🍸 Ukrainian horilka

Ukrainian horilka is a strong drink and an old tradition: spirit distilling in Ukraine has been known since the XV century. Under the 2022 Law of Ukraine 'On Geographical Indications of Spirit Drinks', horilka is a spirit drink of at least 37.5% vol. made from alcohol obtained by distilling the products of the alcoholic fermentation of potatoes and/or cereals.

According to the Encyclopedia of Modern Ukraine, horilka production spread in the first half of the XVI century, and alongside mead and beer it became the main alcoholic drink. The raw material was mostly rye. Most distilleries operated in Polissia and Left-Bank Ukraine, where potatoes, rye and molasses were available.

The technology changed gradually. In the XVII century distilleries were small, with 4–6 cauldrons. In the second half of the XVIII century, simple cauldrons that yielded on average one bucket of horilka began to be replaced with improved stills of 4–25 buckets per day. Prince Bezborodko's distillery in Zolotonosha county produced 900 hectolitres of horilka a year at the end of the XVIII century, and the first steam distilleries appeared in the 1820s.

Law No. 2800-IX was adopted on 1 December 2022 in fulfilment of the EU Association Agreement: it introduces categories of spirit drinks and protection of geographical indications on the EU model. The Ukrainian definition of horilka is narrower than the European one: the EU regulation also permits other agricultural raw material. For horilka with a predominant aroma that differs from the raw material, the law sets aside a separate category, 'flavoured vodka'.

Why it matters to you. Under Ukrainian law, horilka comes only from potatoes and/or cereals, so other raw material means a different drink. Flavoured vodka is a separate category with different rules. On the label, look at the strength in % vol. WHO: there is no safe dose of alcohol, and you must not drive after drinking horilka.