Here's what 100 TL will buy!
I've been known to imbibe with great joy on occasion. Alcohol was part of growing up and it continues to be a part of our lives now. While working at Cotopaxi, I seldom drank on a Sunday or a week night, figuring that if I decided to drink every time I dealt with an unruly kid, his/her parent, or a complaining employee, I'd be drinking most nights. So, only on weekends (remember, Thursday was the start of the weekend, so no big sacrifice!)
Being thousands of miles from home, in a different land, one might feel the need to tip the bottle up and forget all worries. That hasn't happened yet, mostly due to the cost of imported booze!
When we first got here we did purchase beer, "bira" and wine, "sarap." The only beer that is sold on a nationwide basis here is called Efes. It's not bad. Efes costs 18.75 TL for a four pack. The country also bottles several wines, starting at about 12 TL, or $6.81, but they taste like their price-cheap. Starting at about 20 TL, they're pretty good. . The Efes bottles we buy are .5 liter, or approximately 16 ounces, or the size of a bottle of salad dressing. That's about 4.62 TL per bottle or $2.66 per bottle. That's a lot more than Bud Lite, but we can live with it.
The big problem is hard liquor. I don't think anything except Arak an Raki-anise flavored drinks, are produced here. So all else is imported and heavily taxed. We bought a bottle of pretty cheap gin, Borzoi "London Dry Gin" made in ....Argentina for just 60 TL or $34.05. It's OK and the tonic water is passable.
The big problem comes with US produced liquor. A .75 liter of Jack Daniels (just 25 ounces or 1.58 pints) costs 92 TL or $52.22. That will pour about 6 good drinks. I don't think you can buy a .75 liter bottle in the US. Brother Ken and I have "started" an evening drinking that much while watching a 30 minute newscast! I'm telling you, that's a little bottle of whiskey.
When eating out, we expect to pay 10-12 TL for a glass of wine, and mixed drinks are between 12 and 15 TL. With the median income of Turks around 18,000 TL, they can't afford to buy a lot of liquor. Our area of town is mostly middle and upper class, I'd guess, and I've seen hundreds of TL worth of liquor being purchased at once at the Real'. Some Turk's grocery carts are pretty full of bottles!
It's now 9:32 AM, and I'm going into work at 10:00. Yes, the econ teacher finally arrived on Sunday. I taught all classes on Monday, and was there yesterday, but today he's on his own and I'm back to 1/2 time, I think! So, to celebrate, Peggy made him dinner last night, along with another single guy, and we drank wine and beer. On a week night!
When we first got here we did purchase beer, "bira" and wine, "sarap." The only beer that is sold on a nationwide basis here is called Efes. It's not bad. Efes costs 18.75 TL for a four pack. The country also bottles several wines, starting at about 12 TL, or $6.81, but they taste like their price-cheap. Starting at about 20 TL, they're pretty good. . The Efes bottles we buy are .5 liter, or approximately 16 ounces, or the size of a bottle of salad dressing. That's about 4.62 TL per bottle or $2.66 per bottle. That's a lot more than Bud Lite, but we can live with it.
Argentinian Gin?
The big problem is hard liquor. I don't think anything except Arak an Raki-anise flavored drinks, are produced here. So all else is imported and heavily taxed. We bought a bottle of pretty cheap gin, Borzoi "London Dry Gin" made in ....Argentina for just 60 TL or $34.05. It's OK and the tonic water is passable.
The big problem comes with US produced liquor. A .75 liter of Jack Daniels (just 25 ounces or 1.58 pints) costs 92 TL or $52.22. That will pour about 6 good drinks. I don't think you can buy a .75 liter bottle in the US. Brother Ken and I have "started" an evening drinking that much while watching a 30 minute newscast! I'm telling you, that's a little bottle of whiskey.
When eating out, we expect to pay 10-12 TL for a glass of wine, and mixed drinks are between 12 and 15 TL. With the median income of Turks around 18,000 TL, they can't afford to buy a lot of liquor. Our area of town is mostly middle and upper class, I'd guess, and I've seen hundreds of TL worth of liquor being purchased at once at the Real'. Some Turk's grocery carts are pretty full of bottles!
It's now 9:32 AM, and I'm going into work at 10:00. Yes, the econ teacher finally arrived on Sunday. I taught all classes on Monday, and was there yesterday, but today he's on his own and I'm back to 1/2 time, I think! So, to celebrate, Peggy made him dinner last night, along with another single guy, and we drank wine and beer. On a week night!
Glad to hear you are both safe, and your blog totally made me believe you! Love your blogs Geoff. Thanks.
ReplyDelete