Every great city has its own distinctive landmarks. Paris has the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe, New York has the Statue of Liberty and Times Square, and London has Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey. Although these fall into the “must see” category for the casual tourist, it’s the secondary, off-the-beaten-path sights that sometimes hold the greater allure. Although not in any tourist guide or mentioned in any travel periodical, Tbilisi has one of my favorites… The Beer wall.
I’m sure that this glorious respite from the drudgery of everyday life has an actual name, but to me and my colleagues it’s always been known simply as the Beer Wall. I’m pretty sure it is part of the Kazbegi Brewery, a long-time maker of one of Georgia’s oldest beers. On hot afternoons it’s not uncommon to see a large collection of blue collar patrons waiting in line at the teller-type windows anxious to fill up their own bottle or purchase one over the counter. The concept is genius. Bring your own bottle, either from home or conveniently sold by little old ladies close by, and fill it up with fresh, cold beer straight out of the tap.
It costs 3 Lari ($1.80) to fill up a 1 ½ liter bottle. To save you the effort of ciphering with your fingers, that’s $1.20 a liter. Munich, eat your heart out. That price included the plastic bottle. Most patrons in line had 5 liter jugs so maybe there’s a volume discount. The best part of the experience though, is the people. No matter where on earth you travel, it’s beer that brings the everyday people together. Buy your beer, dodge the traffic crossing the street, and hang out by the Mtkvari River and enjoy the company. If you really want to go local, there’s usually someone selling dried fish nearby to gobble down as a beer snack. Just think of them as big, salty pretzels with eyes.
Well done! Short, pithy, and the beer's not bad either. Rick Steves look out! Here comes Lancico.
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