VODKA – WIFE’S DECEIVER

‘I must get out of these red clothes and into a dry vodka martini’ said Alexander Woolcott. Since the late 1940’s, vodka has been a great success worldwide. Russia and Poland, both lays claim to have given the world vodka. The Russians say that the word Vodka was originated from the Russian word ‘voda’ meaning water to which the diminutive K has been added. The polish source argue that the diminutive word wodka (from the polish word for water ‘woda’) passed into the Russian language from polish literature. It is thought to have originated in the 12th century and has appeared under such names as wodka, wodki, vodki, vodku, vodky and now vodka.

Vodka is essentially a neutral spirit and considering how simple it is, a surprising number of myths around it. The most persistent is that it is made from potatoes. Vodka can be made of anything that contains starch including potatoes, molasses and grapes although grain is the source of most vodka produced in the world today.

The grain is first pressure cooked and then ground. The mash is then cooled and mixed with water. Special enzymes are added to convert the starch into sugar. Yeast is then added and the fermentation takes place. It is distilled and rectified in a patent still into almost a pure spirit and slowly passed through vegetable or activated carbon. This ensures absolute purity by removing any remaining traces of color or flavor and so it achieves complete neutrality. Then, without maturing, it is reduced in strength to suit a specific market. There are other variations- some distillers mature their vodka for three years of more in casks, other add herbal infusions.

Following are the leading vodka brands in the world with their alcoholic percentage.
 

The US vodkas are perfect for being used in cocktails such as the Bloody Mary, Screwdriver Vodka Martini, Bull shot, and Black and White Russian. The Russian and Polish vodkas are enjoyed either on the rocks or straight preferably the latter. Today, over 200 international brands of vodka are available. They are made in the US, Poland, Finland, Russia, France, and Holland. However, qualities do differ and hence the price variation.

Questions:

1) What is the ageing requirement for vodka?
2) What is hunters vodka?
3) Name the polish drink similar to vodka, yellow / green in color.
4) What do you get when you replace vodka in Bloody Mary with tequila?
5) Name the famous Russian lemon flavored vodka.
6) Which is considered to be the strongest vodka produced in the world?
7) Name the famous brand, which uses corn to make vodka?
8) When and why did Russia ban the production of vodka?
9) An enterprising restaurateur trying to load excess ginger-ale blended various combinations of vodka, ginger ale and lime.

    What is this combination now popularly known as?
10) What is the alcoholic strength of British vodka?

Answers:

1) Vodka requires no ageing. It can be bottled the day its made.
2) Okhotnichya. Called hunters vodka because this vodka used to be drunk by the aristocrats of czarist Russia to celebrate a successful hunt.
3) Zubrowka. Each bottle contains a blade of buffalo grass floating in it.
4) Bloody Maria
5) Limonaya
6) Everclear.190 degrees
7) Smirnoff
8) Between 1914 – 1925. to counter a wave of drunkenness in the country.
9) Moscow mule
10)  37.4%