🥃 Pălincă

Pălincă is a Romanian fruit spirit and an EU protected name in the fruit spirit category. Traditionally it is made in north-western Transylvania: the fruit is fermented and distilled twice, with no added sugar, flavourings, colourings or alcohol. The EU minimum for fruit spirits is 37.5% ABV, but pălincă is usually much stronger.

Pălincă, țuică and horincă. A regional portal of Maramureș explains that the names differ in raw material, not in strength. Țuică is made only from plums; pălincă from other fruit such as pears, apples or cherries; horincă is the regional word for both in Maramureș and Oaș. Hungarian pálinka is a related but separate protected name, made from fruit grown in Hungary.

How it is made. According to a 2012 article in Acta Horticulturae, pălincă is a spirit of fermentation and double distillation of fruit, and the raw material alone gives the aroma. The authors value local plum varieties, chosen by farmers over centuries for spirits. Double or triple distillation, common in Transylvania, cleans the spirit of unwanted substances, including methanol.

History and protection. The authors date the earliest mention of making pălincă to 1570 and link it to the village of Turț in Satu Mare county. The name is listed among the EU protected spirit drink names; it is one of nine Romanian protected names, which include Horincă de Cămârzana.

Why it matters to you. Home-made pălincă can be very strong, from 50% ABV according to the researchers, and a poorly distilled spirit can contain too much methanol. It is safer to choose a bottle with a named producer and the ABV on the label. The WHO reminds us that no level of alcohol consumption is safe.