Wine sommelier Edgaras Kazokaitis and beer expert and historian Tomas Josas – two professionals whose daily lives revolve around completely different drinks. But do their views, tastes, and interests differ as much as their specialties? The Gubernija challenge revealed a surprising truth: despite their professional differences, these men have plenty in common.
This year, Lithuania’s oldest brewery, Gubernija, is celebrating its 360th anniversary and continues its campaign “We’re a lot alike”, aiming to show that even people with different jobs, hobbies, or life experiences can discover shared values and surprising common ground.
At the heart of the campaign is a series of unexpected video clips, where people from opposing “camps” take part in a unique experiment. This time, the challenge brought face to face two beverage professionals – multiple-time Lithuanian sommelier vice-champion and wine expert Edgaras Kazokaitis, and Lithuanian beer sommelier championship winner Tomas Josas.
Tension until the final moment
Although the first task was beer-related, it was E. Kazokaitis who unexpectedly performed better. The challenge required the participants to arrange cans of non-alcoholic beer and kvass in an order that matched a hidden sequence. Edgaras was the first to realize that the drinks should be lined up from the lightest to the darkest in color.
The second task demanded extreme precision. Edgaras and Tomas had to take turns pouring water into a wine glass without causing it to overflow. Even when it looked like no more drops could possibly fit, the beverage professionals kept up the tension impressively. But drop by drop, a little water eventually spilled over while Tomas was pouring.
Quick-fire round reveals unexpected facts
The lightning round revealed the most about the two sommeliers, as they had to quickly choose between two options. That’s when it became clear: Edgaras and Tomas do share similar tastes and values.
Both unhesitatingly chose coffee over tea. “Coffee is like fuel for me – like gas for a car,” explained E. Kazokaitis. Both also instantly picked a rare burger over a well-done one. “No need to debate this,” declared Tomas, capturing the mood. The pair also agreed that non-alcoholic beer is better enjoyed from a can than from a mug.
Interestingly, when asked whether they’d rather lose their sense of taste or smell, both Gubernija challengers chose to keep smell. “Smell is extremely important,” noted Edgaras – revealing a lot about the sommelier profession, where detecting aromas is key.
Still, their differing personalities came through when asked about preferred modes of travel – Edgaras picked the train “because it’s more fun”, while Tomas went with the plane “because it’s faster.” But Kazokaitis had his own counterpoint: “During a train ride, you can taste more different drinks.” When it came to relaxing destinations, opinions also diverged – Edgaras chose the lake, while Tomas preferred the sea, “because the white waves foam like beer.”
At the end of the Gubernija challenge, E. Kazokaitis summed it up: “We’ve seen that we have some differences, but also many things in common that help us connect. And that’s a real joy.”
“I wouldn’t travel with you – we’d pick totally different vehicles – but we can absolutely go get some food together,” joked T. Josas.
The historic brewery Gubernija, operating in Šiauliai and celebrating its 360th anniversary this year, is using the campaign “We’re a lot alike” to show that people with different professions, hobbies, or backgrounds can still uncover surprising shared interests and values. In this cheerful video series, participants include people from different generations, musicians, athletes, and more – all facing unusual challenges and questions that highlight just how much unites us.
Previous Gubernija challengers have included professional athletes from Šiauliai’s sports teams – basketball player Tauras Jogėla and footballer Martynas Dapkus – as well as the author of the novel “Pietinia kronikas”, Rimantas Kmita, and actor Džiugas Grinys, who played the lead character in its screen adaptation.
