Horilka is usually distilled from grain (usually wheat or rye), though it can, exceptionally, also be distilled from potatoes, honey, sugar beets etc. One type of horilka, called pertsivka (Ukrainian: перцівка), is horilka with chili peppers.
Ukraine makes some of the best vodkas available in the world.
Crafted in a 100-year-old distillery in central Ukraine, Kruto Vodka is produced from the finest Ukrainian grains using untouched natural water sourced from a 2600-foot underground aquifer.
Among the best Ukrainian vodkas, Shevkoff is one of the best vodkas to drink neat and enjoy in the style of a sophisticated Eastern European.
Smirnoff was mistakenly targeted for boycotts during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine; however, despite its Russian origin, the brand is owned by British company Diageo and for the US market is manufactured in Illinois.
Smirnoff has its roots in Russia. Its distillery was founded by Pyotr Arsenievich Smirnov in Moscow in 1864. But after the Russian Revolution the brand was sold and moved to the USA, as vodka production in the then Soviet Union was nationalised.
Absolut Vodka is a Swedish vodka, produced in the village of Åhus in southern Sweden, from Swedish winter wheat.
GREY GOOSE vodka is distilled in the gastronomy capital of the world, France, using the traditions of the Maître de Chai with only two ingredients – single-origin Picardie winter wheat and natural spring water.
SPI, the company controlled by Yuri Shefler, produces Stolichnaya in Latvia at Latvijas Balzams, using Latvian water but alcohol from a distillery in Tambov, Russia. In response to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, SPI announced that they would begin sourcing all of their alcohol from Slovakia instead of Russia.
Horilka (vodka) is an alcoholic beverage made from a solution of ethyl alcohol (usually 40%). The name (from Ukrainian “hority” - “to burn”) is explained by the fact that to check the alcohol content in the drink it was set on fire. If the amount was sufficient, the liquid burned with a green-blue flame.
Basic rules of drinking horilka
It should also be served as a small shot and consumed all at once. Exhale deeply, and then swallow with the next breath. Afterward, exhale deeply again to get rid of excess alcohol vapours. Also, forget about drinking anything else for the night.
Horilka (Ukrainian: горілка, Belarusian: гарэлка, Romanian: horincă) 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 burning - hority.
But the most popular vodkas in the U.S. – including Smirnoff, Ciroc, Tito's, Absolut, Svedka, Grey Goose, SKYY and New Amsterdam – are not made in Russia. They are made in Sweden, France, the U.K. and the U.S.
One source is our production philosophy, meaning that every aspect of our production journey takes place in and around the small village of Åhus, Sweden. All ingredients for Absolut Vodka are sourced from southern Sweden.
Which Other Vodkas Are Produced in Russia? In addition to Russian Standard and Beluga Noble, Russian brands include Husky Vodka, Jewel of Russia, Moskovskaya, Polugar, Ustianochka, and Zyr Russian Vodka.
Since the early 2000s, Stoli Group, which manufactures Stolichnaya Vodka along with a variety of flavored spirits, has been based in Latvia. After its founding in the Soviet Union in 1938, the company's former CEO, Yuri Shefler, moved the firm out of Russia in 2000 as Putin was coming into power.
Stolichnaya Vodka
Stoli is a name you might recognize as it is probably the most famous Russian vodka brand abroad. Stolichnaya vodka comes from some of Russia's oldest distilleries, which are located in the Samara and Kaliningrad regions.
While Smirnoff had its beginnings in Russia, Vladimir Smirnoff fled the country during the Revolution and re-established the brand in Europe more than a century ago.
Two popular brands of vodka are: Stoli (Stolichnaya) and Smirnoff. Both are not made in Russia.
Absolut Vodka is a Swedish vodka made exclusively from natural ingredients, with no added sugar and made from water and winter wheat grown in the fields of Åhus, Sweden.
Grey Goose is a brand of vodka produced in France. It was created in the 1990s by Sidney Frank, who sold it to Bacardi in 2004.
The distillery that produces Belvedere was constructed in 1910. Production began in 1993 at the facility located at Polmos Żyrardów, Poland.