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Post by Bonobo on Apr 24, 2009 19:05:41 GMT 1
Bruce Willis to endorse Polish vodka
Polish Market
2009-04-23
American celebrity actor Bruce Willis is to advertise Polish Sobieski vodka. According to the 4-year contract the actor will earn USD 16 million, Rzeczpospolita daily reports.
The ad campaign is to kick off this month. The Sobieski vodka ads will appear in Spain, France, Baltic States, Ukraine and China – where the vodka brand is to be sold for the first time. Belvedere, the owner of the brand, believes that the product advertised by Willis will become one of the three most popular vodkas in the world within three years. According to a ranking by Impact magazine, Sobieski is currently the 7th most popular premium vodka in the world Gazeta Wyborcza reports.
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Post by Bonobo on May 24, 2009 16:30:28 GMT 1
The best vodka in town
Cathrin Schaer
WA today
May 18, 2009
Some philistines will tell you all vodka tastes the same. But this is simply not true. All vodkas may taste similar but the connoisseur knows there are subtle differences.
For instance, vodka from the Scandinavian regions, say Absolut or Finlandia, generally has a cleaner taste than others; it is supposedly so pure Swedish ambulance drivers use it for first aid when they run out of disinfectant. Vodka from Russia is rough and dirty, the sort of shot that makes hairs grow on your chest.
And Poland? Well, aside from competing with the Russians to be considered the birthplace of vodka, the country has a reputation for making some of the nicest-flavoured vodkas in the world.
All of this is why, when my would-be travelling companion suggested a weekend in Warsaw, I didn't immediately think: historic architecture on wide, cobbled streets, good-looking locals with high Slavic cheekbones or former Eastern bloc interests - even though it is true that Warsaw has all of these and more. Instead, I thought, "Awesome, I am going to drink the best Polish vodka I can find."
On arriving in Warsaw, I worry every Polish person I meet by immediately asking them where I can find the best vodka and where I can go on one of these vodka tours I have heard about.
Vodka has played an integral part in Polish culture for centuries. It first appeared in this region of Europe in the ninth century, when a 100 per cent pure, clear alcohol arrived with either Arabian traders or Italian monks. However, rather than being mixed into delicious rustic cocktails, this early vodka was used variously as an antiseptic, an anaesthetic, to clean silverware and jewellery, and cure foot odour.
It wasn't until the end of the 14th century that distillation processes we would recognise today arrived. And this is where the Poles claim that they made vodka earlier than the Russians - a court record from 1405 mentions the spirit; it wasn't mentioned by name in Russian documents until 1751.
"Vodka is a very important part of our national puzzle," explains a Polish artist I meet. "The nobles once paid the peasants for their work in vodka and at one time soldiers were guaranteed one litre of vodka per day. But of course," he notes, "this is not very good for our civilisation. "
Vodka is not exactly a luxury product in Poland today - the folks I was questioning did not see vodka in the same exalted way I did. Many of them preferred scotch, tequila or beer. I also find out more about the vodka tours I have heard about. It turns out these are not exactly meant for serious vodka lovers; they are apparently best for British drunks here on a buck's weekend. Hence the traces of disdain I detect in my Polish hosts' voices.
Still, despite all of these reactions and the absence of a serious vodka tour, I am not deterred. I still want to find, and taste, the best Polish vodka, and what better place to start than at dinner at Chlopskie Jadlo. It's a Polish chain popular with visitors and locals and this particular outlet is decorated with what appears to be old-fashioned farming equipment. The waitresses wear folk costumes.
It's kitsch but the food is good, genuinely Polish, hugely filling and the waitress is more than happy to advise us on vodka. I'm told she is particularly friendly because we are drinking our vodka Polish-style, that is, neat and in one gulp.
We try krupnik, a honey vodka drunk for breakfast in the mountains, as well as subrezty, a sour-sweet vodka, a cherry flavoured vodka and Siwucha, a potato vodka.
Our table agrees: the potato vodka is best. The friendly waitress says Siwucha is a little like a Polish moonshine known as bimber.
