‘Firewater’ was what my family called my Russian grandfather’s homemade vodka. It burnt as it slid down the throat, which is why the best way to drink the stuff was to throw back the whole shot glass rather than sip it. Vodka on it’s own is one thing, but vodka and pickles on the side … Read more
A few years ago, on a trip through Central and Eastern Europe, we decided to settle into an apartment in Kraków, Poland, for a few weeks to catch up on some writing, walk the charming old city streets, sample the local vodka, and do side-trips to Auschwitz-Birkenau and Wieliczka Salt Mine. But an escape to Zakopane for … Read more
In our years of being semi-professional barflies and checking out bars around the world, purely in the name of research of course, we’ve developed a repertoire of favourite cocktails that we always order to test out the skills of a barman. One of them is a Latin American classic so during our recent stay in … Read more
Slivovica is a Serbian grape brandy and it’s the drink of choice of the locals in Kotor, Montenegro, where we’re staying for two weeks. Despite having grown up drinking my Russian grandfather’s homemade vodka, which we called ‘tractor fuel’, nothing prepared me for the burning sensation in my throat from the first tasting of Slivovica. … Read more