Please could you repphrase your question. Is it available in "the Supermarket"!!!!!

There used to be a supermarket (but not as we know it) but I think it closed down.

Perhaps our ex-pat friends will enlighten us.

Yes, Smirnoff is available in the supermarkets here, not sure about the price - will check for you when I am shopping.

Hi Tony, there are lots of supermarkets in Malta some of them quite big and as good if not better than the boring, bland, multi national conglamerates in the uk that constantly drive home there never ending corporate sales propoganda, lots of Maltese supermarkets also sell local produce such as wonderfull crusty bread, local cheeses, fresh fish, vegetables and salamis etc, a particularly good supermarket brand in Malta is SISA Malta they sell lots of high quality good value products from both Malta and Italy, there is one in Sliema, if you need to know where it is just ask, but also bear in mind that Malta also has lots of wonderfull old fashioned traditional local shops, the kind that we would call "corner shops".

Regards
Sliema2

There is quite a range of vodka available

Prices from my local shop around the corner (not litre size bottles & sorry no discount for medicial purposes ):

Smirnoff "Red" 70cl = Lm6.70
Smirnoff "Blue - export strength" 70cl = Lm8.75
Smirnoff "Black - Mellow" 70cl = Lm10.94

Thanks sliema, I look forward to browsing the food shops as we will essentially be self catering.

I'm one of a strange breed who cannot drink what all inclusive packages refer to as 'local spirits' they are like a poison to me. So if I am to have a drink, it has to be smirnoff or bug ger all!

Ingliza, thanks once again for taking the time and trouble to check and report back. You are a gem You are certainly in for a drink if we bump into you over there.

2 weeks today, can't wait!

Tony

those prices look about right to me - how do those prices compare to the UK ?

Oddly enough, about the same Mark. I guess that 6.7LM works out to roughly £10.50 ish. So not a lot in it really, but so long as I can get it in Malta, which will save me humping a litre bottle over there, I'm not too bothered.

I was a bit surprised that it's not cheaper though.

I should have asked but, Diet Coke is freely available isn't it?

Hi Tony, as Malta is a civilised country I can report that yes diet coke is freely available, although you might like to try Kinnie on it's own or as a mixer, Kinnie is the king of soft drinks that is unique to Malta it even has it's own website http://www.kinnie.com it is absolutely delicious freezing cold on a red hot Malta day, it is also very good with whisky, vodka, rum, and brandy I know because I have tried them all.

Regards
Sliema2

Thanks sliema, I'll certainly give kinnie a try with the old clear liquid.
If I find I prefer it to diet coke, well then I guess I'll just have to move there!

Not that I would ever dissuade anyone moving to Malta esp if they have the taste to choose its smaller but superior version that is Gozo, i believe Kinnie (both regular and diet) is now available in the Uk !! wine & beer are cheaper than the UK - spirits as you say Tony, are about the same - big brother trying to protect us from the evils ??

A bit of advice on the beer for you Tony. If you drink lager then the alcoholic strength of their lager 'Cisk' is only around 3.5 and bottles/cans of Lowenbrau are the same 3.5 alcoholic strength if it has been brewed over there. These brews of lager are the cheapest!
You can easily find English beers on draught at many bars along with bottles of Heineken,Becks and Bud' all of these brews have their original alcoholic strength.

actually the local Lowenbrau is 4.7%, the bottles are 33cl v 25cl for Cisk, and are normally the same price (30-50c in bars). Lowenbrau has more flacour as well, so for the same price, Lowenbrau is tastier, stronger and bigger... There is also Cisk export which I think is 5% and 33cl. After joining the EU the range of imported beers has gone up alot, and are now normally the same price or 10c more a bottle - if lucky you will find German weissbeer. Not that I'm that interested in beer honestly

Thank you for enlightning me re' Lowenbrau' Gozomark, I was dissapointed when I was informed that it was only 3.5 as it is my preferred drink over there.

Do you know if it is the same strength for draught as well as bottles

Hi

in gozo its normally sold in bottles, but I would be surprised if the draught is different.
Another beer to look out for, produced by Frasons, who brew Cisk, is Lacto Malt - its only 2.8%, but is the darkest beer I've ever seen - I mix it 50:50 with either Lowenbrau or Cisk - massively improves both - its like an English porter style beer. Problem is i've never seen it in a bar, and in only a few supermarkets

Hi Gozomark, I know of a bar in Malta where Lacto is normally available in bottles, but I have seen it in more supermarkets than I have pubs, Lacto is actually an old fashioned milk stout brewed / primed using milk sugars (Lactose) hence the name Lacto, I have a bottle here but it doesn't state the abv, but it is very nice tasting although not very potent, some Maltese also use it as a marinade for Fenek dishes (rabbit).

I also have a bottle of Cisk here and that says that it is 4.2% abv, the Cisk Export is stronger and weighs in at over 5% abv.

Tony, unfortunately the english beers that Mark & Nicky mention are the nasty smooth/keg versions of things like John Smiths & Boddies, so they are expensive, bland, gassy and complete rubbish, the general rule of thumb with beers in Malta is to stick to the bottles of Hopleaf, Blue Label, Lacto (if you can get it) Cisk, Cisk Export, 1565 Victory Lager, and Carlsberg or Lowenbrau which are both brewed under licence in Malta.

Regards
Sliema2

Sliema2 - good tip on using lacto with rabbit - i'll give it a go !

Have Farsons stopped their seasonal beers they started about 18 months ago ? They were excellent, but I seemed to be the only one drinking them !

Hi Mark, yes the seasonal beers were very good, I too felt as though I was the only one drinking them aswell, was in Malta 4 times last year and one this year and in that time I can't recall seeing any new ones, doesn't mean they have stopped them of course, but in some bars you can still pick up the odd bottle of Winter Glow and Celebration Brew, and boy do they improve with age, is it nice and sunny in Ghawdex today, I was talking to a mate of mine in Sliema earlier and he said it was a bit dull with rain expected, and it looks a bit dull on the webcams.

Ciao for now
Sliema2

no, been cloudy all day, and threatening rain - I just checked on farsons website, and no mention of the seasonal beers or lacto, so I've just e-mailed them - I'll post any reply I get

Hello sliema2,

I hope the weather improves over there as I fly out a week tomorrow. Do you reccommend bottled beer rather than draught. I have noticed that in one or two bars that people choose to drink bottles even though the brew is on draught?