Slivovitz substitute

Best substitute

Kirsch

Use the same amount as the slivovitz you are replacing

Best for strudel and kolache doughs

Close match

Kirsch is the closest bottle most shops carry and swaps 1:1, since it is the same kind of clear dry fruit spirit with cherry in place of plum. Grappa or any clear fruit brandy works equally well. Ordinary brandy or Cognac also swaps 1:1 and is easiest to find, but it is barrel-aged, so it brings oak and a little sweetness. The key point is that slivovitz is bone dry, so never swap in a sweet plum liqueur at the same volume.

Other slivovitz substitutes

Ranked, with the exact amount to use

2Grappa or another clear fruit brandy
Close match
Use the same amount
Same dryness and the same assertive spirit heat, with a grapey, faintly grassy character instead of plum.
What changes
Cooked into fruit it disappears almost identically, since what it is contributing is aroma and alcohol rather than a specific fruit flavour.
Best for
fruit dumplings and knedle, strudel, poached fruit, baking
Any clear unaged fruit spirit works here: williams pear brandy, mirabelle, quetsch and framboise are all in the same family. Quetsch is actually a plum spirit, so grab it if you see it.
3Brandy or Cognac
Different taste
Use the same amount
The easiest bottle to find and a perfectly good swap in baking.
What changes
Because it is aged in oak it brings vanilla, caramel and a hint of sweetness that slivovitz does not have, so a plum dumpling made with it tastes rounder and more dessert-like rather than sharp and fruity.
Best for
cakes and tortes, soaking syrups, fruit fillings, braises
Excellent in baking, wrong for drinking neat as slivovitz. Armagnac behaves the same way and is a little more rustic, which suits Central European baking well.
4Calvados or apple brandy
Close match
Use the same amount
A dry fruit brandy with apple in place of plum, so it is drier and more clearly fruity than Cognac while still carrying some barrel character.
What changes
Especially good in Central European fruit desserts, where apple and plum sit happily side by side.
Best for
apple and plum strudel, fruit dumplings, cakes, poached fruit
A very natural fit for anything already containing apples. Young unaged apple brandy is closer to slivovitz than a long-aged Calvados, which starts to taste like Cognac.
5Vodka plus a drop of almond extract
Different taste
Use the same amount vodka plus ⅛ tsp almond extract per ¼ cup
Neutral spirit does the alcohol's job in a dough or a syrup, and the almond extract stands in for the plum-stone aroma that gives slivovitz its character.
What changes
Flat and characterless as a drink, entirely serviceable in a batter.
Best for
pastry and strudel doughs, cake batters, soaking syrups, fruit fillings
Go carefully with the extract, which is powerful; too much tastes of marzipan. This is the swap when you only need a tablespoon or two and do not want to buy a bottle.
6Unsweetened plum or prune juice with lemon (non-alcoholic)
Taste and texture differ
half the volume in juice plus water to make up the rest, with ½ tsp lemon juice
Honest about what it does and does not do: it replaces the plum flavour and none of the alcohol.
What changes
Doughs will not tenderise the same way and the flavour reads sweeter and softer, closer to a fruit compote note than a spirit one.
Best for
alcohol-free baking, fruit fillings, syrups, cooking for children
For just one or two tablespoons in a batter, water with a quarter teaspoon of almond extract is simpler and works at least as well. Do not expect the same short, tender pastry, since it is the alcohol that produces that.

What is Slivovitz?

Slivovitz is Slivovitz, spelled slivovice in Czech and sliwowica in Polish, is a clear, dry, high-strength plum brandy distilled across Central and Eastern Europe, with close relatives in Romanian tuica, Hungarian palinka and Balkan rakia.

Cooking tips

Slivovitz is usually 40 to 50 percent alcohol and completely dry. Do not swap in a sweet plum liqueur, umeshu or slivovitz-flavoured cordial at the same volume, because you will add a significant amount of sugar the recipe never accounted for and the result will be cloying.
In baking it does two separate jobs. It carries aroma, and it slightly inhibits gluten development, which is why a tablespoon in strudel or kolache dough gives a shorter, more tender pastry. Any spirit of similar strength reproduces the second effect, which is why even plain vodka is a reasonable swap in dough.
Alcohol does not fully cook off in a short bake, and none of it cooks off in an unbaked filling or a soaking syrup. If you are cooking for children or anyone avoiding alcohol, use the juice route rather than assuming the oven takes care of it.
Brushing hot plum dumplings or plum cake with a teaspoon of spirit just before serving delivers far more aroma than stirring the same teaspoon into the batter, where most of it bakes away. Save the good bottle for the finish.
Tuica, palinka, rakia and slivovice are all in the same family of Central and Eastern European fruit brandies and substitute for each other freely at 1:1. Only the base fruit changes, so if your shop has any of them, you are covered.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best substitute for slivovitz?

Kirsch, at one for one, because it is the same style of drink: a clear, dry, unaged fruit brandy with no sugar in it. Grappa and other clear fruit spirits such as quetsch, mirabelle or pear brandy work just as well. If you only have ordinary brandy or Cognac, use it at the same volume and expect a slightly sweeter, oakier result that is perfectly good in baking.

Is slivovitz sweet?

No, and this catches people out. It is a distilled spirit, so almost all of the sugar is fermented away and what remains is dry, strong and fruity in aroma rather than in taste. Anyone reaching for a sweet plum liqueur or a plum wine as a substitute will add sugar the recipe did not plan for, which is why dry brandies are the correct swap.

Can I leave the slivovitz out of a recipe?

If it is a tablespoon or two in a dough or a filling, yes, and you can replace it with water or milk. You lose a faint fruit aroma and, in pastry, a small amount of tenderness, since alcohol slightly slows gluten formation. If it is a larger quantity in a syrup, a cocktail or a soaked cake, leaving it out changes the recipe substantially and you should substitute another spirit instead.

Are tuica, palinka and rakia the same as slivovitz?

They belong to the same family and swap for each other freely at one to one. Slivovitz specifically means plum, palinka is the Hungarian term for fruit brandy generally, tuica is Romanian and usually plum too, and rakia is the Balkan term covering plum, grape and other fruits. All are clear, dry and strong, so any of them will do the job of the others.

What is a non-alcoholic substitute for slivovitz?

Unsweetened plum or prune juice diluted with water, using half juice and half water plus a squeeze of lemon, is the best flavour match. Be clear about the trade-off: it supplies the plum note and none of the alcohol, so pastry will not turn out quite as short and tender. For small amounts in a batter, water plus a quarter teaspoon of almond extract is simpler and just as effective.

Related substitutes

More alcohol & vinegars substitutes

Slivovitz substitute

Other slivovitz substitutes

2Grappa or another clear fruit brandy

3Brandy or Cognac

4Calvados or apple brandy

5Vodka plus a drop of almond extract

6Unsweetened plum or prune juice with lemon (non-alcoholic)