Horilka

Common card · No. 452985

Horilka (Ukrainian: горілка [ɦoˈr⁽ʲ⁾iɫkɐ] ; Belarusian: гарэлка, romanized: harelka [ɣaˈrɛɫka] ) is a Ukrainian alcoholic beverage. The word horilka may also be used in a generic sense in the Ukrainian language to mean vodka or other strong spirits and etymologically is similar to the Ukrainian word for 'to burn' - hority. Home-distilled horilka, moonshine, is called samohon (Ukrainian: самогон, lit. 'self-distilled' or 'self-run' - almost identical to the Russian and Polish samogon). Horilka is usually distilled from grain (usually wheat or rye), though it can, less commonly, also be distilled from potatoes, honey, sugar beets etc. One type of horilka, called pertsivka (Ukrainian: перцівка), is horilka with chili peppers. Historically, outside Ukraine, pertsivka is generally referred to when people speak of horilka, although pertsivka itself is just one type of horilka. It is believed that horilka was not as strong as today with about 20 percent alcohol by volume (40 proof). However, today...

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