It is one of the most loved spirit in the world, it is the basis of many cocktail must but it is also the basic ingredient for many tasty and whimsical variants: vodka It is one of the indispensable protagonists of the Mixology world to know well to choose to drink the best. It is the most atypical of the spirits: ifwhiskey, tequila,Gin, rum, brandy and grappa owe their perfume and their flavor to the distillation process and conservation within wooden barrels, vodka goes against the current and in the preparation phases it searches for complete purity made of neutral taste and perfume.
It was born in the East of Europe, but it is so loved all over the world that new distilleries specialized between the US, Europe, Canada and even Japan always sprout.
How much do you know about vodka? Prepare to read our complete guide.
History of vodka and types of vodka
A legend Russa says that the Cossack Knights, during an attack, found themselves in front of a lake that could allow the enemy to escape. Thea little That followed the regiment in battle thus decided to bless the water of the lake: he transformed it into vodka so that the knights could drink it and pass it on the other side to skip the enemies. Fascinating and with an impressable aura of purity, the Vodka History It unfolds from 1400 onwards.
He was born in Eastern Europe, between Poland and Russia. His first appearance took place in a Polish document of 1405, cited in a register of the government headquarters, in which he is definedwaterThanks to the clean and light taste, despite the important alcoholic degree. In Poland of 1520 numerous distilleries were already active both official and clandestine while in Russia, in 1649, Tsar Alessio decided to promulgate an imperial code for the production of vodka: even the noble landowners could have an alembic for small private consumption productions .
The term vodka with its modern meaning appeared in a document of the kingdom of the empress Caterina II who regulated the ownership of some distilleries. The first incursion to Europe, on the other hand, is thanks to Napoleon, who met the distillate during the Russia countryside in 1812: he rocked large quantities and used him to warm his troops, now in the street. The real European diffusion is dated 1917, with the Russian revolution and the rise of the Bolsheviks led by Lenin: the Russian exiles, all nobles who knew the secret for the preparation of the distillate, emigrated to France to save themselves from the mass periods of the communist regime , bringing with him the tricks for the preparation of the delicious vodka.
One of the best known examples is certainly that of Piotr Smirnoff, to whom the plant founded in 1860 was confiscated. Smirnoff emigrated to Turkey and then in Poland, where he opened a new distillery, then deciding 1925 to settled definitively in Paris. The same fate involved other well -known names related to vodka: the Romanoff family, Count Keglevich and Prince Eristoff.
The types of vodka they can summarize in two macro categories:
- there Pure vodka: Generally with a completely neutral flavor and smell thanks to different distillation and filtration processes, in some cases it can maintain typical aromas derived from raw materials - as hints of anise, rye, spices and wins.
- There Flavored vodka: a very widespread genre includes all those variations to fruit, spices or aromatic herbs. The aromas are added with maceration, distillation or percept.
There smooth vodka- ALIA, without another ingredient in accompaniment - so loved by expert drinkers, it is appreciated both pure and flavored.
How vodka is made
Before finding out how vodka is done, it is important to understandwith what the vodka is made. To obtain maximum purity, the main ingredients to obtain a quality vodka are very rich of starch and sugars: rye, barley, wheat or potatoes.
How do you make vodka?First of all, the raw materials are macerated in the water and let them ferment with selected yeasts until the 8 alcoholic degrees are reached. We then move on to the first distillation during which the fermented compound is heated until it evaporates. The steam is then collected in the coolator in which it condenses and, when liquid returns, the second distillation starts which eliminates the initial and final part of the alcohol - that is, the less valuable parts.
Extract the best from this process, they can follow other distilles to obtain a neutral taste and smell as possible. Once the various preparation phases are finished, water, rain or source can be used, to obtain the desired final alcohol content.
How many degrees does vodka have?
There gAlcoholic rational of vodka Generally it oscillates between 40 and 60% vol. Then there are limit cases, such as that of a typical Polish vodka, which even reach 96% vol.! THE degrees of smooth vodka, therefore, depend only on the type of distillate and the brand we choose.
To give some famous examples, the different brands such as:
- Family Made Vodka Ketel One,
- the Vodka Crystal Head,
- the Vodka Belvedere,
- The Vodka Cîroc
- and Gray Goose
They all have alcoholic gradation equal to 40% vol.
Vodka and diet: how many calories of vodka are there?
The Vodka calories They are quite contained compared to those of other distillers: by doing an average of the research in this regard, for a shot le Smooth vodka calories I am 99. The count rises to230 calories for 150ml and still increases based on the ingredients that make up a cocktail: if we add fruit juices or other not particularly sugary distillates we can go beyond 360 calories per 150ml.
To give some practical examples, a 30ml shot of each of these contains about 96 calories:
- Family Made Vodka Ketel One,
- Smirnoff,
- Gray Goose,
- Skyy
- Absolut
- and stolichnaya.
How much does vodka cost?
The cost of vodka It varies, as for all spirits, based on the brand and quality, but it still remains a distillate within the reach of all the pockets. From the most popular brands available in supermarkets around 10 euros, passing for bottles more from connoisseurs about 30 euros and ending with the most sought after ones that can exceed 100 euros.
How to serve vodka and the best cocktails with vodka
Let's dwell on the most pleasant topic: the time to taste this delicious distillate. First of all, how to serve vodka? Tradition would like smooth vodka to be served in classic glass Russian who is nothing more than a small glass with flared walls. In some cases it can also go in A cocktail cup, but the thing is certain: if it is the ingredient of a cocktail, then it should be served in a tumbler.To taste it at best, vodka must becold, but not frozen! You can keep it in the refrigerator, perhaps together with the glasses in which you will pour it.
With what to drink vodka? Thanks to its neutral flavor, this distillate is among the most adaptable and easy to mix with the aroma of other ingredients. Vodka goes very well with fruit, with fruit syrups (such as the immortal Cosmopolitan demonstrates), with coffee (as in the Espresso Martini, a sip of pure energy), with fruit flavored liqueurs, spices and to herbs, with chocolate and so on. It's a real passe-partout!
How to make a cocktail with vodka? We can start from the great classics:
- Moscow Mule you can do it by mixing vodka, ginger beer and lime juice, without forgetting 1 slice of lime;
- Caipiroska includes vodka, lime, strawberries, brown sugar and chopped ice to taste,
- The Long Island Iced Tea requires a few more ingredients: the inevitable vodka, the white rum, the triple sec, the tequila, the gin, the lemon juice, the sugar syrup and the cola,
Just to give some examples.
The nio cocktails with vodka
You don't want to go crazy between bottles, stir, shaker and varied instruments, but you have a great thirst for Vodka base cocktail? No problem: Nio cocktails has tasty solutions to quench your palate. These are our vodka base cocktails:
- Vodka Sour, a great classic with Family MadeVodka Ketel One, acido citric and zliquid ucchero, super thirst -quenching and fresh;
- Cosmopolitan, a must -style must with Family MadeVodka Ketel One, CoinTreau, blueberry syrup and bio citric acid;
- Garden of Russia, a very fragrant Signature created by our Master Mixologist Patrick Pistolesi with Family Made VOdka Ketel One, LIquore with the flowers of Sambuco Bols, acido citricio bio and zliquid ucchero;
- Espresso Martini, an 80s icon with an energizing touch with Family Made VodkaKetel One and Caffè Fair liqueur.
Compose a box With your favorite nio cocktails!