The Georgian Supra: Tamada, Toasts and Table Manners

The short answer: a supra is a Georgian feast, and what makes it a supra rather than a big dinner is the tamada, the toastmaster, who leads the table through a sequence of toasts. You listen while the tamada speaks, drink when the toast is done, and say gaumarjos. You don't have to drink much, or at all: tell your host at the start and water or juice is fine.

What "supra" means

The word means "tablecloth" and came into Georgian from the Persian sofre [1]. There are two kinds: the festive supra, called keipi, for weddings, birthdays, guests and holidays, and the mourning supra, kelekhi, held after a funeral [1]. Visitors meet the first kind. In 2017 Georgia added the supra tradition to its national list of intangible cultural heritage [1].

The table itself is covered with dishes from the start, with more arriving all evening: salads, pkhali, cheeses, khachapuri, meat and bread. Nobody expects you to finish anything. For the dishes, read what to eat in Georgia.

The tamada

The tamada is chosen by the host or by the guests and sits at the head of the table. A good one is an eloquent speaker, a good judge of the room and able to drink a great deal without showing it [1]. Their job is to set the theme of each toast, speak on it, often with a story or a joke and a moral, and decide who speaks next. Guests don't propose their own toasts over the tamada's head.

The order of toasts

The order varies from region to region and family to family, but the first toasts are much the same everywhere [2][3]. A common sequence runs:

1. To peace, and to the reason for the gathering.
2. To God, or to Georgia and the homeland.
3. To parents and ancestors.
4. To those who have died; often drunk standing, in silence.
5. To children and the next generation.
6. To women, to friendship, to the guests.
7. And near the end, to the tamada.

A long supra can run to a dozen or more toasts over several hours. Between the formal toasts the table eats, talks and, very often, sings.

Gaumarjos, alaverdi and the horn

• Gaumarjos ("victory to you") is the answer to a toast, said as you raise your glass [3].
• Alaverdi: the tamada can hand the floor to another guest, who adds a few words on the same theme before drinking. Being given alaverdi is a mark of trust [3].
• Drinking to the bottom: for the most important toasts, such as parents and ancestors, Georgians often empty the glass. For later toasts a sip is fine [2].
• The kantsi is a drinking horn, traditionally made from a goat's horn. It has no base, so it can't be put down until it is empty; it is usually offered to an honoured guest for a special toast [3]. Accept it only if you're willing to finish it, and it's fine to say no.

Singing at the table

Songs are part of a supra, especially in the villages. Georgian polyphonic singing, in three or more independent voice parts, was recognised by UNESCO in 2001 [4], and table songs are one of its main forms. When the table sings, listen, and don't try to film everything; most singers don't mind a short clip, but ask. For the background, read our guide to Georgian polyphonic singing.

Etiquette for guests

• Wait for the toast. Don't drink, or clink glasses, before the tamada has finished [2]. Eating while someone speaks is fine; talking over them is not [1].
• Keep it short if you're asked to speak. Three or four sincere sentences about your hosts, the food or Georgia are plenty; end with "gaumarjos!" [3].
• Pace yourself. Don't try to match your hosts glass for glass. Drink water and eat between toasts [2].
• Let the hosts host. Guests aren't expected to clear plates or help in the kitchen during the meal [2].
• Arrive hungry. Refusing food repeatedly can feel like a refusal of hospitality; taking a little of each dish is the polite middle way.

How to decline chacha (or anything else)

Chacha is Georgian grape brandy, made from what's left after pressing, and home-made chacha is strong. It will be offered, often more than once. You can say no, and Georgians are used to guests who don't drink for health, religion, medication or simply because they don't want to [2][3]. The trick is to say so early, ideally to the tamada or your host before the toasts begin, rather than refusing glass by glass. Then raise a glass of water, juice or mineral water with everyone else, stand for the toast to the departed, and say gaumarjos. That keeps you part of the table.

If you do drink wine, a small pour you sip through the evening is fine. Nobody minds a glass that stays half full; what counts is taking part in the toast.

Tours for a supra

Our trips are private, with your own car and English-speaking driver-guide for 1–8 travellers, and the driver-guide doesn't drink.

• Georgian supra and polyphonic singing, a private evening from Tbilisi: about 4 hours at a family house or cellar, with a tamada and a group of 3–4 singers between the toasts. Book at least 3 days ahead so the family and singers can prepare.
• Kakheti village cooking day: bake bread in a tone oven, shape khinkali and dip churchkhela with a family, then eat together; chacha distillation is for adults only.

Tell us about diets or non-drinkers when you book, and see each tour page for the current price. Or build a trip around one. Nothing to pay now.

Sources

1. Wikipedia, "Supra (feast)": en.wikipedia.org
2. Georgia Spirit, "Georgian etiquette: supra, toasts, church and hospitality": georgia-spirit.com
3. Sakhva Travel, "Georgian Toasts and the Supra: Tamada, Order and 12 Toasts": sakhva-travel.com
4. UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, "Georgian polyphonic singing": ich.unesco.org

Last checked: September 2026.