It’s burčák season once again.
Burčák is a Moravian drink made from grape juice normally produced between August to November. It is actually the earliest stage of wine fermentation, thus it is often called “young wine.” Each winemaker has his/her own secret technique in burčák-making, but the basic steps remain the same: juice derived from crushed grapes are fermented and at some point taken out for consumption. The alcohol level in Burčák is somewhere between 5%-8% and because it tastes like juice, it can be very deceiving.
My husband and I were at a county fair last weekend and we ended up buying burčák. Last night, burčák’s deceptive taste made me happy all night. At dinnertime, I generously consumed this sweet-tasting drink and ended up getting tipsy. The burčák that we bought must’ve had the maximum amount of alcohol allowed by law. I can’t believe it hit me that fast. I know I get drunk pretty easily, but eversince I’ve been here, I have increased my tolerance for alcohol. Gone were the days when a bottle of beer could get me drunk. Or so I thought. But I was no match for burčák. This sweet alcoholic drink is dangerous!
So if you are ever in the Czech Republic between August to November, beware of this cloudy white liquid that may proliferate in pubs, bars or county fairs. It may look and taste harmless, but may leave you crawling back home.
Na Zdravi!
Czech the Flip 
Sounds really good! Tipsy is nice once in awhile. Hope you didn’t have a hangover.
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I did. That’s the worst part. 🙂 But I was happy all night, so I guess that compensated for it.
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That is worth noting! We are looking at a River Boat tour of your environs next summer, and will try to remember Burcak if we go.
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If you come in August, it will be available by then. It is a great drink though….but one that needs to be consumed in moderate levels. 🙂
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Thanks for the warning. 🙂
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🙂
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Sounds quite delicious 😉
Oh well, some times letting the hair down is a good thing 😉
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I had that neuer wyn in Germany once….it is quite strong!!
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Never had that one. Now I know what else to look out for. 🙂
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Been there, done that. It’s always the harmless looking liquids that throw your equilibrium in the garbage. Also, I envy you. Always wanted to visit the Czech Republic. You have an interesting blog! I’ll be watching… 🙂
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Thanks for dropping by!
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I’ve just awarded you the Super Sweet Blogging Award! hope you can squeeze another one into your side bar!! http://wordswithnannaprawn.com/2012/08/31/caaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaake/
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Thank you very much!
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Ooh, now I’m going to keep an eye for it, Grace. Great post! P.S. One easy way to avoiding a hangover is to drink a glass of water for every glass of alcohol you consume.
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Thanks for the tip!
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