Vinod K
Goa’s traditional bar culture
There’s a 100-year-old bar in Pomburpa village of Goa, alittle state on India’s West Coast . Rose Bar is travel by Joao Fernandes, a todekar (coconut plucker) who is 85 years old. Once a hunter, his bar is strewn with trophies like porcupine hair and a set of ancient garrafões – traditional glass-blown containers wont to store the local brew, feni.
That’s the clear spirit local to Goa and known for its potency and powerful smell, a tipple made from cashew or coconut . Watering holes like Rose Bar offer a glimpse into Goa’s drinking past, to a time when feni was the drink of choice and when taverns were still an integral a part of Goan life.
Goa’s traditional bar culture
“Taverns were an area when workers, at the top of each day of labor , would choose a fast shot of feni before heading home,” notes Hugo of Goa Chitra Museum. “It was an area where people went for an opportunity .”
Accordingly, every tavern had a purpose and served a special clientele: those outside the village market were meant for porters and workers while those outside beaches were for fishermen. there have been taverns for coconut pluckers and toddy tappers, and for farmers at the sting of fields. To date, in some parts of Goa there are taverns that open from midnight to early morning to cater to porters working the night shift.
Goa’s traditional bar culture
“It was a gathering place where people visited have a drink, and conversation. it had been a stress buster, small pleasure, for people that couldn’t afford ‘entertainment’,” says Hansel Vaz, owner of Cazulo Premium Feni, and a tavern enthusiast.
Goa’s traditional bar culture
“You would get daily news, there would be music, discussions on football matches, news from the village, and even games,” he adds. “Goans drank consistent with how they felt, what job they did. Alcohol is bad for your body but they found a balance within the tavern.”
Goa’s traditional bar culture
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Goa’s traditional bar culture
The food served at Goa’s taverns is straightforward – chone-bhikna (boiled horsegram and peanuts), boiled eggs, tora shiro (mangoes pickled in salt water), kharo bangdo (dry, salted mackerel), choris (Goan sausages), fish cutlets or beef cutlets. Typically, the snacks are dry, rich bar food which will take in the alcohol.
Goa’s traditional bar culture
Every bar had its own feni served straight from the source – there have been no branded bottles. Some would also serve beer like Kingfisher or IMFL (Indian-made foreign liquor). Many taverns also had a stand out feature: a view of quiet tributaries or creeks, carrom or other local games, matka (a quite lottery), or maybe a feni distillery within.
Goa’s traditional bar culture
Every one of them had a story of Goa’s Traditional Bar Culture
Today, these taverns are getting a relic of the past. they’re a fast-disappearing aspect of life in Goa, losing bent the proliferation of newer, hipper bars, a scarcity of interest from the longer term generation of householders , and government regulations. The state excise department figures for 2018 lists just 113 taverns that issued/ renewed their liquor licenses.
Goa’s traditional bar culture
There are a couple of locals bent keeping this culture alive, however. they’re doing it the sole way possible – by drinking at them. Tavern trails are Goa’s combat bar-hopping for change, and that they happen across the state. Offbeat tourism ventures like Soul Travelling host Tavern Trails in Panjim and Cansaulim. These involve visiting taverns, interacting with the owners, trying unique drinks and playing local games.
Goa’s traditional bar culture
There are a couple of locals bent keeping this culture alive, however. they’re doing it the sole way possible – by drinking at them. Tavern trails are Goa’s combat bar-hopping for change, and that they happen across the state. Offbeat tourism ventures like Soul Travelling host Tavern Trails in Panjim and Cansaulim. These involve visiting taverns, interacting with the owners, trying unique drinks and playing local games.
Goa’s traditional bar culture
Along the way, many stories are told about Goan tavern culture. There are tales about the flowery system for regulars, about the ladies who run many of those taverns, about the decorum within each place (for example, you can’t throw bones or peanut shells on the floor), and, always, of feni.
“We’ve kept everything local, and stayed true to the original place,” says Fernandes. “People come here for good ol’ Goan hospitality.”
Goa’s traditional bar culture
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Meanwhile, you’ll even find a tavern trail of sorts online because of a gaggle of tavern enthusiasts who run Bars of Goa, an Instagram account dedicated to highlighting the culture of those taverns. The photos and captions tell the stories of those places: what’s available, what’s unique, how they need changed, who frequents them, and so on.
Meanwhile, you’ll even find a tavern trail of sorts online because of a gaggle of tavern enthusiasts who run Bars of Goa, an Instagram account dedicated to highlighting the culture of those taverns. The photos and captions tell the stories of those places: what’s available, what’s unique, how they need changed, who frequents them, and so on.
Goa’s traditional bar culture
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