Drinking Traditions of Albania: 7 Local Beverages That Define a Nation

Albania’s drinking culture is rooted in mountain hospitality and Mediterranean agriculture. Grapes, plums, mulberries, and coastal herbs thrive under hot summers and cool, dry winds, shaping what locals distill and pour.

From copper-still raki shared at family tables to indigenous wines poured with grilled lamb and seafood, alcohol is woven into daily rituals and seasonal feasts. Travelers encounter it in village courtyards, seaside tavernas, and city bars across Tirana, Shkodër, Lezhë, Durrës, and Korçë.

Raki rrushi is Albania’s emblematic spirit: a grape brandy typically bottled at 40–50% ABV. Producers ferment crushed grapes—or the leftover skins and stems from wine (pomace)—before double-distilling in wood-fired copper pot stills known locally as kazane. Careful cuts separate harsh heads and oily tails, yielding a clean, fruity heart. Some families rest the spirit in neutral vessels; others briefly age it in oak or mulberry wood to mellow edges and add a straw hue.

The aroma is lifted with notes of grape skin, white flowers, and light pepper; the palate ranges from silky to bracingly dry, depending on the cut. Raki frames the day: a pre-meal sip with meze in Tirana, a welcome glass for guests in Shkodër, a winter warmer in mountain villages near Kukës. It anchors toasts—gëzuar!—at weddings, christenings, and seasonal feasts, and it often follows coffee as an aperitif or digestif in both city bars and family kitchens.

Mulberries flourish in northern Albania, and raki mani transforms the fruit into a distinctive spirit prized in Shkodër and the Zadrima plain near Lezhë. Fully ripe, honey-sweet white mulberries are crushed and fermented on their own sugars, then pot-distilled—often twice—for clarity and lift. Traditionalists may rest the spirit in mulberry-wood casks, which lend a pale-gold tint and a rounder texture. Bottled strength commonly spans 45–55% ABV, reflecting a preference for a stronger, aromatic style.

Expect delicate aromas of pear, honey, and wildflower, with a whisper of tea leaf; the palate is supple but dry, finishing clean. Raki mani is a hospitality marker—set out for visitors alongside pickled vegetables, bread, and salty cheeses—and a summertime favorite served slightly chilled in Lezhë and Shkodër. It appears at family tables during religious and secular holidays, and in village gatherings where hosts pour from unlabelled bottles filled each June when the mulberries are at their sweetest.

In the uplands around Kukës and the Korçë basin, plums become raki kumbulle, a stone-fruit brandy with a more rustic edge. Ripe plums are crushed; some distillers leave a portion of stones to contribute almond-like aromatics, while others remove them to keep the profile purely fruity. After a cool, complete fermentation, the mash is double-distilled in copper, with particular attention to early cuts to manage higher methanol risk from pectin-rich fruit. The result is typically bottled between 40–50% ABV.

The nose suggests dried plum, quince, and a touch of marzipan; wood-fired stills can lend a faint smokiness. It’s a countryside staple during autumn butchering days and winter feasts, sipped neat in small glasses with cured meats, pickles, and hearth-baked bread. In Korçë’s tavernas, a small pour often opens a meal of slow-roasted meats or stews. Families keep bottles from different years, comparing vintages the way wine drinkers do.

Kallmet is Albania’s flagship red grape, rooted in the Zadrima plain between Lezhë and Shkodër. Modern wineries ferment in stainless steel to preserve fruit or employ gentle oak aging for structure. Typical ABV sits around 12–14%. The variety yields medium-bodied wines with sour cherry, red plum, and black pepper notes, often accented by bay leaf and dried Mediterranean herbs. Tannins are fine-grained, and acidity is bright—well-suited to the region’s lamb and goat dishes.

Archaeological finds attest to ancient viticulture in northern Albania, and Kallmet is a direct heir to that tradition. After the 1990s, private cellars revived the grape, and labels from Lezhë and Shkodër now appear on city wine lists in Tirana and Durrës. You’ll find Kallmet poured with grilled lamb under saç, slow-cooked kid, and village cheeses. It’s a reliable order in osterie-style eateries across the north, where servers proudly match local food with local vines.

Shesh i Bardhë, named after the Shesh area outside Tirana, is central Albania’s signature white grape. Grown on limestone-clay slopes influenced by Adriatic breezes, it is usually fermented cool in stainless steel to protect delicate aromatics. ABV averages 12–13%. Expect lemon blossom, quince, green almond, and a faint saline edge; the palate is medium-bodied, lively, and dry. Some producers experiment with lees contact for texture, while others keep it crisp for seafood pairings.

Culturally, Shesh i Bardhë is the coastal table wine: poured in Durrës with grilled sardines, mussels, and fried squid, and in Tirana’s bistros with herb-laced salads. It suits Albania’s sunny climate and long outdoor dining season, from spring through late autumn. Travelers will encounter it by the carafe in neighborhood restaurants or under a specific estate label, often recommended as the house white for its versatility and local identity.

Beer arrived earlier than many expect, and Birra Korça—founded in 1928 in the city of Korçë—is its enduring symbol. The brewery’s core lagers range roughly from 4.0–6.0% ABV, anchored by a pale, pilsner-style beer and complemented by a darker, malt-forward variant. The pale lager is crisp and lightly floral from European hops; the dark offers cocoa and toasted bread tones with a smooth finish. Both are built for refreshment rather than heaviness.

The brewery helped popularize beer culture beyond wine and raki, and today tavernas pour frosty mugs across Korçë and the eastern lakeside city of Pogradec. Each August, the Korça Beer Fest draws crowds for music and street food, marking the high point of the summer drinking season. On hot afternoons, lager accompanies grilled qebapa, byrek, and simple salads—an easygoing counterpoint to stronger spirits and a staple in urban bars from Korçë to Tirana.

Skënderbeu is Albania’s best-known aged brandy, produced since 1967 and named for the national hero. It begins as distilled wine and is matured in oak, sometimes blended with infusions that contribute warmth and complexity. Bottled at about 40% ABV, it pours amber to deep gold. Aromas span vanilla, caramel, dried fig, and toasted nuts; the palate is rounded, with gentle tannin from oak and a lingering, slightly sweet finish that remains balanced rather than cloying.

This is the after-dinner bottle in many households and a popular gift. In Tirana and Durrës, restaurants serve it neat at room temperature as a digestif; in colder months, it may accompany desserts like kadaif or simple walnut cakes. It bridges Albania’s wine heritage and its love of brandy and is a familiar sight at holiday tables, where one small glass often seals the final toast of the night.