By
George Brozowski
Have
you ever noticed how every word in the Italian language ends
in a vowel; pizza, spaghetti, cannoli, asiago, vino, pasta,
Roma, via, Giovanni, Machiavelli, etc., etc. Many others end
with two vowels; aria, formaggio, silenzio, etc. Also the
Italians tend to simply add a vowel to the end of any foreign
language word to automatically make it Italian; problem /
problema, machine / macchina, automobile / automobilia. And
now they seem to have latched onto Vodka.
Well
those wily Italians might be taking it too far when they try
to claim vodka as their own. Wars have been started between
Poland and Russia as to who and where vodka originated.
However,
these guys just might have invented, reinvented, discovered
or rediscovered something quite interesting
The
word "vodka" was recorded for the first time in
1405 in court documents from the Palatinate of Sandomierz
in Poland. At that time the word vodka (wódka), referred
to chemical compounds, medicines, and cosmetics while the
popular beverage was called gorzaíka, from the Old
Polish gorzec meaning to burn. The word vodka written in the
Cyrillic alphabet appeared first in 1533, in relation to a
medicinal drink brought from Poland to Russia by merchants.
A
number of Russian pharmaceutical lists contain the terms "vodka
of grain wine" and "vodka in half of grain wine".
Grain wine was a spirit distilled from alcohol made from grain
(as opposed to grape wine) and hence "vodka of grain
wine" would be a water dilution of a distilled grain
spirit.
According
to the Gin and Vodka Association (GVA), the first documented
production of vodka was in Russia in the late 9th century.
The
first known vodka distillery was documented almost two hundred
years later at Khylnovsk, Russia. Poland lays claim to having
distilled vodka even earlier in the 8th century but as this
was a distillation of wine it would be more appropriate to
consider it a crude brandy. The still allowing for distillation
- the "burning of wine" - was invented in the 8th
century.
And
so what in the hell does all this historical stuff have to
do with those wily Italians today? According to the good folks
at I Spirit Italian Vodka, they trace their
vodka roots back to 1195 in Venice to an alchemist known as
Il Bianco (the White One) who discovered the "elixir
of long life" which instantly made him as loved and famous
as Lady Gaga, another famous Italian.
Well
as it turns out, these guys have brewed up a vodka using grain
and white grapes. Yes, they are making vodka using some grapes.
What kind of grapes and exactly what kind of grain seems to
be a state secret committed to parchment paper and sealed
in a bottle and dropped to the bottom of Lake Como.
This
is actually a very nice and very interesting super-premium
vodka. Similar to all the better vodkas in this category it
is an odorless, tasteless and very smooth spirit. However
it ups the ante with its secret ingredient of grapes. The
grapes really don't change the taste or aroma profile but
add a bit of body to the mouth feel that makes this vodka
just that much more interesting and makes it stand apart from
the others. At around $31.00 per bottle it's certainly worth
a try and is definitely a keeper.
For
more Rants & Raves click
here.
www.ispiritvodka.com