After a long day of hard work, sometimes you need a little something to take the edge off. In the coal country of central and eastern Pennsylvania, Lithuanian and Belarusian immigrants used the “coal miner’s cure”: boilo, modeled after Lithuanian krupnika, which combines vodka, honey, spices, vanilla, and citrus peel, and then is left to age. Krupnika, usually sipped at room temperature, is common at wintertime Slavic celebrations and holidays. Boilo, served hot like a toddy, is sipped right away. Given how easy it is to make at home, it’s a fun project to share with friends on any given winter night.
About Boilo
Boilo is often served in a batch, however, this recipe makes only one drink. If you prefer to batch it, double or triple the ingredients. You can buy it ready-made if you’d rather taste someone else’s. Coal Country Boilo, a woman-owned company in Orwigsburg, Pennsylvania, sells boilo batch kits that take out the guesswork. But when I learned about it, I wanted to try it myself.
Like many recipes with strong folk traditions behind them, however, the measurements are inexact. Think about your audience when you decide how much moonshine to put in there: easy does it for the uninitiated. I used Honest Hillbilly, a clear whiskey from Pittsburgh-based Lucky Sign Spirits. I love Lucky Sign’s liquor, and Honest Hillbilly remains faithful to pre-prohibition methods of distillation. Lucky Sign’s goal was to “reclaim” moonshine, often used as a pejorative, as a part of Appalachian and American history on the whole. So, I thought it would be perfect for Boilo. But you can use whichever liquor you like. Some people use ginger ale in their Boilo, some swear by Four Queens whiskey, but at the end of the day, the best Boilo is the one you develop for yourself on a chilly winter evening.
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Boilo
Description
A drink tied to working-class Slavic communities in the Rust Belt that goes beyond a simple hot toddy.
Ingredients
- 1 cup hot water
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 orange, sliced
- 1 lemon, sliced
- 1 tsp whole cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick for garnish
- 1 cup Lucky Sign Spirits Honest Hillbilly Whiskey or whiskey of your choice
- Dash of cinnamon powder, to taste
- Optional spices and additions for customization: Star anise, caraway seeds, allspice berries, raisins
Instructions
- Combine ingredients sans whiskey in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
- Add whiskey and lower heat drastically so alcohol does not burn off.
- Pour into a clear, heat-proof glass or mug and garnish with cinnamon stick.
Recipe by Emma Riva
Photography by Dave Bryce
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