Liquid Gold: Kisturi Beer, a Chechen Tradition and Domestic Pankisi Export

Georgia’s eastern Kakheti region is famous for wine. Less well-known but equally authentic non-alcoholic beer is the beverage of choice in the region’s Pankisi Valley, and a local brewery is offering tours and expanding distribution to promote the fresh taste to beer lovers around the country.

The Pankisi Valley is a splendid slice of Eastern Khaketi. It’s a logical waypoint for trekking or horseback riding to Tusheti via the Samkinvrostsveri Pass and an often-overlooked part of Georgia. While many people rush through Pankisi on their way to the epic hikes and pastoral villages of Tusheti or forgo it for more popular spots in Khaketi, it’s well worth sticking around, enjoying Kist hospitality, and sampling a cold bottle of Kisturi beer.

Kisturi is a traditional, non-alcoholic Chechen beer with a nuanced blend of herbs, spices and plenty of honey. It’s an excellent alternative to alcoholic beverages and the sip of choice in Pankisi. It’s also worth noting that the Kist people do not consume alcohol, and it’s forbidden to bring alcoholic beverages into the valley. Fortunately, Kisturi is a fabulous alternative and a great way to celebrate after a long day of horseback riding or cycling through Pankisi’s idyllic smattering of towns.

Kisturi Beer: A Tradition Passed Down Through Generations

As most Kist people do not drink alcohol, homebrewed, fermented beverages and non-alcoholic beers are common. These recipes are generally passed down through families, and households only produce enough for their consumption. Shengeli Tokosashvili and his Kisturi brewery are notable exceptions. He is the only person in Pankisi to bottle and distribute traditional Chechen beer for mass consumption.

For Shengeli Tokhosashvili, brewmaster and owner of Kisturi, the beverage is an essential link to his ancestry and heritage, and he got the chance to honor his culture through a USAID/Zrda grant. “In 2018, USAID funded a training course where we learned how to write business plans,” he says. “We won as the best business idea and were awarded $1,000. This was the first step to starting our family business and making non-alcoholic beer.”

Kisturi beer comes in two flavors: rosehip and black hawthorn, although Tokhosashvili has plans to expand his selection. “In the future, we want to make non-alcoholic beer from traditional wheat, as well as lemonade,” he says. Currently, you can buy Kisturi beer in the Pankisi Valley, Tbilisi, and Batumi. You can also order it on Wolt in Tbilisi from places like Beer and Craft.

Although a cold Kisturi on the couch is a great way to wind down after a long day, it’s worth going straight to the source, where you can meet Tokhosashvili and take a brewery tour, which you should book in advance. Tokhosashvili also notes that larger pre-orders are available. The brewery is relatively small, easily accessible by bicycle or car from nearby Jokolo or Duisi, and has a welcoming, family-friendly vibe that invites you to sample several drinks and soak in the nature of the Pankisi Valley.

Visiting the Pankisi Valley

The Pankisi Valley is two to three hours from Tbilisi, depending on whether you drive or rely on a combination of marshrutkas and taxis to get there. An easy and common way to go is to grab a marshrutka from the Ortachala Bus Station in Tbilisi and take it to Telavi. There you’ll find plenty of shared marshrutkas, buses, or taxis making the hour-long trip to the Pankisi Valley.

Pankisi has several small places to stay, including Nazy Guest House, Guest House Melissa, Alina’s Guest House, and Leyla Guest House. You’ll enjoy traditional home-cooked Kist cuisine, an ultra-relaxing small-town atmosphere, and fresh air—perfect for a refreshing weekend trip.

Rent a bike and explore Jokolo, Duisi, and Birkiani on two wheels, or book a horseback riding trip to Batsara Nature Preserve. You can also take a walking cultural tour and watch the Zikr ceremony, an ancient rite with Sufi mysticism roots, every Friday at the Old Mosque.

Tasting Kisturi and meeting Tokhosashvili will be one of the highlights of your trip, and since, the Pankisi Valley hasn’t quite hit the tourist map yet, you can enjoy the phenomenal nature, fine hospitality, and delicious non-alcoholic suds without the crowds.