What People Drink in Ukraine: 7 Traditional Alcoholic Beverages

Ukraine’s drinking culture reflects a country of grain fields, orchards, and microclimates stretching from the Black Sea to the Carpathians. Clear spirits and infused liqueurs accompany hearty, seasonal cooking, with toasts anchoring weddings, holidays, and long-table feasts.

Regional produce shapes the glass: wheat and rye feed horilka, cherries and blackcurrants become nalyvka, while honey and herbs warm winter markets in Kyiv and Lviv. On the coast near Odesa and in Transcarpathia around Uzhhorod and Mukachevo, vineyards thrive, adding wine and sparkling traditions to the mix.

Horilka is Ukraine’s national clear spirit, broadly comparable to vodka but rooted in local grain and custom. Traditionally distilled from wheat or rye (sometimes potatoes or sugar beet), modern horilka is produced on column stills to a high proof, then softened with charcoal filtration and reduced to about 40% ABV. The result is clean and dry with a faint cereal sweetness and a gentle heat—designed to wash down zakusky (cold bites) like pickled cucumbers, herring, and salo. The name comes from “horyty,” meaning “to burn,” a nod to its warmth in the throat and to the early eau-de-vie (“okovyta”) distilled in the early modern period. Today it frames celebrations from birthdays to weddings, where a host leads the table in toasts—“Budmo!”—and glasses are sipped, not slammed. In cities like Kyiv and Lviv, you’ll find bar lists split between classic, neutral horilka and house-made infusions flavored with spices, herbs, or local fruit.

Pertsivka is horilka infused with hot peppers—often red chili—sometimes rounded with honey or caramel sugar. Producers macerate sliced peppers in neutral grain spirit for days or weeks, then blend, lightly sweeten, and filter to a typically 35–40% ABV liqueur-vodka hybrid. Expect a golden hue, bright pepper aroma, and a warming, lingering finish that pairs naturally with fatty foods like roast pork or salo. The style is popular across Ukraine and widely commercialized; Nemyriv (Nemyriv, Vinnytsia region) helped take honey-pepper pertsivka to international shelves. Historically, peppered spirits were prized as a winter tonic and a convivial table drink—warming the body in cold weather and punctuating toasts during long holiday meals. You’ll encounter pertsivka in Kyiv and Lviv bars, often served slightly chilled in small shots, or poured neat at family gatherings. It’s a staple in home bars too, where recipes vary by heat level, sweetness, and the addition of cloves, allspice, or garlic.

Nalyvka (also nalyvky in plural) are traditional fruit liqueurs made by macerating ripe fruit and berries—cherries, blackcurrants, raspberries, sloes, or quince—in spirit with sugar. Many households layer fruit and sugar in jars, let juices draw out, then fortify with horilka or samohon; others ferment gently before fortifying. After weeks to months, the liquid is strained and rested to a polished 18–25% ABV. The best-known variants include vyshnivka (cherry) and smorodynivka (blackcurrant), offering jewel-like colors, perfumed aromas, and a sweet-tart balance that sits between aperitif and dessert. Nalyvka belongs to the rhythm of the harvest, especially in western Ukraine and cities like Lviv, where family recipes are passed down and served in tiny glasses alongside pastries or cheese. It is a social, slow-sipping drink, often presented to guests, with bottles reappearing at Christmas, Easter, and name days. In specialty bars, you may find flights of house nalyvky showcasing single fruits and blends.

Medovukha is Ukrainian mead—honey diluted with water and fermented with yeast into a lightly alcoholic drink. Traditional recipes sometimes add hops or spices like clove and cinnamon; modern versions range from quick-fermented (a few weeks) to longer-aged, producing 5–12% ABV, occasionally stronger. Expect clear honey aromas, floral notes, and a soft, rounded palate with gentle acidity. Mead has deep roots in the lands of Kyivan Rus’, where honey wine predates the dominance of distilled spirits. Today medovukha is a seasonal comfort at winter fairs in Kyiv and Lviv, served warm in mugs, and a refreshing summer sipper when lightly chilled. Small producers and monasteries make craft batches, often highlighting local honey—from linden to buckwheat—which shifts color from pale gold to deep amber. Pair it with nut cakes, apple pastries, or blue-veined cheese, and look for spiced holiday bottlings around Christmas that taste like gingerbread in a glass.

Varenukha is a historic, oven-baked fruit-and-spice liqueur associated with central Ukraine, especially Poltava. Cooks load a clay pot with dried apples, pears, prunes, raisins, honey, and spices (cinnamon, clove, sometimes pepper), then add horilka or samohon. The pot is sealed with dough and baked low and slow, melding flavors and softening the spirit to roughly 20–30% ABV. The result is mahogany-colored and aromatic—think stewed fruit, caramelized honey, and winter spice—with a viscous, warming palate. Traditionally, varenukha appeared at Christmas Eve (Sviat Vechir) tables and weddings, poured for honored guests and shared with toasts. While many families maintain oven methods, modern kitchens simulate the bake on stovetops or in low ovens. You’ll find versions in Kyiv restaurants that revisit old recipes, sometimes served warm in small cups. It pairs with poppy-seed rolls, aged cheeses, or simply the long storytelling of a holiday night.

Samohon is Ukrainian moonshine—home-distilled spirit made from whatever the season offers: wheat, rye, corn, sugar beets, apples, plums, or honey mash. Small stills (often copper) produce a raw distillate that careful makers refine by cuts, double distillation, and charcoal or birch filtration. Strength varies widely, but 40–60% ABV is common, with fruit-based batches showing orchard aromas and grain runs tasting breadier. Samohon is embedded in rural hospitality and remains a ceremonial pour at village celebrations and picnics, especially in the Carpathian foothills. While commercial sale is regulated, family-scale distilling for personal use persists as a practical tradition and a point of pride. Many households infuse samohon with herbs or forest berries; others rest it briefly in oak for color and vanilla spice. Expect it alongside pickles, cured meats, and black bread, where its clean heat sharpens the appetite and fuels toasts that stretch late into the night.

Ukraine’s wine map spans the maritime south and the sheltered west. Near Odesa, coastal breezes and limestone soils favor crisp whites and structured reds; the village of Shabo is a historic hub, and local varieties like Odesa Black (Odeskyi Chornyi) and Telti-Kuruk join international grapes. Expect 11–14% ABV dry wines, from saline, citrusy whites to dark-fruited reds with moderate tannin. In Transcarpathia around Uzhhorod and Mukachevo, sunny slopes and alluvial soils give fragrant whites (Welschriesling, Traminer) and light reds, poured at autumn wine festivals. Ukraine also has a sparkling tradition: méthode traditionnelle wines age in vast underground gypsum caverns around Bakhmut, developing brioche and apple notes at about 12% ABV. Pair coastal bottles with Black Sea fish in Odesa, or sip floral whites with sheep cheeses in the Carpathians. Many wineries offer tours and tastings, bringing a vineyard counterpoint to the country’s deep distilling heritage.