ukrainian drinks

As the old Ukrainian saying goes: ‘Either dance well or start drinking.’ In fact, no Ukrainian feast is fully complete without traditional drinks. Ukrainian cuisine offers a wide spectrum of various delicious alcoholic beverages and soft drinks each having its own history and peculiarities of consumption. The most common and must-try drinks are listed below for you to dive into the world of Ukrainian beverages.

Horilka is a colorless beverage mainly distilled from grain with about 40 percent of alcohol by volume. This Ukrainian authentic alcohol drink is one of the common alcoholic beverages in ukrainian drinks to be an essential attribute of any feast. Horilka has its own specific flavor so that one should consume it at a draught without sipping. As an old Ukrainian proverb says, “The first shot of horilka lifts your spirits ever so slightly, the second one – sends you flying like a hawk, and each drink thereafter the person soars as happy and free as a bird.”
Spotykach is a sweet alcoholic beverage the main ingredients of which are horilka and scented spicery (nutmeg, cinnamon, clove etc.). According to the recipe, this aromatic drink must draw fortnight, being shaken up each day. Spotykach is generally believed to be a dessert beverage so it should be consumed in the small shot – glass.