The most popular drink in Turkey is tea, most often served in small tulip-shaped glasses. Turks offer it everywhere: in shops, bazaars, even banks and offices. Tea is typically drunk before breakfast, while around midday and at the end of meals, a cup of strong, aromatic Turkish coffee (kahve) is preferred. Cold drinks include juices made from various fresh fruits, such as oranges and cherries, as well as refreshing sorbets made with fruit syrups.
Soft drinks
Bottled mineral water (su) can be purchased in every store and ordered in restaurants. Tourists can try ayran, a salty yogurt drink. Another traditional drink is boza, made from fermented wheat grains. There's also a wide selection of fruit and vegetable juices, such as cherry juice (vishné suyu), turnip juice (shalgam suyu), and shir, a fermented grape juice.
Alcoholic drinks
The Turkish national drink is rak—a colorless aniseed-flavored vodka that turns cloudy when water is added. The most famous wines are Kavaklidere and Doluca, but they are quite expensive for table wine. However, Villa Doluca is worth recommending. Sevilen, a producer from Izmir, offers several good wines, including a majestic and perfect Merlot. Imported wines and champagne are very expensive and can only be found in the best restaurants and bars. Turkish beer, Efes Pilsen, is very good and is sold by the glass in many places. Cheaper restaurants and kebab bars do not serve alcohol.
Coffee and tea
Turkish coffee is very strong, black, and served in small cups. When ordering, specify how sweet you want it: az (a little), orta (medium), or çok şekerli (very). In Turkey, people drink tea (kay) with sugar. Fruit and herbal teas are also popular: apple (elma), linden (ilhamur), rose (kuşburnu), and mint (nane).
Tea, not coffee, is the most important drink in TurkeyIts preparation and consumption are associated with so many rules and traditions that books could be written about it.
The entire ritual is incredibly fascinating. Loose tea is placed in a small pitcher (porcelain, metal, or glass) and boiling water is poured over it. It is then placed over a larger pitcher filled with water, which is then placed on the stove. Electric teapots are now the most popular, as the pitcher is heated automatically to maintain a constant temperature. After pouring the tea leaves, wait about 30 minutes for the brew to become rich. However, it should not be allowed to cool or boil. When ready, it is mixed with water in a ratio of 1:3 or 1:4. The tea is considered good when it is flawlessly clear and has a bright, deep red color, called tavshan kany—hare's blood.
It can only be drunk in small tulip-shaped glasses. These are called ins belli (narrow-waisted), and the drinking experience in them is unlike that of classic large cups and mugs. Their small size prevents the drink from cooling while drinking. Tea, unlike soups, should be very hot. Glass is difficult to hold in your hand; it burns your fingers, and the thin walls offer no protection. Therefore, you should hold the rim with your thumb and index finger, and use your fingers to support the glass from below.
Tea is usually sweetened with two lumps of sugar; it would be too strong on its own. Although teaspoons are indeed small, it's impossible to mix the sugar without hitting the rim of a narrow glass. Fortunately, this isn't bad manners, but an essential element of the ritual. Tea should be sipped in small sips, but quickly enough to keep it warm.
Tea rooms (çay ocağı) are located in the Stambul Everywhere you turn. Sometimes it's just a few low tables with stools. To serve retail and service outlets, tiny spaces have been created in places with numerous businesses where tea and other drinks are served over the phone. Customers buy a pool of tokens and pay for each drink. Sometimes a special intercom or walkie-talkie replaces the phone. Also, every company and every office employs a "Chaychi"—a person who brews tea or coffee exclusively. Turks drink tea all day, but never with food. Record-breaking tea drinkers can drink 40-50 small glasses of this beverage per day.
