Drink the World in 9 Toasts, at Parramatta

Every culture has a drink it reaches for when it matters: a wedding, a new year, a table full of family. What’s in the glass changes, but the gesture doesn’t: we pour for each other and raise a glass together. Here are nine of those traditions, and where to share them around Parramatta.  

1.China: Baijiu

The spirit of every Chinese celebration: weddings, New Year, family banquets, and never sipped alone. The table raises a glass together with a cry of “ganbei” (“dry cup”), and pouring for others is the real gesture, a sign of respect and connection. Miss Yuè pours it by pre-order, fitting for a drink you plan a gathering around.

Try it: Miss Yuè, The Epping Club, 45 Rawson St, Epping (baijiu by pre-order). 

2.Lebanon: Arak

The heart of the Lebanese table. Arak, an aniseed spirit that clouds to a milky colour when water and ice hit it, is sipped and shared across hours of food and conversation. It's the taste of family gatherings across the Levant. Sahra by the River brings 40 years of Lebanese hospitality to the pour.

Try it: Sahra by the River, 2/76 Phillip St, Parramatta.

 "You just sip it and enjoy it, with Lebanese food, with the kibbeh nayyeh." — Sahra by the River 

3.Korea: Soju

Korea's most shared drink, and bound up in etiquette that's really about respect: you never pour your own, you pour for others, and you turn away slightly when drinking in front of an elder. It's the glass that anchors every Korean gathering, from barbecue dinners to celebrations, all of which are on order at Zungle BBQ.

Try it: Zungle BBQ, 329 Church St, Parramatta (on Church Street). 

4.Vietnam: Bia Hơi

Vietnam's everyday toast: fresh, light beer poured and shared on street corners and around shared tables, always with a cheerful một hai ba, dô! ("one two three, cheers!"). It's less about the beer than the ritual of pausing together at the end of a day. Tam Tam brings that street-corner ritual to Phillip Street.

Try it: Tam Tam, 41 Phillip St, Parramatta. 

5.Mongolia: Airag/Kumis

The steppe's oldest celebration drink: lightly fermented mare's milk, traditionally offered to a guest the moment they arrive as the ultimate gesture of welcome. Central to Naadam and every Mongolian gathering, it carries centuries of nomadic hospitality. Mongol Shop Café is one of the only places you'll find it in Australia.  

Try it: Mongol Shop Café, Shop 301/22 Footbridge Blvd, Wentworth Point.

"Airag is horse milk, and we usually drink it in summertime. In my country we mix it for a few hours in a row, and then it gets creamy. We shake it first, then pour it." — Mongol Shop Café.

6.Japan: Sake

Poured for others, never yourself, sake is woven through Japanese ritual, from kanpai toasts to weddings and shrine ceremonies, where it's shared to seal a bond. Offering the bottle and receiving your cup the same way is the heart of the custom. Find it at Kumiho.

Try it: Kumiho, 140 Marsden St, Parramatta (near Parramatta Square). 

7.Mexico: Mezcal

The smoky spirit is made by roasting the heart of the agave plant, called the piña, in underground pits. Sipped slowly and ceremonially in Mexico, mezcal is shared to mark births, weddings and the Day of the Dead, raised with a salud! Nick and Nora’s has three of them to sample.  

Try it: Nick and Nora's, Level 26, 45 Macquarie St, Parramatta. 

8.Spain: Sangria

The drink of the long Spanish table, wine, fruit and warm afternoons, made by the jug to be shared at fiestas, family lunches and celebrations that stretch late. It exists to be poured for a crowd, which is exactly how Lola Cucina serves it.  

Try it: Lola Cocina, Level 1, 79 Phillip St, Parramatta. 

9.India: Masala Chai

The non-alcoholic toast, and no less a ritual for it: sweet, spiced milky tea brewed in a pot and poured for everyone, the drink of welcome and hospitality in every Indian home and celebration. To be offered chai is to be made family; join Chatkazz for a pot.  

Try it: Chatkazz, Shop 4-6/14-20 Station St, Harris Park.