https://www.chefspencil.com
  • Login
  • Register
  • Recipes
    • Chicken Recipes
    • Seafood Recipes
    • Beef Recipes
    • Pasta Recipes
    • Dressings, Dips, Spreads
    • Dessert
    • Pork Recipes
    • Side Dish
  • Chefs
  • Food News
    • News
    • Guides
      • Product Reviews
      • Gifts & Product Guides
      • Food Substitutes
        • Cheese Substitutes
  • Food Atlas
    • Asian Cuisines
    • African Cuisines
    • European Cuisines
      • Central European Cuisine
      • Northern European Cuisine
      • Eastern European Cuisine
      • Southern European Cuisine
    • Middle East Cuisine
    • South American Cuisine
    • North American Cuisine
    • Central American Foods
    • Caribbean Cuisine
  • Culinary Schools
  • About Us
  • Recipes
    • Chicken Recipes
    • Seafood Recipes
    • Beef Recipes
    • Pasta Recipes
    • Dressings, Dips, Spreads
    • Dessert
    • Pork Recipes
    • Side Dish
  • Chefs
  • Food News
    • News
    • Guides
      • Product Reviews
      • Gifts & Product Guides
      • Food Substitutes
        • Cheese Substitutes
  • Food Atlas
    • Asian Cuisines
    • African Cuisines
    • European Cuisines
      • Central European Cuisine
      • Northern European Cuisine
      • Eastern European Cuisine
      • Southern European Cuisine
    • Middle East Cuisine
    • South American Cuisine
    • North American Cuisine
    • Central American Foods
    • Caribbean Cuisine
  • Culinary Schools
  • About Us
  • Home
  • Central European Cuisine
  • Top 5 Most Popular Slovak Drinks

Top 5 Most Popular Slovak Drinks

Posted on Jul 8th, 2022
by Dorota Jakalova
Categories:
  • Central European Cuisine
  • Eastern European Cuisine
  • European Cuisines
Top Five Most Popular Slovak Drinks

Apart from an extensive culinary tradition, Slovakia is also home to locally made non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages, which are all very popular with the locals.

All of them have a specific taste, and sometimes the taste is so intense not everyone actually enjoys them. But with a large variety of products available, there is certainly something for everyone to choose from.

Let’s take a look at some of the most popular traditional drinks in Slovakia.

1. Kofola

Kofola
Photo credit: https://travelswithbelly.com/

Kofola is a type of Coke produced in Slovakia and Czechia. It is very similar to Coca-Cola and Pepsi, and is so popular that it has become a serious competitor to those two world renowned brands. It became very popular in the 1960s and 1970s during communism, and it continues to retain its popularity today.

This is especially noteworthy because after the fall of communism, more brands entered the market, but Kofola proved it was here to stay. Due to the non-existence of the trademark at the time and the publicly available recipe, the kofola brand was perceived as more of a general name for that type of beverage rather than a specific product.

Many companies produced their own kofola, although they had nothing to do with the original product. This has since changed and Kofola has become a trademarked, well-known, and extremely popular drink in Slovakia.

2. Vinea

Vinea
Photo credit: Wine now!

This is a carbonated, sweet drink made with grapes. There are three types produced: a white, a red, and a soft pink or rosé. The white Vinea is from white grapes, the red from red grapes and the rosé is a combination of the two.

The production of non-alcoholic grape and soda drinks has existed since the 19th century, and Vinea specifically has been produced since 1974. Vinea is an award-winning drink, winning prestigious awards domestically and internationally.

In Slovakia it is a very popular drink, a staple in any restaurant and in many households. Since it is non-alcoholic, children are able to enjoy it as well.

3. Borovička

Borovička
Photo credit: Koniferum borovička®

This is an extremely strong-tasting alcoholic distillate that is not for everyone. It is one of those drinks you either love or can’t stand the smell of, let alone the taste. Being an acquired taste, trying it for the first time is often not the most pleasant experience. But it is quite popular in Slovakia with those who fall into the ‘love it’ category.

