Slivovitz (IPA pronunciationThe International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) is a system of phonetic notation based on the Latin alphabet, devised by the International Phonetic Association as a standardized representation of the sounds of spoken language.International Phonetic Association (IPA), Handbook. The IPA is used by linguists, speech pathologists and therapists, foreign language teachers, singers, lexicographers, and translators. The ...IPA pronunciation: /slivovɪts/) is a strong, colourless alcoholic beverageAn alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol, commonly known as alcohol, although the chemical definition of alcohol is more extensive. Ethanol is a centrally-acting drug with a depressant effect, and many societies regulate or restrict its sale and consumption. Countries place various legal restrictions on the sale of alcoholic drinks to young people. The manufacture and consumption of alcohol is found to some degree in most cultures and societies around the world, from hunter-gatherer tribes ...alcoholic beverage primarily made of distilledDistillation is a method of separating chemical substances based on differences in their volatilities in a boiling liquid mixture. Distillation usually forms part of a larger chemical process, and is thus referred to as a unit operation. Commercially, distillation ...distilled fermentedFermentation typically refers to the conversion of sugar to alcohol using yeast under anaerobic conditions. A more general definition of fermentation is the chemical conversion of carbohydrates into alcohols or acids. When fermentation stops prior to complete conversion of sugar to alcohol, a stuck fermentation is said to have occurred. The science of fermentation is known as zymology. Fermentation usually implies that the action of the microorganisms is desirable, and the process is used to produce wine, beer, hard cider, ...fermented plumA plum or gage is a stone fruit tree in the genus Prunus, subgenus Prunus. The subgenus is distinguished from other subgenera (peaches, cherries, bird cherries, etc) in the shoots having a terminal bud and the side buds solitary (not clustered), the flowers being grouped 1-5 together on short stems, and the fruit ...plum juice though, similar to Irish poteenPoitín (or Poteen) is an Irish moonshine and may also refer to Irish Whiskey. (IPA, anglicized as putcheen) or formerly potheen (IPA but in Ireland ). The term is a diminutive of the word pota 'a pot'; Poitín was traditionally distilled in a small pot. The home brew is often strong and some market labels are as strong as 90% volume (180 proof). Made from a brew consisting mainly of barley, it has a distinctive dry and grainy flavor with a delicate aftertaste that becomes sweeter as it develops. Some rural ...poteen, it is often home-distilled out of a variety of source materials, up to and including grass and other organic material. It is similar to brandyBrandy (short for brandywine, from Dutch brandewijn—'burnt wine') is a general term for distilled wine, usually 40–60% ethyl alcohol by volume. In addition to wine, this spirit can also be made from grape pomace or fermented fruit juice. Unless specified otherwise, brandy is made from grape wine. It is normally consumed as an after-dinner drink. Brandy made from wine is generally colored with caramel coloring to imitate the ...brandy and sometimes called plum brandy in English and is one of the drinks known in the BalkansThe Balkans is the historic and geographic name used to describe a region of southeastern Europe. The region has a combined area of 550,000 km² and an approximate population of 55 million people. The archaic Greek name for the Balkan Peninsula is the Peninsula of Haemus (Χερσόνησος του Αίμου). The region takes its name ...Balkans as rakiaRakia or Rakija (, , , , , , , (reg. răchie), , ) is hard liquor similar to brandy, made by distillation of fermented fruits, popular throughout the Balkans. Its alcohol content is normally 40%, but home-produced rakia can be stronger, typically 50 to 60%. Prepečenica is double-distilled rakia, with alcohol content sometimes exceeding 60%. Rakia is considered to be the national ...rakia. The alcoholNo quick definition available. alcohol content can vary from 25-70% by volume, but most store-bought varieties are 40–45%.

It is the national drink of most of the Slavic Balkan states, where about 70% of plum production (average 424,300 tonnes per year (FAOThe Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Serving both developed and developing countries, FAO acts as a neutral forum where all nations meet as equals to negotiate agreements and debate policy. FAO is also a source of knowledge and information, and ...FAO 1991–2001) goes into slivovitz.

Slivovitz is a traditional digestifA digestif is a beverage, usually small and alcoholic, which is consumed at the end of a meal. Some believe that a digestif aids the digestion of food, and bitter or carminitive herbs are generally added to the alcohol. The term is lifted from French. Digestifs can be compared with apéritifs, which are drunk before a meal — usually, the digestif will be heavier and more alcoholic. A common rule of thumb is that white (clear) spirits are served as apéritifs while brown ones are served as digestifs. Digestifs are usually drunk ...digestif for AshkenaziAshkenazi Jews, also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim (Standard Hebrew: sing. אַשְׁכֲּנָזִי, pl. אַשְׁכֲּנָזִים; pronounced sing. [] pl. [], with [z] rather than with [] as in Tzar; also יְהוּדֵי אַשְׁכֲּנָז Yehudei Ashkenaz, "the Jews of Ashkenaz"), are descended from the medieval Jewish communities of the Rhineland, "Ashkenaz" being the Medieval Hebrew name for Germany. Many later migrated, largely eastward, forming communities in Germany, Hungary, Poland, Russia, Eastern Europe and ...Ashkenazi Jews:For the Jewish religion, see Judaism. For other uses, see Jew (other uses). A Jew (Hebrew: יְהוּדִי, Yehudi (sl.); , Yehudim (pl.); Ladino: ג׳ודיוס, Djudios; Yiddish: ייִד, Yid (sl.); , Yidn (pl.))Some uses of the term "Jew" are tainted by historical anti-Jewish ...Jews in Eastern EuropeEastern Europe is the eastern region of Europe variably defined. It can denote: # The region lying between the variously and vaguely defined areas of Central Europe and Russia. This contemporary delineation is more commonly used to identify the region since the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact #A diverse ...Eastern Europe; since it is made from plums and (unlike many distilled liquors) does not involve fermenting grain, it is considered kosher, "torn"); the Hebrew term refers to animals (from a kosher species such as cattle or sheep) which had been either incorrectly slaughtered or mortally wounded by wild beasts and therefore were not fit for human consumption. Among Sephardim, it typically only refers to meat that is not kosher. Sometimes, non-kosher food in ...kosher for passoverPassover (Hebrew: פֶּסַח, Tiberian: , Israeli: Pesach, Pesah, Pesakh, Yiddish: Paysokh), is celebrated on the 14th day of the month called Nissan (Leviticus 23:4; Numbers 9:3,5; 28:16), first month of the Jewish year (on the Hebrew calendar). It immediately precedes the Festival of Unleavened Bread (חַג הַמַּצּוֹת, , Chag Hamatzot/s), a Jewish holiday which begins on the 15th day of Nissan (Leviticus 23:6; Numbers 28:17, 33:3) and ...passover.

Rakia is supposed to be drunk from special small glasses (0.3 to 0.5 dl). It is often drunk warm, sometimes even heated (sugar is caramelized in a pan before the rakia is added) for better effect.