Alcohol and alcoholic beverages have become an essential part of the Slavic culture long time ago. Often the
titles of some traditional drinks have become a stereotypical national symbol of a certain country. Lexicological
units (single words and expressions, idioms, proverbs and sayings) which constitute the ideographic group
“The culture of drinking” can be found at every functional and stylistic level of the language.
This article provides an overview of the “alcoholic portrait” of the Ukrainians. Particular attention is paid to the
concept of горілкa (horilka). A special place is given to the descriptions of alcoholic drinks in Ukrainian – in
colloquial speech, slang, dialects as well as in phraseology.