Borovička

Juniper berries

Borovička (Slovak pronunciation: [ˈbɔrɔvitʃka]) (also known as Juniper brandy) is a Slovak alcoholic beverage flavored with juniper berries.[1] It is characterized by a white[2] or golden colour[3] and a taste similar to that of dry gin.[4] It is popular especially in Slovakia,[4] Poland, and the Czech Republic. Today's commercially produced borovička contains about 40%[2] alcohol by volume. As a benchmark, the minimum alcohol amount required by law in Slovakia is 37.5%.[5]

Similar drinks but differently made are known in south Slavic countries such as brinjevec in Slovenia (brin means juniper in Slovene) and klekovača in Serbia (kleka means juniper in Serbian). Other similar drinks include several types of Gin like jenever, etc.

History

According to The Dictionary of the Slovak Language, borovička derives its name from the Slovak word for juniper, borievka.[6] Borovička harks back to the 16th century, when this beverage was produced in the Habsburg Monarchy's county of Liptov, today part of northern Slovakia. It was exported throughout the whole Habsburg Monarchy, particularly to Vienna and Budapest. It was transported southward principally via rafts floating down the river Váh.[7][8]

Major brands

References and footnotes

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Sunday, June 21, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.