The skills of making homemade vodka are well-known both to Russians and Ukrainians. It's been a national tradition for generations. But in Ukraine there are fears moonshine could get out of hand as the government plans to raise tax on alcohol sold in shop

Although it has a reputation for driving people crazy, homespun vodka seems to have replaced hard currency in some Ukrainian villages.

If it burns – it’s ready!

Kateryna Chaika has been brewing it for 30 years and Christmas, she says, is the best time for it.

“To check if the vodka is ready, you have to take a spoonful and pour it onto a chair. Then light it up and if it burns like this, it’s ready. It must be about 50 -60 proof,” Kateryna explained.

Despite his mother in law's excellent brewing skills, Yury says he's stopped drinking. He says his father died because of vodka.

“He was of poor health and vodka drove him to the grave. One day he was going home drunk and just steps away from our house he fell into the snow. That was it,” Yury remembers.

The best currency

It seems normal in Ukraine to pay fellow villagers with vodka for any service or product, but there are some people who resent it.
Kateryna treats the drink as a liquid currency to pay handy men and thank relatives.

Police are on the lookout for home distillers as it’s against the law to brew it for sale. But with every other household in this business, people say they often turn a blind eye to those who don’t sell it.

Making vodka in Ukrainian villages is as popular as baking pies. And with the latest government initiative to increase taxes on alcohol, production and consumption of this drink at home may rise even more.