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South Korea - Soju -

South Korea is trending everywhere, from pop music and beauty to TV and film. It's perhaps no surprise, then, that the national drink, soju, is fast gaining international popularity. A clear, neutral-tasting drink that's typically half the alcohol percentage of vodka, it's often drunk neat with food.

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Czech Republic - Becherovka -

The Czech Republic is perhaps best known internationally for its beer, but a liqueur called Becherovka is the national drink. It's a herbal bitters, with a gingery kick, that's typically drunk as an aperitif.

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Scotland - Whisky -

Scotch whisky is renowned the world over, and with good reason—there's a lot of history behind this "water of life." Distilled since the late 1400s and often simply known as Scotch, the warming tipple is made with malt, grain, or a blend of the two.

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USA - Bourbon -

Officially recognized as "America's Native Spirit" by a 1964 Act of Congress, this barrel-aged whiskey must be made in the US in order to be classed as bourbon. In another Act of Congress in 2007, September was declared National Bourbon Heritage Month. Cheers to that!

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Peru - Pisco -

A high-strength spirit made by distilling fermenting grapes, Peruvians proudly declare this potent brew as their national drink. Best known as the star ingredient of a pisco sour cocktail, it can also be drunk neat.

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Canada - Caesar -

Canada is an outlier on this list, having embraced not a spirit but a cocktail as its national drink. Sometimes known as a Bloody Caesar, the meal-in-a-glass drink is essentially a Bloody Mary with added clam juice. The Caesar was invented in 1969 by Walter Chell, manager of Alberta's Calgary Inn, when he was tasked with creating a signature drink for the hotel.

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China - Moutai -

Sometimes known as Maotai, this grain baijiu  ("spirit") is known as China's national liquor. In order to earn its name, it must be produced in Maotai Town, by Kweichow Moutai—the world's largest drinks company.

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Mexico - Tequila -

Made from the spiky blue agave plant, potent tequila needs little introduction. In order to classify as tequila, the drink must be produced in one of five Mexican regions: Jalisco, Guanajuato, Nayarit, Michoacán, and Tamaulipas. When in Mexico, it should be sipped and savored neat, without salt and lime.

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Ireland - Guinness -

Synonymous with Irish pubs, this beloved beverage is a great source of national pride. The distinctive dry stout has been brewed in Ireland since 1759, and has gained great popularity worldwide—it's drunk with gusto in over 120 countries.

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Japan - Sake -

Enjoyed in Japan for centuries, this distinctively-flavored fermented rice drink is served with ceremony. It's first warmed in a small bottle called a tokkuri, before being sipped from a dainty porcelain cup known as a sakazuki. Premium versions of the drink are delicately-flavored, and often served chilled or over ice.

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Dominican Republic - Mama Juana -

Little known outside of the Dominican Republic, Mama Juana (sometimes spelled Mamajuana) is enjoyed with enthusiasm in its home country. Made with rum, red wine, and honey combined with herbs and tree bark, it began life in the 1950s as a cure-all medicine. Usually drunk as a shot, it's appreciated as much for its alleged aphrodisiac properties as for its taste.

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Netherlands - Jenever -

The forefather of gin, this grain-based, juniper-flavored spirit is sometimes known as genever, or genièvre. Produced in the Netherlands, Belgium, and certain neighboring regions of France and Germany, it has been enjoyed since the 13th century. The Dutch introduced the drink to Britain in the 1500s, sparking an enduring British love affair with gin.

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Germany - Beer -

As exemplified by the enthusiastic consumption at Oktoberfest, Germany really loves its beer. Of the many types available, the most popular is pilsner, a pale, hoppy lager first produced in 1842. It's best enjoyed from a tall, tapered pilsner glass.

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France - Pastis -

This aniseed-y drink, popularized by brands such as Pernod, is consumed in great volumes in its native France, but flies under the radar on most international drinks lists. Drunk since 1932, it emerged in the wake of a ban on potent absinthe. In France, expect to be served the drink neat, with a jug of water to mix it with.

