8 Tasty Turkish Drinks You Need to Try

Turkey is a country full of flavour! From the variety of dishes of the traditional breakfast spread to the heavy spicing of a cig kofte to sweet and sticky baklava.

And the same rule applies to Turkey’s drinks, from subtle and fragrant salep to sour pomegranate wine. There are so many options that you are sure to find something.

Here are our top Turkish drinks that you have to try!

Disclaimer: This blog post may contain affiliate links, which means that if you click and purchase through a link, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. And if you do choose to do this, THANK YOU so much for supporting us! It means that we can continue to create content for you guys. Full disclaimer here.

Çay

Served at all times of the day, cay (black tea) is an essential part of Turkish life and culture and has recently been recognised as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage list.

The amber liquid is usually prepared in a caydanlik which is a two-layered teapot. The bottom pot is filled with water and brought to the boil, and a smaller teapot sits on top filled with hot water and black tea leaves. 

This technique enables the drinker to amend the strength of their tea. Pour some of the tea from the top teapot in to the glass and then top it up with the hot water from the bottom teapot. Add a sugar cube if you fancy it sweetened.

The best places to drink tea in our opinion, are the spots where the seating provided is small stools and the tea is served in tulip-shaped glasses. These are generally the places where you will only see locals!

Turkish Coffee

Another Turkish rite of passage like with cay, Turkish coffee has such a variety of types and flavours that we tried to give them all a go!

Originating from the times of the Ottoman empire, Turkish coffee is dark and strong and the perfect pick-me-up before or after a day of exploring a Turkish city.

Read our guide to Turkish coffee.

Ayran + Spicy Ayran

Ayran is a savoury drink of yoghurt, salt and water, and is often served with savoury Turkish food such as pide, cig kofte, burek, kebab etc.

There is also a spicy ayran which we found particularly interesting with the contrast of the cooling yoghurt and warming chilli.

Salgam (Turnip Juice)

Salgam is a drink of fermenting purple carrots and turnips with water and salt. The end product is sour and meant to aid with digestion.

My description doesn’t make it sound particularly appetising but it is actually a really pleasant flavour.

Meyan Kökü Şerbeti (Turkish Cola)

It actually tastes nothing like Coca Cola, but is similarly dark in appearance.

Sold by locals in Gaziantep and Sanliurfa carrying a huge drinking vessel on their backs, this is a liquorice sherbet drink that almost tastes medicinal.

It’s an acquired taste for sure; I actually couldn’t drink it! But I’m glad that I gave it a try.

Raki

The national Turkish spirit, raki is a strong liquor made from grapes and aniseed. The alcohol percentage ranges between 40-50% (or maybe higher if homemade!).

Salep

Salep is a thick and creamy drink made from the grinding of orchid roots. It has a fragrant and delicate taste, and is often topped with cinnamon.

Pomegranate Wine

Pomegranate wine has all the beautifully sour notes of the pomegranate without taking anything away from the wine.

Usually a little less alcohol than in a regular bottle of wine (the ones we tried were 8%), but the taste is so so good!

Interested in Turkish vegetarian food to go with these Turkish drinks? Find all our favourites.

Like it? Save it!