Drinking Culture

The first toast of an evening almost always comes with the word Budmo. It roughly means "let us be" or "to us." Only once everyone has raised their glass does the drinking begin, never alone beforehand. The person giving the toast changes with each round, so that by the end of a long evening, everyone has had their turn.

A glass of vodka here never appears on the table without zakuska. These small, salty or sour bites include pickled cucumbers, salo (cured pork fat), or a piece of dark rye bread. They're eaten after each sip, not before, to immediately temper the sharpness of the alcohol.

Vodka here is drunk ice cold and neat, in small glasses emptied in one go rather than sipped. Diluting vodka with ice cubes is considered a breach of style. The chill comes from the freezer where the bottle is kept, not from ice in the glass.

At celebrations like weddings or larger gatherings, toasts follow an unspoken rule: an odd number of toasts for joyful occasions, an even number at wakes. This convention is widespread across much of Eastern Europe and holds true here too, from Kyiv to Poltava.

Refilling glasses is traditionally the host's job, not the guests'. An empty glass is taken as a silent request to be filled again. Anyone who doesn't want more simply turns their glass upside down or covers it with their hand.

The final toast of an evening is traditionally dedicated to the journey home, na pososchok, literally "for the walking stick." It's one last small sip that brings the gathering to a close.