Varenukha

Varenukha is an old Ukrainian warming alcoholic drink, especially beloved of the Cossacks. Its name comes from the word “varyty” (to boil), for, unlike cordials, varenukha is precisely boiled down — made by a hot method.

The base of the drink is horilka or moonshine, to which honey, dried fruit (pears, apples, plums, raisins), and spices are added: black pepper, cloves, cinnamon, fragrant herbs. All of this is simmered together in the oven or over the fire in a clay pot, so that the flavours combine and the drink absorbs the aroma of honey and dried fruit. Varenukha is drunk warm, and it warms wonderfully in the cold season. This fragrant, sweet-spicy drink is mentioned in the works of Ukrainian classics and remains a colourful symbol of the hospitality and merry winter festivities of our ancestors.