Krupnikas! Sveiks!*



Almost two weeks ago (sorry to just be catching up on posting so many recordings ‘in the can’) Page & I had the pleasure of having her cousins, Claire & Aris, visit for the weekend – primarily to watch the Cubs-Orioles weekend series. They brought us some lovely housewarming gifts – the first of which we tasted together for this podcast. Also joining us for this podcast is our friend, and fellow Cubs fan, Maureen.

The gift – Krupnikas, a traditional Lithuanian liqueur made by combining grain alcohol, honey, and spices. ‘Legend has it’ that it originated with Benedictine Monks in Belarus, and is know by simply Krupnik both there and in Poland. Krupnika(s) has a long tradition of being made on household stove tops, with family recipes playing a major role.

The Krupnkias that we enjoyed come from The Brothers Vilgalys Spirits in Durham, NC. Naturally their story started around their own stovetop, and then was founded as a business in 2012. They still keep a lot of the family tradition alive as the bottles are all hand marked, with both batch number and the name of the bottler (ours was Michelle, Batch No. 114)

Their business is growing and (especially if you live on the East Coast/Mid-Atlantic) you may be able to find this near you.

Sveiks!*

*Which I believe is how you spell the ‘Drink up!’ Lithuanian toast we enjoyed.