Holy Crap Batman!!!! I finaly found a subject that I agree with Boroda on 100%
I was over in Odessa Ukraine during the summer of 2001 and had some of the best vodka I have ever tasted anywhere. I don't remember the brand but the Electronics Officer onboard one of the Ukrainian Frigates had us drinking a pepper vodka that was amazing. I also got to try some of the lemon vodka from Russia and that was real good. I ended up bring home a case of the local stuff, but it's all gone now
Need to get back over there some day. Between the vodka and all the six foot tall blonde women wearing see through summer dresses with nothing but a thong on, Odessa was a great port of call.
Most popular pepper vodka is from Nemiroff:
http://nemiroff.ua/ It's Honey-pepper, square bottles with red peppers inside:
http://nemiroff.ua/vodka/medova/ IMHO it's a little bit overpriced here in Russia. You can easily find it, at least in "Russian deli" stores. I have seen it in California and Queensland.
My favorite Ukrainian vodka brand is Soyuz-Victan,
http://www.sv.ua/en/main , especially their birch-bud stuff:
http://www.sv.ua/en/products/nature/part110 It's one of the smoothest and tastiest vodka I have tasted.
Speaking about pepper vodka - beware, it's really hot! You have to chase it immediately with a pickle, sour cabbage, or other "vodka food", like herring, onions,
salo etc. I like marinated marinated garlic scapes wrapped into thin slice of
salo (salted pork lard).