Drahun family juice producer, Verbovets

Drahun is a small family business making natural juices in the village of Verbovets in the Berehove district (Vylok community), on the warm plain not far from the Tysa River. Behind the brand are brothers Volodymyr and Mykhailo Drahun, originally from Novoselytsia in the Tiachiv area. In the 1990s they worked abroad, including on a Czech fruit farm, where they learned how commercial orchards are run. Back home they settled in Verbovets, built their houses, planted an orchard, bought processing equipment and started producing juice under the family name — a story of people who brought European know-how to a Transcarpathian village and chose to work their own land.

Why look for Drahun juice

Drahun is not a tourist attraction with scheduled tours: it is a working farm, and visits to the orchard or the press room are not confirmed. The product itself, however, is well worth seeking out if you want to take home something genuine from Zakarpattia. The simplest way is to call the producer, arrange a purchase and ask whether you can collect the juice in Verbovets itself — a handy chance to buy straight from the makers if you are travelling around Berehove or Vynohradiv. The family also supplies partners in Zakarpattia and Kyiv, so ask by phone about the nearest stockists.

The large 5-litre packs are especially practical for a family holiday in the Carpathians, a group renting a house or a hiking base camp: there is no glass to carry, and an opened pack stays fresh for a long time.

What to try and buy

• Cold-pressed apple juice — cloudy, pasteurised, with no colourings, sugar or preservatives;
• apple-based blends — with grape, raspberry, beetroot or carrot (range as listed by the producer in 2017; check what is available now).

The juice is packed in bag-in-box cartons with a tap: once opened, it is not exposed to air and keeps for up to ten days, while an unopened pack lasts up to a year. According to the producer, about 1.8 kg of fresh fruit and vegetables goes into each litre. Natural sediment is normal for this kind of juice, so give the pack a shake before pouring.

The farm's orchard covers about 10 hectares near the village. Its own apples are not yet enough to keep the press fully busy, so part of the fruit is bought from old orchards in the Tiachiv and Khust areas. Zakarpattia is one of Ukraine's main fruit-growing regions: the plain along the Tysa and the foothills have long been famous for apples, pears and plums, and many old collective-farm orchards now stand neglected. Small producers like Drahun give their harvests a second life.

Practical information

• Address: 2 Holovna St., Verbovets, Berehove district, Zakarpattia region.
• Phone: +38 097 486 21 26, +38 066 498 62 29, +38 098 969 81 10.
• E-mail: [email protected]; Facebook page "Соки Драгун".
• Hours and prices: not published — arrange purchases, quantities and collection by phone in advance.

Getting there. Verbovets lies between Vynohradiv and Vylok. By car, the easiest route is via Vynohradiv and then along the local road towards Vylok; from Berehove the drive takes about an hour. The nearest transport hubs are Vynohradiv and Berehove, served by buses from Uzhhorod and Mukachevo; from there take a local bus or a taxi to the village. Always call ahead to make sure someone will be there to meet you.

Website and social media: facebook.com

Photos: zaktour.gov.ua; regnews.com.ua; friga.ua.