Kibkom North Cyprus Forum

Olives, pomegranates, zivaniya and Cyptus culture"........it’s says in Cyprus today, I have tried translate but zivaniya comes up as zivaniya. Can anyone tell me what it is?

It's a very strong grape based spirit-blows your head off!-all the supermarkets have it in the Booze section

It's and alcoholic drink made in Cyprus. Usually made from grapes but have heard moonshine has been made from potatoes and very high in alcohol content.
The drink is clear in colour.

Thanks

I have a bottle of it given to me by my late father. Its 100% spirit . You can set fire to it !

That's the real stuff. Under the counter job.

a the proper translation suggestion would be "cyprus grappa".

usually made from grape mash or, more traditionally, the residues from wine making = grape mash minus grape juice.

i would be a bit carefully about the local (home made) made stuff.. as the "destillation skills " here are.....say, a bit doubtful.

they do a single destillation only.. and thats not sufficient... under the counter jobs i never would drink.

kibsolar has it correct on the making of Zivania

They make it here in the North in Mehmetçik

Yep a form of grappa. Absolutely love it but it is very strong. Safa do quite a nice one. Alcohol content is over 40% so best kept in the freezer along with several shot glasses so it can be served good and cold. An acquired taste which we acquired a long time ago... ha ha

A doctor here prescribed it for toe fungus so it must be good!

How big does the glass have to be to get your toe in?

Toe size, but stick to cotton wool

Toeche!

Simply “cut” it one to one with water and mix with fav mixer

A TC friend of mine in Akincilar brews the stuff in a large metal drum in his garden. Don't ask me what it tastes like, I'm sworn off the stuff.

In its uncut form take a tea spoon full and set fire to it. If it doesn’t burn BLUE then do not drink it as impurities probably exist and can be detrimenttto your health.

http://www.expats.org.uk/features/alcoh ... flame.html

Set fire to it is not a porper testing method...

İ do not want to go deeper into how a proper destillation of spirits must be done...
But... the first run is a “crude destillation”, also called eg “wash still”, only, and basically is meant to get all alcohol (ethanol and methanol) and the taste out of the mash. as temperatures are too high, also methanol alcohol is in it.

Stuff “brewed” in a metal drum/pot over a garden fire is a danger for your health and the taste is horrible.

İn a second destillation, the “heart” (the drinkable stuff incl the nice taste and the ethanol alcohol) must be separated from the “foreshot”, which is full of fusel alcohols incl methanol, and the more and more waterly “feint”.
This you only can do with a proper copper destillation machine, preferably the mash heated up in a steam stray incl temperature and pressure control. and some experience.

We bought quite a lot of the Mehmetcik stuff and we destilled it a second time ( sometimes a third time). The foreshot of the Mehmetcik stuff was horrible stinking/tasting and just good enough for cleaning purposes. the "heart" was ok.

Maybe using it to clear toe fungus is the best idea

It’s a better way of testing it than not testing i t ...just sayin

Cypriots generally do not drink Zivaniya in it's pure alcohol form, it is a real headbanger.

They use it for sterilizing utensils and other equipment, and as a 'cure all' for rubbing into the skin for all manner of aches and pains. I know that it worked for me after a very severe fall onto the flat of my back onto a concrete base.

As mentioned above obtaining it is an 'under the counter' jobbie.

tt.

I really find the comments odd... zivania is a very normal after dinner drink in both the north and the south of Cyprus...it is almost like having for example a brandy after your meal... fine if people don’t like it, but it is like having grappa after an Italian meal.... and like marmite.. you either love it or hate it.... it is not an under the counter job, you can get it in any supermarket but have to confess have had the undercounter job and bought at local village festivals... it is the equivalent of schnapps in Germany and Austria and as I said grappa in Italy it is not pure alcohol.. but best straight from the freezer in a cold glass.

I personally think it is an under the counter drink.
I had some and spent the rest of the evening under a counter.

it is not an under the counter job, you can get it in any supermarket
mrsgee

What you can buy in Supermarkets is not the same as the illegally distilled stuff as philoz has discovered.

tt.

Tt as I said I have had both but do tend to stick to the supermarket stuff. Some years ago we went to a fish restaurant a bit dilapidated but good food, in yeni erenkoy. The owner served zivania which we enjoyed , he then directed us to a petrol garage that sold the illegal stuff.... it was good but you could probably run a car on it.... lol

I AGREE WITH YOU MRSGEE, GOT SOME FROM A FRIEND. IT WAS MADE IN LIMASSOL, VERY NICE - SORRY ABOUT CAPITALS - SHIFT KEY BROKEN

All clear 40-45Vol% stuff you could call a “german like schnapps”. This applies for say, Aquavit or Genever as well.
These are often made from grain, Vodka can be also made from potatoes
“fruit spirits” from, eg plums, cherrys are others examples.
Clear spririts are not stored in (old wine) wooden barrels for a couple of years like whisk(e)y, to add some taste and colour.
Zivania
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zivania
is a pomace brandy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomace_brandy
which is done in many countries under different names..
it is not a brandy or eg, cognac
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandy

So, the impression “zivania is like german schnapps” is a bit misleading, as a “german schnapps” does not exist.

Ok, forget about the the like - petrol- tasting- stuff brewed in a garden pot over a fire..… it is simply dangerous, no matter the taste.

Zivania in supermarkets….
If it is made in N. Cyprus, I would visit the company to see the distillation procedure. Or at least the plant…
Eg, "local brandy", is made of imported industrial alcohol and industrial made flavours incl colours.
It is a mixture of imported liquids filled in bottles, not the result of a “local distillation”.
That may apply for the production of "local Zivania" as well.
If so, sorry, I rather would go to the south and buy a bottle there.

Good Zivania, eg “from the monks”, does cost some money.