Toxic moonshine killed 13 Iranians and blinded five others in the southern city of Shiraz, state media reported on Saturday.
The official news agency in Iran, where alcohol is banned, said 60 people were taken to hospital after knocking back the deadly homebrew and 20 were still in a critical condition.
State television showed the victims stretched out on hospital beds and rigged up to drips.
The home-made vodka still in the town of Shiraz is being analysed, but alraedy officials are suggesting the substance may have contained methanol - a flammable and poisonous liquid used in solvents and fuels.
Alcoholic beverages are illegal and considered sinful under Islamic law in Iran. However, home-made brews tend to be cheap and available.
Lashing is the usual punishment for alcohol consumption convictions in Iran, and distribution convictions can include lashes, fines and prison time.
A television broadcast reminded viewers alcohol has been outlawed since the 1979 Islamic revolution but it is, however, widely available in Iran, where it is smuggled across the nation's borders.
PA &