UKRAINIAN BEVERAGES

Many tourists have enjoyed an ice-cold draft beer on a hot summer’s day in Kyiv simply because the soft drinks are often lukewarm or they just don’t know a very popular Slavic drink – kvas. Kvas is one of favorite refreshing Russian/Ukrainian beverages. In all probability, the Slavs knew about kvas long before the foundation of the Kiev Rus.

The word “kvas” is Russian by origin and means “ sour beverage”. It was so popular that in the “Encyclopedia of food” it was written: After water, the most widespread beverage was Kvas … we even think that people drink it more often than water…” At the same time the love of kvas overstepped the limits of classes: the poor people drank it with a great pleasure and the nobility preferred kvas to foreign wines.

Another drink I’d like to present is Ukrainian home-made vodka – samohom. Good samohon can sometimes be better than some bootleg labels in shops, but when you drink it, the overall odds are against you and your stomach. And whether it’s Ukrainian vodka or moonshine, be ready to offer a toast at some point. A modest ‘cheers’ (budmo) will do from a foreigner.