Indulgences

1. alus

   Beer

   Usage

   The national drink. Biržai and Kupiškis in the north are the traditional brewing heartland, and home brewing in both districts was listed as intangible cultural heritage in 2022. the Café & Drinks category already has Vieną alų, prašau (one beer, please)

   Grammar Note

   Masculine with a shifting stem: accusative alų, genitive alaus. "One beer" is Vieną alų; with prašau used as a verb it takes the genitive, Prašau alaus

2. šviesusis alus

   Pale lager

   Usage

   The commonest heading on a beer list, covering pilsner, Dortmunder Export and Helles styles

   Grammar Note

   šviesusis is the definite (pronominal) form of the adjective šviesus (light). The accusative is šviesųjį alų, where the ų belongs to the definite ending

3. tamsusis alus

   Dark beer

   Usage

   Beer brewed with roasted malt. The strong regional style is Baltijos porteris, the Baltic porter

   Grammar Note

   tamsusis is the definite form of tamsus (dark); accusative tamsųjį alų

4. nefiltruotas alus

   Unfiltered beer

   Usage

   Cloudy beer that has been neither filtered nor pasteurised. Menus also write gyvas alus, "live beer". It keeps badly, so you mostly meet it at breweries and local pubs

   Grammar Note

   nefiltruotas is the passive participle of filtruoti (to filter) with the negative prefix ne-; accusative nefiltruotą alų

5. keptinis alus

   Beer brewed from baked bread dough

   Usage

   Instead of plain malt, the brewer bakes barley or rye dough into loaves, breaks them up, steeps them in hot water and ferments that. A northern Aukštaitija tradition; the Jūžintai version was inscribed on Lithuania's intangible heritage register in 2018

   Grammar Note

   keptinis is an adjective from kepti (to bake); accusative keptinį alų

6. kaimiškas alus

   Farmhouse beer

   Usage

   Beer made the way northern Lithuanian farms have always made it — some twenty documented brewers around Biržai and fourteen around Kupiškis. "Kaimiškas Jovarų alus" is registered as a protected geographical indication

   Grammar Note

   kaimiškas is the adjective from kaimas (village); accusative kaimišką alų

7. midus

   Mead

   Usage

   Honey diluted with water at 1:2 to 1:4, boiled, cooled to 30°C and fermented with wine yeast. Usually 10–12%, sometimes up to 16%, and made in a range of strengths like wine. The mead of Stakliškės is registered as an EU protected geographical indication

   Grammar Note

   Masculine, inflecting like alus: accusative midų, genitive midaus

8. krupnikas

   Honey and spice liqueur, served warm

   Usage

   A golden liqueur of 35–45% made from honey and spices — cinnamon, ginger, clove, cardamom, caraway, vanilla, anise, juniper, nutmeg, citrus peel and calendula — with about 38% sugar. Traditionally drunk warm, at roughly 50°C, from small glasses with black coffee and pastries

   Grammar Note

   Masculine; accusative krupniką, genitive krupniko

9. degtinė

   Vodka

   Usage

   The menu word for vodka and clear spirits generally. The toast is Į sveikatą! — the same phrase already appears in the Wine & Spirits category

   Grammar Note

   Feminine; accusative degtinę, genitive degtinės. ė is a separate letter from e — never write degtine

10. samanė

    Home-distilled moonshine

    Usage

    Illegal in Lithuania. A rye or wheat spirit distilled at home since the 16th century, 40–80% strong, distilled two or three times and sometimes aged in oak. Dzūkija is known for the good stuff, which can cost more than state-produced spirits. Legalisation is raised in parliament from time to time but has never passed — this is not something to carry home as a souvenir

    Grammar Note

    Feminine; accusative samanę, genitive samanės

11. cigaretės

    Cigarettes

    Usage

    In a shop, say Prašau cigarečių (genitive). Smoking is rūkymas and the no-smoking sign reads Rūkyti draudžiama. In line with EU rules, indoor public places, restaurants and bars in Lithuania are smoke-free, so always check where smoking is allowed

    Grammar Note

    Feminine plural; singular cigaretė, accusative cigaretes, genitive cigarečių — the t palatalises to č

Browse all TravelPhrases languages