Nightlife emerging from a deep-freeze, pub culture is almost non-existent out in the provinces, the nearest thing being the Meyhane, traditional folk restaurants, occasionally serving a social scene similar to Croatia's caffe bars without the bland uniformity. In Sofia however, a young population and Western influences are forcing movements onto the scene. There are last-gen brewpubs, new wave craft bars, and a few alternative venues in and around the city. For a city of its size it is still perhaps understocked in comparison to the West, but a traveller will have no trouble finding a venue. You'll find yourself doing a hop-skip-and-jump between venues and styles to keep a crawl going. The same applies for Plovdiv where a thriving arts scene has endowed the city with an array of live music and performance venues worth visiting, and a craft beer scene that stands out too. Value varies significantly, from city centre Sofia's near Western prices for good product to backstreet Samokov where a bottle of local bad lager can be obtained for well under a Euro. Aside of beer drinking, Rakia remains a big part of local culture, with wine in the South East having a distinctive regional influence.