The working group for the ‘Traditional Brewing Methods of the Georgian Highlands’ held its first meeting today to discuss its roadmap. The group, established within the Parliamentary Agrarian Affairs Committee, is committed to securing UNESCO recognition for Georgia’s traditional highland brewing techniques as part of its intangible cultural heritage.

At today’s session, plans were laid out to assemble a production crew to film a promotional documentary for the submission package. Ahead of filming, the working group will compile a register of families who still brew beer using these ancestral techniques. In tandem, scientific research expeditions will be launched to document surviving traditions across various regions.

According to the Parliament of Georgia, the parliamentary committee’s working group intends to coordinate with all relevant state agencies. It expects to have the comprehensive dossier ready by the end of the year, with a view to formally submitting the traditional highland brewing methods to UNESCO in March next year.

Gela Samkharauli, Chairman of the Agrarian Affairs Committee, noted that UNESCO has already recognised five elements from Georgia.

“We have secured recognition for Georgian wrestling, the traditional Qvevri wine-making method, our alphabet, polyphonic singing, and another recent inscription relating to Georgian wheat and bread-baking traditions. It is wonderful to see this momentum, and we are now turning our focus to highland beer, its brewing technologies, and the rituals surrounding it.

Today, only a handful of families preserve this tradition and its strict rules. We must safeguard this heritage, foster its continuity, and bring a more modern approach to its preservation, not just to keep it alive, but to help it thrive. As the lead body, our Committee will liaise with all relevant departments, coordinate inter-agency efforts, and regularly share progress updates and upcoming action points. We will also distribute the inventory sheets so everyone is aware of the exact documentation UNESCO requires for a nomination. I believe we can have the complete package ready by the end of the year. The formal submission cannot take place this year; we will be in a position to dispatch the documents from March next year. Everything must be meticulously finalised by then,” Samkharauli stated.

Salome Khmiadashvili, Head of the Intangible Cultural Heritage and International Relations Department at the National Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation of Georgia, expressed confidence that this nationally significant project would ultimately achieve success.

“There are very specific criteria when it comes to intangible cultural heritage. First and foremost, through this recognition, UNESCO aims to protect the actual bearers of the tradition, the people practically involved in the craft. Since many highland areas have become depopulated and communities have largely moved to the lowlands, the fact that people still travel back there specifically for these festivals, driven by deep emotional bonds, historic ties, and a profound sense of identity, to perform these rituals is the single most critical component of this intangible heritage. This nomination has a genuinely strong foundation for victory and international recognition,” Khmiadashvili said.