Turkey during the winter months.

14- Boza

A Boza is a smoothie-like treat enjoyed throughout Turkey during the cold Turkish winter months.

Made from millet or wheat, sugar, yeast and water, Boza is lightly fermented, slightly sour and often served with a spoon due to its thick texture.

Usually topped with chickpeas or cinnamon, Boza is one of Turkey’s oldest beverages and dates back some 9,000 years ago when it arrived in Anatolia via Mesopotamia and the Caucasus.

Although not as easy to find in cafes as Ayran, Boza is a treat that’s jam-packed with flavour.

15- Şıra

A seasonal beverage in spring and summer is Şıra, or ‘Shira’, which is made from apple juice or lightly fermented grapes.

The crimson-coloured Sira is naturally sweet and sour due to the fructose levels of the fruits used to make it.

Commonly paired with generous servings of some Iskender Kebabs (sliced döner kebab meat with hot tomato sauce on pita bread), Şıra is made with the same variety and quality of grapes used to produce Turkish wines.

It’s great to consume on a hot day.

16- Turkish Tea

Drinking tea is a way of life and in cafes, tea is usually served in a traditional Turkish tea glass.

If you’d like to try some of the best Turkish tea like a local, steer clear of flavoured teas like apple tea and order a regular black tea.

Authentic Turkish black tea has a high caffeine content and is very dark, almost blood-like in colour.

17- Şalgam Suyu

Şalgam Suyu, or pickled turnip juice, is a tangy beverage that is popular throughout the Cukurova region in South-Central Turkiye.

Made from fermented turnip juice, purple or black carrots, salt, pepper, spices, yeast and bulgur wheat, Şalgam Suyu is available in two varieties, mild or scalding.

Often paired with traditional Turkish kebab dishes, Şalgam is also mixed with other alcohol such as Raki to dilute the alcohol content.

Packed with vitamin C, this interesting but tasty beverage can be found throughout Turkish restaurants and eateries that traditionally served it with food.

18- Sherbet

Sherbet is a blend of fresh fruit, such as pomegranates, grapes or lemons, that originated in Iran during the 11th century.

Introduced to Turkey during the Ottoman Empire’s rule, sherbet has since become an ingrained Turkish tradition and is often served at celebratory events such as weddings and Ramadan.

This cordial-like drink is served in pitchers and is popular in Muslim countries throughout the Middle East, South Asia and the Balkans.

Delicious and easy to make yourself, sampling some Turkish Sherbet is an excellent option if you want to drink like a local.

19- Kefir

Kefir is a traditional Turkish fermented dairy beverage that originated thousands of years ago in the North Caucasus before finding its way to Turkey.

Made from mainly dairy milk, yeast and Kefir grains, the drink is a thicker and more sour version of Ayrani, another Turkish staple.

Like yoghurt, this fermented drink is a healthy, easy to make and tasty probiotic.

20- Tursu Suyu

This thirst-quenching drink is made from pickling vegetables, usually carrots, beets, cucumbers, onions or cabbage, in salty brine and often paired with a fish-based dish such as a fish sandwich.

Popular in and around Istanbul’s Eminonu Beach, where you can spot street vendors selling Tursu Suyu to locals, this sour-salty drink is not for the faint-hearted.

Tursu Suyu is somewhat of an acquired taste, but its health benefits make it worth a try.