DRINKS

---

There are many cafes in virtually every area in Tunisia . Cafes offer several drinks of choice including the thick and gritty coffee , called ahwa arbi and (Turkish coffee) fragrant with orange blossom or rosewater , as well as the express (espresso coffee) , cafe direct (coffee with milk) or capucin (espresso with a dash of milk) . All coffees are provided with sugar which makes them more palatable , however you can also specify if you want little or no sugar .

Tea drinks include the classic North African a la menthe (mint tea) , it can be also au pignon - with pine nuts , or a l'almande ¬- with almonds . Several juices are also available in most cafes like lemon juice , the delicious freshly squeezed orange juice , as well as the seasonal juices or milkshakes with fresh fruit . You have to specify if you want a little sugar or it'll be assumed that you want a lot . Another drink that can be offered is lait de poule which does not mean 'chicken's milk' but rather a fruit milkshake with egg white .

Alcohol drinks are relatively easy to obtain in Tunisia , in spite of being a Muslim country , as many locals frequent bars . Among the drinks , beer is popular as well as Celtia , the local brand that is a lager and is the cheapest one as well . German Lowenbrau is available and brewed locally . Boukha is a popular aperitif that is served at room temperature or chilled and is made from distilled figs mixed with Coke . Whisky is also popular and may have a snobbish appeal . Other drinks include the herb-based Thibarine which is made according to an ancient recipe in the Thibar region near Dougga , Sambi which tastes like a liqueur distilled from dates , Laghmi , which sometimes can be powerful , is a fermented palm sap and is found in the southern oases .