The supra, decoded: what the toasts mean and when to drink

By Prof. Giorgi Pkhakadze, MD, MPH, PhD · 15/09/2026

Updated 23 October 2026

A supra is a Georgian feast, and it is the thing that most surprises, delights and occasionally defeats first-time visitors. It is not a meal with speeches. It is a structured ceremony with a leader, a fixed order of themes, rules about when to drink, and a role for the guest. Knowing the shape of it turns an evening from bewildering to one of the great experiences of travel.

The tamada

Every supra has a toastmaster, the tamada — chosen for eloquence, stamina and the ability to hold a table. Nobody drinks wine except when the tamada proposes a toast; between toasts the glass rests. He speaks, sometimes for a minute, sometimes for five, on the theme; others may add to it, and then the table drinks together. Sipping outside a toast is noticed. Draining the glass at each toast is expected of men and admired in anyone; a guest may drink less, but should always lift the glass and drink something.

The order

The themes come in a sequence that hardly varies. First, to God, or to peace. Then to the reason for the gathering — the harvest, the birthday, the guest’s arrival. To Georgia. To the dead — the ancestors, the family’s departed, drunk standing, often in silence, a moment of real weight in the middle of the noise. To parents. To children and the future. To the women at the table. To the guests, individually and warmly, and here you will be named and looked at. Then to love, to friendship, to the tamada himself (proposed by someone else), and, when it is time, to the departed guests and a safe road — the signal that the evening is closing.

Between toasts there is food — endlessly, in waves, plates stacked on plates — and there is polyphonic singing, which begins spontaneously and stops the table.

Your part

You will be asked to toast. Stand, hold the glass, thank the host, say one true thing about the country or the table, and drink. Short is fine; sincere is essential; the table will applaud. An alaverdi — when the tamada passes a toast to you to continue — is an honour; add a sentence and pass it on or drink. Never toast with beer. Do not leave until the road toast. And eat: the only real mistake is to drink a supra on an empty stomach.

See it with GTour

Every multi-day GTour tour in Kakheti includes a family supra: the Grand Wine & Heritage tour, the Rtveli harvest tour with two of them, and the welcome dinner of Georgia in 7 days. Your guide will sit beside you and tell you what is being said.

This story in Georgian — ქართულად: shenidasveneba.ge

Quick answers

What is a supra? A supra is a Georgian feast that is not simply a meal with speeches but a structured ceremony. It has a designated leader, a fixed order of toasting themes, rules about when to drink, and a specific role for guests.

Who is the tamada and what do they do? The tamada is the toastmaster of a supra, chosen for eloquence, stamina and the ability to hold a table. Nobody drinks wine except when the tamada proposes a toast, and they speak on each theme, sometimes briefly and sometimes at length, before the table drinks together.

What is the typical order of toasts at a supra? The toasts follow a sequence that begins with God or peace, then the reason for the gathering, then to Georgia, and to the dead (drunk standing, often in silence). This is followed by toasts to parents, to children and the future, to the women at the table, to the guests individually, to love and friendship, to the tamada himself, and finally to departed guests and a safe road, which signals the evening's close.

What is an alaverdi? An alaverdi is when the tamada passes a toast to a guest to continue it. Receiving one is considered an honour, and the guest should add a sentence before either passing it on to someone else or drinking.

What should a guest do if asked to toast at a supra? A guest should stand, hold the glass, thank the host, say one true thing about the country or the table, and then drink. The toast can be short, but it should be sincere, and the table will applaud afterward.

What are the key etiquette rules to follow at a supra? Guests should never toast with beer, should not leave the table until the final road toast is given, and should always eat throughout the feast since drinking on an empty stomach is considered the only real mistake. A guest may drink less than a full glass, but should always lift the glass and drink something at each toast.

Which GTour tours include a family supra experience? Every multi-day GTour tour in Kakheti includes a family supra, including the Grand Wine and Heritage tour, the Rtveli harvest tour (which includes two supras), and the welcome dinner of the Georgia in 7 days tour. On these tours, a guide sits beside guests to explain what is being said during the toasts.

Photo: Henry Ossawa Tanner / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain