The
legal drinking age
in Gambia is 18, but not strictly followed because so few
people consume alcohol. Drinking is prohibited by the Islamic faith,
and this reflects greatly on the attitude of Gambians towards
alcohol—most abstain from drinking, selling, and having it present in
their compound.
Most alcoholic drinking is done by tourists and Christians; even if you don’t fit into this category, as long as you
aren’t Muslim you won’t be looked down upon for indulging in alcohol.
Box wine (as well as a variety of imported European spirits) can be
had cheaply from supermarkets and
local restaurants.
Julbrew, locally brewed and bottled, is
tasty and fairly cheap. Palm wine is an inexpensive delicacy not to be
missed.
Beer and Spirits:
These are on sale in the majority of
hotels or in
their vicinity. They sell the popular domestic and foreign
brands. Prices are not extremely high. Milk can be obtained in
supermarkets, just like the most important drink:
Water.
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Wonjo (Wanjo)
Wonjo juice, also called sour juice, is dark cranberry-coloured
juice, made from boiling the dark red flower from the sorrel
plant. Often used for ices, this juice has a very sweet taste
and is especially refreshing when ice cold.
Another popular ice is called bwi which is an off-white
sherbert like concoction made from the
baobab.
Ginger Beer:
Such local
drinks are made by mixing crushed ginger with lots of sugar and
water then chilled in bottles. Do be prepared as it is pretty
strong and can can have the effect of drinking a sweet juice
made from hot chilies!
Teas:
There are several types
of herbal infusions such as attaya
and kinkiliba (Combretum micranthum)
whose leaves can be found sold in dry form in some local market
or being sold at local tea stands in the mornings. It is often
mixed with a lot of milk or drunk with sugar only (lots of it).
Sodas:
In Gambia Coke,
Fanta, and Sprite are locally bottled by
Gambega Ltd. and are
very popular. If you want to take the bottle away you must leave
a non-refundable deposit. This is because the bottles are sent
back to the bottling factory by local retail vendors for
recycling.
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