Kilju

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This article is about the traditional Finnish drink. For the county in North Korea, see Kilchu.

Equipment used to make kilju and a bottle of unclarified kilju.

Kilju (pronounced [ˈkilju]) is a Finnish home-made alcoholic beverage made from water, sugar, and yeast. Due to its low cost and simple making method kilju is a relatively common beverage among young people and alcoholics. Kilju is often produced improperly, causing upset stomachs for the drinkers and bad reputation for the drink. Properly producing kilju is similar to making wine, involving good hygiene and clarifying the product. Kilju can be refined into pontikka (Finnish moonshine) by the means of distillation. A batch of kilju on fermentation is often called poika (literally "boy").

Kilju is often mixed with juice or other beverages to alter its unique taste and aroma. It can be spiced with oranges, lemons or other sour fruits to neutralize the bitter side tastes of impurities.

Making kilju without fruit or berries is illegal in Finland. They can be used in the fermentation process in order to avoid legal consequences and to flavour the drink. A kind of kilju can be made using orange juice; this way no yeast is required if the juice is frozen before fermentation. However, this can result in alcohols other than ethanol being formed.

Because kilju does not benefit from maturing it is best enjoyed fresh. If compared to wines, kilju relates most closely to home-made wine or Beaujolais nouveau, which is enjoyed without any maturation process.