Raki 7 Tastes, Meze Dinner, Sommelier

Raki 7 Tastes, Meze Dinner, Sommelier.

Overview

Seven rakis in one sitting is the whole idea here. Albania produces 43 varieties, and InAlb has picked seven of the most sought after for a guided tasting in Berat: grape, walnut, mulberry, apple leaf, an oak-aged special, wild cherry, and a surprise pour that changes, perhaps basil flower, blackberry or plum. The sequence is deliberate, starting strong and intense and moving toward sweeter, more refined profiles.

Each raki arrives with a small plate of Albanian meze: regional cheeses, homemade pickles and marinated olives, chosen to match the pour in front of you. This is a tasting, not dinner, so treat the bites as pairings rather than a meal. A raki expert hosts the evening, covering distillation, history and the drink's place in Albanian hospitality, celebration and community.

The whole thing runs about 2.5 hours, starting and ending at Sheshi Teodor Muzaka in the city center. It suits curious drinkers and complete newcomers alike, and it runs in English or Spanish. There is no pickup, so you make your own way to the square. If you want to understand raki rather than just drink it, this is the evening for it.

What's Included

Itinerary

1. Meet at Sheshi Teodor MuzakaMake your own way to the square in central Berat, the starting point for the evening.
2. Raki tasting and meze pairingTaste seven selected rakis, moving from strong flavors to sweeter ones, each paired with small plates of regional cheeses, pickles and marinated olives. This portion lasts 2 hours, with a raki expert explaining the history and craft behind each pour.
3. Return to Sheshi Teodor MuzakaThe experience ends back at the same square where you met.

What To Expect From The Tour

A few practical points worth knowing before you book this tasting.

• Eating beforehand. The meze plates are pairings, not a full meal. The listing is explicit that this is not a complete dinner, so eat something beforehand if you need a proper meal.
• Pacing yourself. Seven rakis in 2 hours is a real amount of spirit, even in tasting pours. The progression goes from intense to sweet, so pace yourself early on.
• Getting there. No pickup is included. You meet at Sheshi Teodor Muzaka in the city center and return to the same spot, so plan your own transport both ways.
• Language. The experience runs in English or Spanish, so it suits speakers of either language.
• What it covers. The price covers the seven-raki tasting, the paired meze and the expert guiding the evening. Additional food, extra beverages and personal expenses are not included.
• Who it suits. The listing pitches it at both connoisseurs and people trying raki for the first time. The focus is cultural storytelling as much as drinking, so a genuine interest in the tradition helps.

Common issues. The main limitation is food: the listing states plainly that the meze is not a full course meal, so anyone expecting dinner will leave hungry. Extra food and drinks beyond the tasting are excluded and paid separately. There is no hotel pickup, which means a walk or taxi to the central square at the start and after the tasting, when seven rakis are in play. The listing gives no details on group size or accessibility.

Common Questions