This is not a dance video.  Although I would like to see the Opa Cha Cha!  No, this is a tribute to Georgian brandy.  Since Dad is such a lover of all things strong, distilled, and brandied, it is a fitting drink for him.

Chacha will be found at any self-respecting Georgian party, and is served in every Georgian home.  Traditionally it was a home-brewed spirit, and was Georgia’s contribution to the collective genius of the human brain that can figure out how make liquor out of the local weeds, all over the world.  In this case, the source of their genius is grapes.  Sometimes it is called “grappa,” or Georgian vodka.

As the Man Of The House, Mike has encountered a lot more grappa during our Caucasian tour than I have.  While the Russians are a bit more open-minded about who can openly drink, in the Caucasus it’s a little weird to see a female throwing down shots.   Fortunately, there are lots of men around, and instead of drinking tea together they way they do in Azerbaijan, here in Georgia they drink chacha!   Dad made some new friends :).

In the meantime, Eli had tarragon soda:

Jake had fresh berry compote:

Mom and I had Georgian wine:

And Mike was entranced by the TV:

Seriously, what is up with the TV???  They are constantly on, in every restaurant, and usually the sound is loud and the picture is fuzzy, and nobody is watching it anyway.  So annoying!  We usually ask them to turn it off.  Here, we were glad we did, because the ambience of the Georgian kitchen is about as Old World as it gets.  The food tends to be the same everywhere, but at least it is good food!