"Sláinte!" in Gaelic. "Prost!" in German. "Skål!" in Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish. BBC Travel presents a brief guide to national drinks that locals strongly recommend you try.
To virtually sample at least a small portion of what is poured and drunk, a BBC Travel correspondent visited the online Q&A community Quora.com and asked its participants: "What drink must you absolutely not leave your country without trying?" Below are just a few items on the obligatory drinking list from different corners of the planet.
BRAZIL
A trip to this South American country would not be complete without trying the sweet cocktail caipirinha (Caipirinha). "It's a tropical drink, very refreshing, which can be made from various fruits, such as lemons, oranges, watermelons, peaches, and others," says Natalia Polidoro, a student from Sao Paulo.
The main ingredient of the cocktail is cachaça (Cachaça), the national strong drink of Brazil, which is obtained by distilling pure sugar cane juice. Unlike rum, which is made from molasses – a byproduct of sugar production – cachaça is a product of distilling fresh fermented sugar cane juice. In its homeland, this strong alcoholic drink has no equal in popularity. In Brazil, it is known by many Portuguese synonyms – from uisque brasileiro (Brazilian whiskey) to agua-benta (holy water). The strength of cachaça is 39-40%.
SWEDEN
A unique Swedish invention is punsch (Punsch, also known as Arrack Punsch). It is a strong alcoholic drink based on a liqueur called arrack imported from South Asia. Arrack is produced from rice, coconut or date palm juice, and molasses. Ingredients can vary from country to country.
Most arrack is produced in Indonesia on the island of Java. Its strength can range from 60 to 70%. As Swedish resident Lucas Lundsrem tells, the Swedish East India Company began importing arrack in 1773. The punsch made from it "was wildly successful in high society," says Lundstrom.
Swedish punsch based on arrack has an alcohol content of 20% to 30%. It has a rich, spicy and sweet taste. It is usually served with ice, but in winter it should be heated to 40 degrees Celsius, making punsch an ideal complement to Swedish pea soup, tempts Lundstrom.
USA
Alex Pak from Santa Clara, California, tried many different types of drinks, including martinis and the famous sweet tea from the American South (iced tea with lots of sugar), before settling on a cocktail of root beer with ice cream. He believes that everyone who comes to the United States must try this mix.
Root beer got its name from its original ingredient – the bark and roots of the sassafras tree, a relative of the laurel, which gives the drink its characteristic flavor. Until recently, root beer was exclusively common in North America. According to one version, the recipe's author in the second half of the 18th century was Samuel Adams, a prominent figure of the American Revolution and a cousin of President John Adams. He needed a drink that his children could consume. Sassafras roots and bark are no longer used as ingredients because they have been deemed harmful to health.
A unique variety of root beer is now produced in every US state, and a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream can add extra appeal to the drink. It won't be harmed by whipped cream either, and a cherry can garnish it. Particularly famous is the root beer float cocktail offered at the A&W roadside restaurant chain, where the treat is still served in a frozen glass.
CANADA
If you find yourself in French-speaking Canada, try Sortilège (Sortilège), a drink made by combining Canadian whisky with maple syrup, advises Anna Diemers, who lives near Ottawa. "We've always had strong alcoholic drinks made from maple syrup, but now they are produced commercially," she says. There is also a sweeter drink called Coureur des Bois, which, according to Diemers, is preferred by women.
Anna Diemers also advises not to neglect fresh maple sap, which indigenous people introduced to French settlers in their time. "It is very beneficial to drink it in its raw form," she says. Maple sap contains one to two percent sugar and has a more subtle maple aroma than evaporated syrup.
ARGENTINA
To invigorate yourself with natural caffeine, try mate, also called yerba (or jerba in Argentine) mate. It is the "official infusion" of Argentina, says Natalia Romano, an engineering student living in Mar del Plata.
Mate resembles tea, but it is drunk in turn with friends, as is the tradition. At parties – and not only – this tea is served in individual gourds – vessels made from hollowed-out pumpkin fruits – and drunk through a straw to filter the tea leaves. The vessel is passed around and refilled as it empties.
Today, mate is also sold in tea bags and can be drunk from a mug, adding milk and sugar to taste. "When mate is drunk this way, it is called cocido," specifies Romano.
Incidentally, among the most famous mate lovers was the revolutionary Ernesto Che Guevara, who was Argentine by birth. Many photographs capture him sipping mate from a gourd through a straw.
NEW ZEALAND
In accordance with its advertising slogan 'World famous in New Zealand,' Lemon and Paeroa, often called L&P, a carbonated drink based on lemon juice and mineral water, is very popular in its homeland, even if it has not yet achieved worldwide fame. 'Its main ingredient is mineral water from springs near the town of Paeroa in the north,' says Raymond Macalay, an Auckland resident. As soon as you mix the water with lemon juice, 'you get a fizzy lemonade that Kiwis love,' i.e., New Zealanders.
INDIA
In the city of Madurai, Tamil Nadu in southern India, jigarthanda, a refreshing drink that can be enjoyed on the street, is very popular. Amrut Varshini, who lives in the neighboring state of Kerala, warns that the drink's composition, which includes milk, sarsaparilla syrup, almond milk, and agar-agar seaweed, might seem strange. However, as Varshini promises, 'the final product is simply wonderful.'
The word 'jigarthanda' translates from Hindi as 'cold liver,' says Varshini, but there are other interpretations, such as 'cold heart.' 'Jigar' means 'spirit' or 'courage,' and 'thanda' comes from the Arabic word 'thandal,' which can be translated as 'ship's captain' or 'helmsman,' he explains. 'This definition also explains the use of gelatin from seaweed in the preparation of the drink. After all, it is believed to have been the main food of sailors in ancient times.'