samogon means in Russia, home-distilled illegal spirit, similar to vodka; moonshine. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 88 out of 100.
Why “samogon” is a great word
SAMOGON — [Noun] A potent, illicitly home-distilled spirit prevalent in Russia and neighboring regions. Borrowed from Russian самого́н (samogón), from само- (samo-, “self”) + the stem of гнать (gnatʹ, “to drive, to distill”), thus meaning 'self-distilled'. Unlike vodka—a regulated, commercial product of the state—or moonshine—an American term evoking backwoods corn mash—samogon is the artifact of a defiant, Slavic self-reliance. It is the metallic bite from a makeshift copper coil, the faint, yeasty perfume permeating a communal stairwell, and the clear, fiery liquid measured into a recycled jam jar—a private rebellion distilled not merely from grain, but from circumstance.
noun
- In Russia, home-distilled illegal spirit, similar to vodka; moonshine.“I'd be given a room in a peasant's house, next door to the cowshed, and light chores, […] drinking tea with whoever fancied himself as the local liberal, keeping them company over samogon in winter […]”