Drinking in Algeria

Locals drink mostly bottled water which is cheap, about 35 cents for 1.5 liters, but say tap water is fine. Ex-pats are warned not to touch the tap water even to brush your teeth with. I brush my teeth in it and wash vegetables and dishes in it and have suffered no ill effects.
Algerians are very proud of their sodas, which are ubiquitous. There is Hamoud, a citrus kind of lemonade-y drink and Selecto, which looks like a flat cola in the bottle but is actually close to crème soda. It’s made out of apple juice supposedly, but I can’t taste apples. The drink has been made here since the beginning of the 20th century and Algerians who emigrate pine for it .
I am not a soda drinker but both of these are good.
Milk here is boiled and sold in Parmalat-like boxes. It doesn’t taste great in a glass alone, but is fine in coffee and tea and for cooking or heated. The important things are that it stays for a long time without spoiling if unopened and it’s very cheap. Milk is a staple supported by the government and so it’s only about 40 cents a liter.
This weekend I tried an Algerian red wine – and it was very good. Coteaux De Mascara – deep red and rich and smooth. Algeria has hot sun and sandy soil and the vine industry pre-dates the Roman empire. I need to get my sisters and mother, who have done the Finger Lakes, over here for a wine-tasting tour.