The Turkish non-alcoholic beverage made from fermented grapes is şıra.
Şıra is produced from grape juice that is allowed to ferment slightly without becoming an alcoholic wine. It is typically sweet because grapes contain substantial fructose, and the drink is often described as having a terracotta-like color. Its gentle fermentation gives it a distinctive tang while preserving a fruit-forward taste.
Şıra is especially associated with Turkish cuisine and is commonly served alongside İskender kebap, whose rich meat, butter, tomato sauce, and yogurt benefit from a refreshing drink. A related beverage is hardaliye, a Thracian grape drink flavored with crushed mustard seeds and sour-cherry leaves; hardaliye is not simply another name for plain şıra. The key distinction is that şıra is the basic lightly fermented grape beverage, while hardaliye is a seasoned regional variation.