Slivovica

Slivovica - (pronounced: sliv - o - veet - sa) the national drink: "For centuries during Slovakia's long stint under Hungarian rule, the area's peasant population had little access to wine or beer. Slovak wine generally went to nobles throughout the kingdom, although the lower-quality stuff did serve as an every-day drink in wine-producing areas. Beer, the beverage of the rising burgher class, cost too much for most peasants to buy, and it was illegal to make it without a license from the king.
These social relations held through much of Central Europe, but they didn't stop people from drinking. A grand tradition of home-distilled liquor, made from fruit grown in the family garden, arose. The most famous is slivovica, a fiery clear brandy made from plums. Traditionally, a meal starts with a shot of this strong nectar. While the stuff you find in pubs and bottled in supermarkets is too often just firewater, a homemade slivovica can be a marvelous, warming drink on a cold night. Similar distillates are made from cherries, pears, and raspberries."

I think it is fairly clear that we had the "firewater" variant...
shan

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