Czech spirits: slivovice, Becherovka and the rules around strong drink

Compare homemade plum brandies at a Czech family gathering and you will have an argument within minutes. Everyone knows an uncle, neighbour or father-in-law with the best one, from a particular tree in a particular village. Spirits here are less a bar category than a family and village tradition, with their own vocabulary, rules and tax regime. They also sit beside beer and wine in the drinking calendar.

Fruit spirits: slivovice and its relatives

Slivovice is plum brandy, distilled from fermented plums and usually bottled at around 40 to 50 per cent alcohol, depending on the producer. It is the most Czech of spirits, with its heartland in Moravia, around Vizovice and in Wallachia (Valašsko), where plum orchards are common. A good one is often aged in oak and sipped, not downed.

Slivovice is the best known of a larger family. Hruškovice is distilled from pears, meruňkovice from apricots, třešňovice from cherries and jablkovice from apples. Kmínka is a caraway-flavoured spirit, and borovička is a juniper spirit more associated with Slovakia but widely sold in Czechia. EU law protects a number of regional spirit names, so check the label if origin matters to you (as of 2026; check the Ministry of Agriculture).

Traditionally the spirit is not bought but made from your own fruit. Households with an orchard take the fruit, or the fermented mash, to a registered distillery. This is pěstitelské pálení (grower distilling), done under tax rules different from those for commercial production. Quantities and rates are set by law and the Customs Administration, so check before relying on any figure (as of 2026; check the Customs Administration, celnisprava.cz).

Becherovka and the herbal bitters

Becherovka comes from Karlovy Vary (Karlsbad), the spa town in western Bohemia. The company history begins in 1807, when the Becher family started selling a herbal bitter developed as a stomach tonic. The producer says only a few people know the recipe. The taste is cinnamon and clove with other herbs, and it is usually served ice-cold in a small glass. The brand belongs to the French group Pernod Ricard (as of 2026; check the producer's website). Becherovka with tonic is a Beton, a standard order in bars and pubs.

Fernet Stock has a different history. The Stock brand was founded by Lionello Stock in Trieste in the nineteenth century, and the company later opened a distillery in Plzeň. Fernet Stock is a well-known Czech herbal bitter, with a citrus variant popular in bars. Ownership has changed over time, so we do not trace it here.

Both are bylinné likéry (herbal liqueurs or bitters), traditionally drunk as digestifs. A small cold glass after a plate of dumplings and sauce, as in our guide to traditional Czech food, explains the habit better than any description.

Tuzemák: a rum that cannot be called rum

Tuzemák (tuzemský rum) is a domestic spirit that was historically sold as "Czech rum". It is not made from sugar cane but from sugar beet, flavoured with rum aroma. After Czechia joined the EU in 2004, EU rules on the definition of rum meant that a spirit sold under that name had to come from sugar cane, so the product is labelled differently, as Tuzemák or Tuzemský (as of 2026; check the EU spirit drinks regulation at europa.eu). It is used heavily in baking and hot drinks and is a familiar flavour in Czech Christmas pastries.

The 2012 methanol crisis and why labels matter

In September 2012, illegally produced spirits containing methanol caused a wave of poisonings in Czechia, and around 50 people died. The government banned the sale of spirits above 20 per cent alcohol nationwide. The ban lasted several weeks, through September and October, and was lifted in stages. It was a grim moment in the country's drinking history and it changed habits: sellers became more careful, inspections and customs enforcement tightened, and consumers turned more often to established shops (check the Customs Administration for current controls).

The lesson still holds. Buy spirits as sealed, properly labelled bottles from licensed shops, supermarkets or the producers, and avoid unlicensed sellers and unlabelled bottles, however traditional the story sounds. Homemade spirit given by friends is common, but that rests on trust.

Rules and etiquette

Alcohol may not be sold to anyone under 18 in Czechia (as of 2026; check the Ministry of Health). Czechia has a zero-tolerance rule for drivers. Customs rules for bringing alcohol across the border depend on whether you come from another EU country (for personal use, within guide levels) or from outside the EU (with limits on duty-free quantities). The Customs Administration publishes current limits, so check before you travel.

In a pub, spirits are ordered by the measure. A panák or štamprle is a small shot, and menus list the volume in centilitres. Measures of 2 cl and 4 cl are typical, but venues differ, so read the menu. A shot follows a toast of Na zdraví!, and at home you may be offered a glass of homemade spirit. Declining politely is acceptable.

A glass for the guest

Many households bring out a bottle for guests at weddings, at Christmas and when family visit. The offer is hospitality as much as a drink. If someone hands you a small glass of slivovice, raise it, say "Na zdraví!" and take a sip. You need not finish it, and you can decline, particularly if you are driving.

Quality varies enormously. Commercial slivovice from a named distillery is generally consistent. Homemade spirit depends on the fruit and on the distiller's care in separating the first and last parts of the run, which carry unwanted compounds. That is why the licensed route matters.

Mulled wine, mead and other winter drinks

Strong drink follows the Czech calendar. Christmas markets and winter events bring svařák (mulled wine), grog (hot water with rum or tuzemák), medovina (mead) and punč (punch). The distilleries are busiest in autumn, when the fruit is ripe.

To try a spirit properly, ask in a local shop or at the bar what people drink and pick a mid-range bottle from a named producer. Take it slowly; slivovice is not for the first hour of the evening.

Frequently asked questions

What is slivovice?

A plum brandy, typically bottled at around 40 to 50 per cent alcohol, and the best-known Czech spirit.

What is a Beton?

A mix of Becherovka and tonic, served cold.

Why is tuzemák not called rum?

EU rules reserve the name rum for spirit made from sugar cane. Tuzemák is made from sugar beet and flavoured, so it carries a different name.

Can I distil my own fruit spirit?

Czech law allows households to have their own fruit distilled at licensed distilleries under special rules. Other home distilling is regulated, so check the Customs Administration.