Among the various foreign spirits, vodka seems to be one of the more despised. It has no whiskey, brandy fragrance and mellowness, no tequila exoticism and local tycoon, no rum sweetness, and no fresh aroma of gin. Chinese who are accustomed to drinking liquor will feel that vodka is tasteless and tasteless, or even not "energetic".
But you can drink an entire cup of vodka effortlessly, so vodka is more popular at large parties or music festivals.
Who invented vodka?
When it comes to vodka, everyone thinks of Russia. Yes, the drunkards of Soviet Russia loved vodka the most, and they also made a lot of political jokes related to vodka, but if you say "vodka was invented by the Russians", the Poles will be anxious with you. As early as the early Middle Ages, poles began to make primitive vodka. The earliest known written record of vodka in the world is a Polish court document from 1405, when Poles called vodka "gorzałka," which means "burning." But after the 16th century, Poles began to call vodka "wódka", a word borrowed from the Russian word "водка", meaning "water", meaning a 180-degree change.
Polish vodka
The Russians could not produce earlier evidence to compete with the Poles for the status of inventor of vodka, but they held the title of the definer of vodka— the alcohol level of modern vodka is generally 40 degrees, a standard established by the Russians in 1843. It is rumored that this criterion is attributed to the famous Mendeleev, who established the periodic table of elements, and it was he who put forward the "scientific thesis" that "alcohol with an alcohol content of 38 degrees is most conducive to health" in his doctoral dissertation, which was later simplified by the tax department (for good calculation) to 40 degrees, unifying the standard. But the rumors were only rumors, in 1843 the great chemist was only 9 years old, and in order not to teach bad children, we could not force the title of vodka standard on the head of a young Mendeleev who was not yet of legal drinking age.
The essence of traditional vodka manufacturing
Poland, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, the Baltic states and the four Nordic countries except Denmark are traditional vodka producers, which are collectively known as the "vodkabelt". Vodka belt countries believe that only vodka made from grains and potatoes (at most with a beet molasses) is vodka. This consensus and the legislation based on this consensus were largely forced out by the emerging vodka-producing countries.
Compared with other foreign spirits, the most special thing in the manufacturing process of vodka is the two steps of distillation and filtration, and it is these two processes that make vodka have a characteristic as indifferent as water.
Fermented wine syrups have different boiling points for the various ingredients, so the time it takes for them to be distilled is also different. The distillation of vodka makes use of this principle. The liquid distilled during distillation is often divided into three parts according to time, the head is rich in esters, and the tail is rich in fusel oil, both of which have a strong aroma, which is incompatible with the purpose of vodka, so it will be thrown away, leaving most of it in the middle of alcohol. This practice is completely different from whiskey, brandy, liquor and other spirits, they will retain at least part of the head and tail in order to obtain a strong aroma.
Once distilled, it is possible to obtain a liquid that is not pure enough. Many vodka manufacturers will distill multiple times, or let the distilled liquid be filtered through charcoal or film, in an effort to make the wine more pure. After distillation and filtering, the alcohol content of the liquid will be higher than 40%, so it is necessary to add water to adjust the alcohol ratio before bottling.
Distillation and filtration are important, but lengthening the time and frequency of distillation and filtration will diminish the subtle aroma of vodka. Many Nordic distilleries that use continuous distillation like to do this, but some Eastern European distilleries emphasize their restraint in distillation and filtration.
Distillation equipment
How to taste pure vodka?
Vodka is an extremely inclusive spirit that has almost no taste, so it can be made into a variety of cocktails and can also be mixed with water. Drink as much as you like. But here we are only talking about pure drinking, and only in this way can we feel the characteristics of vodka.
The pleasure of pure vodka drinking lies in the sweetness and aroma after the entrance, in its sweetness and enthusiasm like water and fire.
Lit wine
This sweetness is not the sweetness of added sucrose, and it will not be so domineering that you will not feel any other taste in your entire mouth except it. It is more like the sweetness that slowly emerges after chewing bread for a long time, when the starch is decomposed by salivary amylase. Don't hesitate when drinking vodka, there is no need to let it rotate in the mouth, just swallow it quickly. When swallowed, the aroma of if there is no grain will fill your mouth and nose, and then a faint sweetness will emerge in your throat.
Vodka means water. In addition to the sweetness and aroma of food, the nature of water is also very important, which is particularly emphasized in Northern European vodka. Good vodka should flow smoothly through your tongue and throat, and when it falls into your stomach, you may feel a little warmth.
The best way to get the most out of a bottle of vodka is to throw the bottle in the freezer of the refrigerator and chill it. Rest assured, vodka is high and does not freeze in the refrigerator. Pour in the bullet cup and you will find that it has frozen to a sticky level, and if you drop a drop or two of water into the cup, the water will freeze before it spreads into the vodka, a dancing ice.
Frozen vodka
Freezing will control the irritation of the wine and make the sweet aroma of the wine easier for you to feel. Doing so often brings some unexpected surprises. For example, Ruslan is a Nepalese vodka brand that drinks at room temperature with a sour taste that you can never ignore. However, as soon as it is frozen, the sour taste of Ruslan will disappear and be replaced by a very tasty sweetness.
The following is going to introduce the five most exciting ways to drink vodka in history
TOP 01
This is the vodka version of tequila + salt + lemon. Sprinkle the most flushed black pepper into the vodka, suck deep into the fishy and spicy ginger, and quickly pour 50g of vodka into your mouth, which is said to be the most exciting drink ever.
TOP 02
Prepare 10 small wine glasses in a row, pour 10 different vodkas, which must be iced, and then drink them all in one sip. If you can't get together 10 kinds of 5 kinds, you can also do it. But it needs to be repeated twice.
TOP 03
Mix with 20 g vodka, 20 g rum, 20 g tequila, 20 g brandy, 20 g gin, 20 g whiskey and shake well. Take a bite out. The wine is called "Tomorrow", and when you know why, it is already tomorrow.
TOP 04
Vodka + mustard + hard brown bread. Take a bite of the hard black bread coated with green mustard, smell vodka quickly with a spicy nose, and the nasal cavity can be instantly relieved. Then the vodka was drunk, and the small universe exploded in the mouth.
TOP 05
Mix thin-walled hollow ice cubes with 75g vodka in the summer. Shake slightly, pour into the mouth at once, crunch and chew. Even people with poor alcohol can drink three drinks.