A global guide to alcoholic beverages for the tipsy tourist.

Story by Laura Lundberg & Camille Rasmussen
Photo Illustration by Blake Hamilton, Kevin Bronk & Whitney Highfield

Kvass: Russia

In America, some people use beer as an ingredient in bread. But in Russia, bread is used to make Kvass. Russian street vendors lug around trailers carrying big, barrel-shaped tanks filled with the distinct beer, which is created by fermenting stale bread. A Russian version of cola, Kvass is so low in alcohol content that many locals refer to it as “children’s beer.” Coca-Cola began manufacturing and distributing its own brand of Kvass after the corporation realized it was losing market shares to the local “beer cola.” The market for Kvass is growing so quickly that Pepsi is also rumored to be interested in creating its own version of the beverage.
Alcohol By Volume: Less than 1%

Bhang: India

Milk tea with a kick, Bhang is a popular Indian drink made with almonds, spices, milk, sugar, and one “special” ingredient: marijuana. Often consumed during the religious celebrations of Holi or Vaisakhi, variations of Bhang such as “marijuana milk” and “hash smoothies” are knocked back by locals during social bonding events. Although Bhang is often enjoyed in India, it’s illegal in most countries due to its controversial component. And like marijuana, Bhang can be used to relieve pain and anxiety. First concocted around 1000 BCE, it was thought to alleviate illnesses such as fever and sunstroke.
ABV: More weed, less alcohol.

Glogg: Norway

Sweet and spicy, warm and festive, this Norwegian holiday concoction dates back to the Viking era. The main ingredient is red wine, which is heated and infused with a deluxe array of spices, including cloves, cardamom seeds, ginger, and cinnamon. For the final touch, a dash of hard alcohol is added. Its fiery melodies make Glogg perfect for warming up a frigid winter night, and it’s especially suitable for Norway’s cold climate.
ABV: Enough to warm you up.

Kumis: Central Asia

Hailing from the plains of Central Asia, Kumis is a drink made from mare’s milk, though many people use cow’s milk as a substitute. First brewed in the fifth century BCE, the beverage hasn’t lost its popularity over the years. Traditionally, the milk was kept in a horsehide pouch hung from a saddle and bounced about during the ride, so it fermented for anywhere from a few hours to a few days before it was ready for consumption. Today, modern methods are used to ferment this low-alcohol-content specialty.­
ABV: 2%.

Zubrowka/Bison-grass Vodka: Poland

Wheat, barley, and grapes are common field-grown alcohol ingredients in the U.S. But grass? In Poland, grass-infused vodka is a popular drink. The alcohol, which contains a single blade of bison grass in each bottle, originated in the fourteenth century as a celebratory drink men indulged in after a successful day hunting buffalo in the fields. Said to increase strength, power, and youthfulness. This Eastern European specialty was once banned in the United States because the grass contains a prohibited additive, coumarin that is slightly toxic to humans. At the turn of the millennium, Poland began producing coumarin-free Zubrowka for the U.S. market, though the artificial version is not as flavorful as the original.
ABV: 40%.

Mezcal: Mexico

If the thought of slurping down a worm with a shot of booze makes you cringe, then proceed with caution when drinking Mezcal. A specialty of Oaxaca, Mexico, this smoky alcohol is similar to tequila in that they’re both made from different types of agave cactus. The worm is the larval stage of a moth found on the leaves of the agave plant used to make Mezcal. Some distillers have started using fake plastic worms because they’re cheaper. In accordance with a Mexican law, Mezcal must contain at least 80 percent agave, making it purer than most tequila, which contains at least 51 percent agave.
ABV: At least 50%.

Snake Wine: Southeast Asia

A baby cobra is curled at the bottom of a jar of murky liquid, a scorpion hanging from its mouth. Snake Wine, found in Southeast Asia, consists of a dead poisonous snake stuffed into a bottle and left to ferment. There are many additions to this unusual concoction, including scorpions and bees. Snake Wine is believed to increase sexual drive for men, and to be a powerful cure for a wide variety of illnesses and injuries. The drink is harmless when properly made, but mistakes can be deadly, which is why lots of care goes into the preparation. Brewers use a variety of species and fermentation processes to create subtly different flavors.
ABV: Does it matter? There’s a snake.

Chicha: South America

The drink of the Incas, Chicha is a frothy yellow beverage made of fermented corn. Traditionally, Incan women prepared this drink by chewing and spitting up corn pulp that was then left to ferment in warm water. Talk about self-brewed. These days, Chicha is ground by hand, and is popular during festivals and special occasions — particularly in the Ecuadorian Fiesta de la Jora, when the guest of honor consumes this corn-based concoction. Because of its celebratory nature, Chicha, found in Peru, Ecuador, Chile, and Bolivia, is typically only made for special occasions.
ABV: 13%.

Bok Bun Ja Joo: Korea

A specialty of Korea, this black raspberry wine is a tasty, dry liquor that isn’t excessively sweet. The literal translation of the alcohol’s name is “man who pees in a pot.” The wine is said to pump a man up with so much energy that when he pees in a pot, it nearly flips. Bok Bun Ja Joo appears in an old tale in which a young, sick boy was told by a Buddhist monk to drink the wine. After following the monk’s advice, the boy miraculously became healthy once again. The alcohol is thought to prevent cancer and slow down the aging process, as well as increase virility in men.
ABV: 15%.

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