Ukraine's traditional grain spirit, here in its most famous guise as pertsivka — horilka infused with hot chili pepper and honey. It is a clear, fiery, golden-tinged drink served ice-cold in small glasses as a toast.
The word horilka shares a root with the Ukrainian verb 'to burn,' a fitting name for the country's national spirit, distilled from grain since the Cossack era. The honey-and-pepper pertsivka is its best-known form, long believed to warm the body and ward off chills, and it remains the version most associated with Ukraine abroad.
A clean, bracing hit of grain spirit warmed by the slow burn of chili and rounded by a whisper of honey. It goes down fiery and smooth at once, leaving a lingering peppery heat that begs for a bite of salo or pickle.
Steeping chili and peppercorns in high-proof spirit extracts their oils and capsaicin, which alcohol dissolves readily to carry both heat and aroma. A little honey softens the spirit's edge and adds a faint golden color and body without making it sweet.
Variations
Honey-pepper pertsivka, plain pepper horilka, herb or fruit infusions, a sweeter medova honey version
On the Palate
Where Horilka sits in the Ukrainian flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 12How it's made
8 steps · 10 min
- 12 min
Start with a good clear grain spirit or high-quality vodka as the base.
- 23 min
Slit one or two dried hot chili peppers and drop them into the bottle.
- 32 min
Add a spoonful of honey and a few black peppercorns for depth.
- 41 min
Seal the bottle and shake gently to begin dissolving the honey.
- 54320 min
Store it in a cool, dark place to infuse for at least three days, tasting for heat.
Watch outInfuse in the dark and taste from day three on; pull it the moment the heat is where you like it — chili left in too long turns it harsh and bitter.
- 65 min
Once the desired warmth and color develop, strain out the peppers.
Watch outStrain out the peppers as soon as the color and warmth are right, or the flavor keeps building past where you want it.
- 75 min
Filter the spirit through a fine cloth or coffee filter for clarity.
- 85 min
Chill thoroughly and serve in small glasses as a toasting drink.
