The world in five sips

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Today I’ve decided to tell you a little about those devilish pleasures that, consumed with moderation, make everything around seem pinkish. Five different drinks and their historic routes open the gates towards five different continents. Although, in some points, historical accuracy has been neglected for the sake of variety (“varietas delectat” the wise Romans would say), this post guides you to some of the most amazing places on earth, in an attempt to reveal an often neglected way of traveling.

Because each of the five drinks, make it coffee, tea, rum, beer or wine, comes with its own legends, secrets and rituals. Following these historical routes represents the perfect excuse to get in touch with five different lifestyles and as many ways of doing things. Here they go:

Wine route in California

Although wine tradition is relatively new in North America, California’s sunny hills have transformed this blessed country in one of the biggest producers of wine in the world. The liberal San Francisco represents the gateway towards the country’s most appreciated wineries, situated in the scenic Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley.

Beer route in Prague, Czech Republic

Prague, the Golden City, is not only famous for its architecture, but also for its golden Pilsner beer. You’ll be amazed to discover Prague’s pub culture and its vibrant atmosphere, in which tasty, cheap and widely-available beer plays a major role. Many of the crowded pubs and restaurants spread around Prague’s Old City have their own in-house breweries.

Tea route in China

China is still the place where the purest varieties of tea can be found. The ancient tea route was meant to transport the dry tea leaves from Southwest China to India or Tibet. Form the mountains of Yunnan, tea has followed the Southern Silk road, and ended up creating a whole new tradition in the mundane living of the English aristocracy.

The rum route in Martinique

Only in under the tropical sun of the Caribbean does rum reach its rich, distinctive flavor. It is no longer a secret that Martinique produces some of the best rum varieties in the world. The Saint-James distillery in Sainte-Marie has even got a whole museum dedicated to rum and the sugar cane used for its production.

Coffee route in Cape Town, South Africa

And since South Africa is going to be so busy this year hosting the World Cup, I figured tired supporters will always appreciate a cup of freshly brewed coffee, especially in a city with such a flourishing coffee tradition like Cape Town. Africa’s strongest coffee varieties blend here with the most original preparation methods.

Were these five sips enough to refresh your appetite for some real traveling? Hope they did. If not, just remember that the pleasure of sightseeing an the pleasure of senses are not necessarily two different things.

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