Drinking Culture

A glass of vodka that doesn't come ice-cold straight from the freezer is barely considered properly served in Riga. It's drunk neat, in small glasses, in one go, never sipped slowly over the course of an evening. Whoever refills quickly is considered a good host among friends.

Before drinking, you raise your glass and say a brief 'Priekā,' Latvian for roughly 'cheers,' before clinking glasses. Whoever buys a round buys it for everyone at the table; anything else is considered rude. Food is eaten between glasses, never just drinking alone—this sets Latvian drinking culture apart from a purely ritualistic Russian one. An empty glass often already signals readiness for the next round.

Rīgas Melnais Balzams, the dark herbal elixir from the same city, has its own drinking ritual. Neat, it tastes bitter and intense, so many Latvians stir it into hot black coffee or blackcurrant juice, especially in winter. Some mix it with hot tea instead, when the frost outside bites hard. Neat, though, it remains the true test for connoisseurs.

Festivals like Jāņi, the summer solstice at the end of June, or private family gatherings are the occasions when vodka and balsam appear together on the table, usually alongside beer and homemade mead. Alcohol has little place in the Latvian work week, however—social drinking stays tied to holidays and weekends. That way, vodka remains something special rather than an everyday habit.