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Portugal - Licor Beirão -

Portugal's port wine and vinho verde are renowned across the world, but the country's biggest-selling spirit is not so well-known. Marketed as 'the liqueur of Portugal,' it is made from seeds and herbs, and was first produced in the Beira region in the 19th century as a cure for stomach ailments.

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Sweden - Aquavit -

A Scandinavian spirit distilled from potatoes or grains and flavored with caraway and other aromatics, aquavit is the national spirit of Norway and Denmark as well as Sweden. It's traditionally drunk neat, and color and flavor vary according to the manufacturer.

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Norway - Akevitt -

The Norwegian version of Swedish aquavit, Norway's national drink is similarly made from potatoes, herbs, and spices—caraway being the most popular.  It can be drunk neat, or mixed into cocktails.

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Italy - Grappa -

Along with Campari, grape-based grappa is widely considered an unofficial national drink of Italy. Usually drunk before or after a meal, it's produced from pomace, the solid grape remains left after pressing. In order to classify as grappa, the drink must be made in Italy, the Italian part of Switzerland, or in San Marino.

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Bali - Arak -

This much-loved Balinese traditional spirit is made from fermented black sticky rice and coconut milk, or distilled coconut palm sap. Traditionally used in religious ceremonies, it's often produced as a home-brew, but best to stick to reputable bottles!

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Thailand - SangSom -

The Thai firewater of choice is a rum distilled from molasses, aged for five years in charred oak bottles to give it a distinctive flavor. Although it's won international awards, it remains little-known outside Thailand, where 70 million liters are sold each year.

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Argentina - Fernet -

Something of an acquired taste, the popular Argentine drink has a bitter, licorice-like flavor, owing to the mix of herbs and spices used to produce it. It's often served as a digestif, although locals like to mix it with coffee or Coca Cola for a caffeine kick.

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Russia - Vodka -

Russia's unofficial national drink is an integral part of daily life in the country. The clear, almost flavorless spirit is drunk neat at social gatherings and family celebrations, and is even offered as a cure for colds and sore throats. Russians will typically drink it chilled as a shot, with a small snack to soften the blow.

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Hungary - Unicum -

A herbal liqueur aged in oak casts, Hungary's hugely popular drink is made with more than 40 different herbs. Usually enjoyed as a digestif, it was created in 1790, and the exact recipe remains a secret.

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Colombia - Aguardiente -

Typically drunk straight, Colombia's hugely-popular aguardiente is a sugarcane-derived spirit with a notable anise flavor. Particularly popular in the Andean regions of the country, it's produced by a number of competing brands.

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England - Gin -

Having been introduced to the fun of juniper-flavored spirits by the Dutch and their jenever, the Brits wholeheartedly embraced producing gin. In England, as in most of the UK, it's most commonly consumed with tonic water, but gin cocktails abound, too.

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Macedonia - Mastika -

Mastika is “liquor seasoned with mastic (resin from the mastic tree, a small evergreen tree native to the Mediterranean Region).” It is “used as an aperitif, poured over ice and enjoyed with meze,” a selection of small dishes that can be served at any meal, or at the start of a large-scale meal.

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Chile - Pisco -

Pisco is widely acknowledged as the national drink of Peru, but Chileans claim the spirit as their own, too. Distilled from muscat grapes in this world-renowned wine country, the aromatic brandy is drunk neat, or in the famous pisco sour cocktail.

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Romania - Tuica -

Romania's beloved plum brandy Tuica is traditionally sipped from a shot glass before meals. Made solely from plums, the temperature-sensitive drink is prepared from October through to December, and left to ferment for six to eight weeks before it's ready for bottling.

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Latvia - Riga Black Balsam -

Made with botanicals and vodka, Latvia's famous balsam has a bitter-sweet flavor that has been enjoyed since 1752. Its mix of 24 natural ingredients was originally created by a pharmacist, and today it's drunk on the rocks, as a cocktail ingredient, or even added to hot drinks as a winter warmer.

Sources: (Matador) (The New York Times) (Vine Pair)

See also: Weird and wonderful bar snacks from around the globe

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