It is a distillate made from the ripe fruit of the common pine tree, with a typical juniper aroma. In the European Union, there are a number of Borovička brands that are only sold in Slovakia and are not produced anywhere else in the world. These include Spišská borovička, Inovecká borovička, Liptovská borovička among others.

4. Slivovica

Slivovica

This is probably the most popular distillate made in Slovakia. Slivovica is a strong, noble, plum distillate. It is produced through a process of fermentation, distillation, and water treatments of plums. The color is either clear or soft yellow and it has a fruity and strong aroma.

The technology consists of four production phases: fruit processing and harvesting, fermentation, distillation, and ripening. Fermentation with yeast breaks down fermentable sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide. Alcohol and aromatics are separated from the fermented raw material by distillation.

This technological process is used to prepare all true fruit distillates. The fruit is the basic factor influencing the quality of the plum brandy. The type of fruit, ripeness, sugar content, wateriness, aromatic properties, health status of the fruit are important.

Optimally, ripe fruit should be used; you will never get a quality plum brandy from green or rotten fruit. Plum brandy of the highest quality is stored for maturation in oak or stainless steel barrels. Slivovica in wooden barrels are the most sought after. The older the plum brandy, the better.

5. Demänovka

Demänovka

In Slovakia, this liqueur is considered to have almost medicinal properties, with many old people having the habit of drinking one shot per day for health purposes. It is made with herbs so the taste is not medicinal, so perhaps there is some truth to this belief.

Some people even add a little bit to their tea when they feel a bit off sorts. Demänovka is a Slovak hot herbal liqueur, which like many other products originated in the 1960s, during the communist era, and managed to stick around the market to this day. This herbal liqueur is produced in three variants: Demänovka sweet with an alcohol content of 33%, Demänovka hot with an alcohol content of

38% and Demänovka Cranberry with an alcohol content of 33%. Demänovka production is quite complex and time consuming. At least two weeks leaching the herbs in fine grade alcohol, followed by three-month maturation of the extracted macerate. For the next three months, the final product is left to sit, which is said to give it an additional delicate taste.


Related: 20 Most Popular Slovak Foods
Related: 7 Delicious Slovak Desserts
Related: 5 Tasty Slovak Cheeses

Top popular foods in Slovakia

Dorota Jakalova

Dorota is a Slovak-Canadian freelance writer. She likes to write engaging and information-filled articles about lifestyle, arts, travel, and healthy living. As a graduate in socio-cultural Anthropology, she is also passionate about a wide range of topics in social issues, journalism, and contemporary geopolitical discourse.

Add Your Comment Cancel reply

Recipe Rating




Best Gift Ideas For Chefs

Gifts for Professional Chefs
Gifts for Professional Chefs

Best 23 Grilling Gifts for BBQ Fanatics

Best Grilling Gifts

World Cuisines

African Recipes by Professional Chefs

African Recipes by Professional Chefs

American Recipes by Professional Chefs

American Recipes by Professional Chefs

Asian Food Recipes by Professional Chefs

Asian Food Recipes by Professional Chefs

Australian Recipes by Professional Chefs

Australian Recipes by Professional Chefs

Austrian Recipes

Austrian Recipes

Belgian Recipes

Belgian Recipes

Brazilian Recipes

Brazilian Recipes

British Recipes

British Recipes

Bulgarian Recipes

Bulgarian Recipes

Canadian Recipes

Canadian Recipes

Caribbean Recipes

Caribbean Recipes

Chinese Recipes

Chinese Recipes

Colombian Recipes

Colombian Recipes

Continental

Continental

Croatian Recipes

Croatian Recipes

Cuban Recipes

Cuban Recipes

Czech Republic Cuisine

Czech Republic Cuisine

Danish Recipes

Danish Recipes

Dominican Recipes

Dominican Recipes

Dutch Recipes

Dutch Recipes

2022 © Chef's Pencil   Privacy Policy & Terms of Service  Contact us

Chef's Pencil is part of the Amazon Associate Program and earns from qualifying purchases.