Nicosia named Best Beverage Experience for culinary travellers at 2024 Global Culinary Travel Awards

An extremely significant distinction for Nicosia at the 2024 Global Culinary Travel Awards, organised by the World Food Travel Association. Nicosia was awarded as the best destination for 2024 in the category Best Beverage Experience for culinary travellers. The initiative for preparing the nomination file was undertaken by the Nicosia Tourism Board (ETAP), as part of the broader campaign promoting the city's culinary experiences under the title Taste Nicosia.

In recent years, Nicosia has made tremendous strides in the gastronomic experiences it offers to its visitors, particularly in the beverage category. The city's traditional coffeehouses, cafés, and bars operate with great expertise, professionalism, and a passion for innovation and experimentation. They seek high-quality raw materials and are eager to reconsider the relationship between tradition and modernity. In the historical center of the capital, traditional coffee made on a "hovoli" (heated sand) has regained its rightful place. Homemade beverages made from high-quality ingredients, such as lemonade, orangeade, and citronade, are key elements on the city's menus, while herbal teas from Cypriot herbs have never been presented with such extroversion and confidence as attractive drinks of the capital.

The nomination also highlighted that the "brandy sour" cocktail has been honored with reverence nowhere else like it has in the heart of the capital, and for this reason, the historic cocktail pays back to the city and its people, contributing to this award. Cypriot raw materials and traditional drinks are being reexamined for their role in creative cocktail recipes at the city's bars, which in turn contribute decisively to enriching the beverage and drink experiences in Nicosia. Moreover, the continuous awards won by the city's bars significantly enhance Nicosia's image and reputation as a gastronomic destination in the beverage sector.

Noteworthy is also the entrepreneurship developed in the sector, particularly in the production and sale of ingredients for drink recipes, such as dried fruits. The relationship of Nicosians with beer spans centuries, serving as a fundamental component of interpersonal relationships and community connections. Of course, special mention was made of local breweries in the historic center, as well as the city's specialized beer bars.

The overall experience offered by Nicosia extends to its district, with unique experiences in distilleries producing spirits from Cypriot raw materials and at the region’s wineries. Lastly, Nicosia is a festival city, with its cocktail festivals, such as the Cyprus Cocktail Festival and Mediterranean Bar Show, forming an integral part of the experiences it offers.

The Nicosia Tourism Board hopes that this award will serve as a springboard for creating a close collaboration among all those involved in the city's beverage experience sector, leading to even more significant achievements. It is also worth noting that the Nicosia Tourism Board is competing for the Culinary Capital 2024 certification.