Almost without exception Lithuanian beer (alus) is light, crisp, cold, cheap and delicious. Many varieties exist and you're recommended to test a few before settling on a regular brand. Among the more common varieties are the magnificent Švyturys from Klaipėda, Utenos from Utena and Kalnapilis from Panevėžys. Perhaps surprisingly, Vilnius can’t claim its own brewery. If you want to drink beer made in the capital you’ll have to drink it in a microbrewery (see Nightlife). Be warned, Lithuanian beers tend to be stronger than their Western counterparts, making the forming of the simplest words (such as alus) a challenge after just a couple of the most lethal. In Old Town expect to pay somewhere in the region of 5-10Lt for half a litre. Lithuanian vodka (degtinė) is cheap, generally of good quality and is drunk with gusto at the mere rumour of the dropping of a hat. Among the more interesting spirits are starka, a 15th-century Polish-Lithuanian concoction of dark, syrupy rye vodka fortified with apple leaves and lime blossom, and the local illicit firewater, samagonas, available through the right connections. Take note that imported alcohol isn't cheap. Don't go falling into the trap of thinking that because the local stuff is giveaway everything else is too. Check prices before a session to avoid an embarrassingly large bill at the end of the evening.At the time of writing it was illegal to buy alcohol in shops between 22:00 and 08:00 anywhere in Lithuania, one of the country’s more cynical pieces of legislation that does nothing except penalise the country’s poor.
