Oghi (sometimes oghee, hy, օղի ''òġi''; colloquially aragh) is an Armenian spirit distilled from fruits or berries. It is widely produced as
moonshine
Moonshine is high-proof liquor that is usually produced illegally. The name was derived from a tradition of creating the alcohol during the nighttime, thereby avoiding detection. In the first decades of the 21st century, commercial dist ...
from home-grown garden fruits all across Armenia, where it is served as a popular welcome drink to guests and is routinely drunk during meals. Arguably, Armenian oghi is not "vodka" at all (see
Vodka war
Vodka war refers to heated discussions within the European Union about the definition of which hard liquors may or may not be branded as "vodka".Askeran District in the Republic of Artsakh.
Varieties
*''Tuti oghi'' – mulberry oghi (commercial brand name ''Artsakh'', from Nagorno-Karabakh)
*''Honi oghi'' – from hon, a small red berry (
cornelian cherry
''Cornus mas'', commonly known as cornel (also the Cornelian cherry, European cornel or Cornelian cherry dogwood), is a species of shrub or small tree in the dogwood genus ''Cornus'' native to Southern Europe and Southwestern Asia.
Description
It ...
)
*''Tsirani oghi'' – from apricots
*''Tandzi oghi'' – from pears
*''Khaghoghi oghi'' – from grapes
*''Salori oghi'' – from plums
*''Moshi oghi'' – from blackberry
*''Tzi oghi'' – from figs
*''Khundzori oghi'' – from apples
in Turkey, or ouzo in Greece.''The Heritage of Armenian Literature'' Vol. III, p. 815, by Agop Jack Hacikyan, Gabriel Basmajian, Edward S. Franchuk, Nourhan Ouzounian, Wayne State University Press, 2000, In the Prohibition-Era United States, Armenians produced bootleg Oghi from raisins and flavored it with anise. In the old country of Western Armenia, the oghi was often made from grape pomace, or from mulberries, and was sometimes flavored with
anise
Anise (; '), also called aniseed or rarely anix is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae native to Eurasia.
The flavor and aroma of its seeds have similarities with some other spices and herbs, such as star anise, fennel, licorice, and ta ...
, mastic, or even cardamom or orange peel, as well as other herbs or spices. In the region of Kharpert as well as nearby Chnkoosh, oghi was usually made from mulberries.
See also
* Chacha, a Georgian pomace brandy, sometimes called "Georgian vodka"
* Pálinka, a Hungarian distilled liquor also derived from fruits or nuts
*
Rakia
Rakia, Rakija, Rachiu or Raki (), is the collective term for fruit spirits (or fruit brandy) popular in the Balkans. The alcohol content of rakia is normally 40% ABV, but home-produced rakia can be stronger (typically 50%).
Etymology
Fruit sp ...
, fruit spirits of the Balkans
*
Flavoured liquor
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Flavored liquors (also called infused liquors) are liquors that have added flavoring and, in some cases, a small amount of added sugar. They are distinct from liqueurs in that liqueurs have a high sugar content and may also contain glyce ...
, which includes flavoured vodkas
* Baijiu, a Chinese distilled liquor sometimes called "Chinese vodka"
*
ShÅchÅ«
is a Japanese distilled beverage. It is typically distilled from rice, barley, sweet potatoes, buckwheat, or brown sugar, though it is sometimes produced from other ingredients such as chestnut, sesame seeds, potatoes, or even carrots.
Ty ...
, sometimes called "Japanese vodka"
* Soju, a Korean distilled drink, sometimes called "Korean vodka"