Despite its illegality, everyone makes it or knows someone who makes it. Late last century, at the time of what might best be described as prohibition imposed by the Russian government, many Polish families produced their own vodka.
Later that same night, discussing vodka with the handsome bartender with appropriately high Slavic cheekbones at one tiny, well-hidden watering hole, I find out that I might be able to buy some bimber at the Jarmark Europa market in the Dziesieciolecia Stadium.
This used to be one of Europe's biggest outdoor markets, with more than 5000 stallholders. It has since been reduced in size as the stadium will be renovated for the 2012 European Cup.
The next day I drag my travelling companion away from the tourist ghetto and across the Vistula River in a tram.
The market is a shanty town of narrow, rubbish-strewn alleys covered with corrugated iron and canvas sheets. African men roam about bearing plastic shoes, which they thrust in potential buyers' faces, Vietnamese immigrants hawk cheap cotton frocks and floral-sprigged knickers, Polish farmers sell sausage and mysterious jars from the back of battered vans. The jars look suspiciously like bimber but for whatever reason - we might have arrived too late, we look too respectable or too foreign, it might be the language barrier or the fact that we are too timid to ask anyone - we don't find any bimber for sale.
Apparently, this is not such a bad thing. Bimber is great if you want to go blind, another of my impromptu Polish vodka advisers warns me much later. "You don't know what you are getting with bimber; it's the methanol. It can kill you, you know."
Mildly disappointed, I decide simply to buy some souvenir vodka on the way back to central Warsaw. But at the liquor store, when I carefully interrogate yet another Pole about illegal liquor, he tells me there is actually a legal bimber.
Nalewka Staropolska started off as a homemade fruit-flavoured vodka. Now it is a small boutique company that gets its raw materials from local orchards and does everything by hand, completely chemical-free and according to its own recipes.
Excited by the pretty labels and even though these are not strictly vodkas - nalewki means fruit liqueur - I buy the smoked plum and cherry variety, which really does taste mellow and smoky and fruity all at the same time, as well as something called Four Seasons, which apparently involves the subtle aroma of sunlit fir woods of the Kampinos Forest.
Then just a little further down the road we find the Konser vodka factory. Unfortunately for my vodka treasure hunt, the factory has been closed for several years now and is being turned into something else altogether.
The district in which it is located, Praga, was once Warsaw's ghetto. However, as with so many urban ghettos before it, the neighbourhood is now being reclaimed by local artists, musicians and creatives attracted by the cheap rents, the incredible buildings and atmosphere.
Inside a small office on the vodka factory site, where the shelves are lined with empty vodka bottles of all shapes and sizes, sits Janusz Owsiany.
This dapper, white-haired Pole is an artist who has had a lot to do with the local and international vodka industry. He has designed 82 bottles for various vodka brands, including the award-winning, glass-etched Belvedere vodka. As a result of his impeccable connections within the vodka industry, the Polish Ministry of Culture and the Polish art world, he is now in charge of the Monopol Warszawski Association, a collective that is turning the old vodka factory into a cultural centre. As Owsiany expounds on vodka, vodka bottles and the fascinating history of the factory, the arty revival in the Praga district and the difficulties of Polish arts funding, he also gives a short tour of the various galleries, poster-lined corridors, studio spaces and a small, independent theatre.
I've learnt some strange Polish names for alcohol and discovered my fair share of fine liquors on this self-devised vodka tour but I am still not sure I've actually tasted the best. But perhaps I've tasted something even better: the real Warsaw.
Over the past few days I have become strangely fond of these streets - decorated with baskets of flowers and dumpling shops, peopled by peddlers selling cherries by the box and old ladies tending small, colourful Catholic shrines - and I'm hoping to come back and drink more vodka soon.
FAST FACTS
Getting there
Aeroflot has a fare for $1520 flying Cathay Pacific to Hong Kong and then Aeroflot to Warsaw with a change of aircraft in Moscow. KLM has a fare for $1525 flying on a partner airline to an Asian city and then KLM with a change of aircraft in Amsterdam. (Fares are low-season return from Melbourne and Sydney and do not include tax.) Australians require a visa for a stay of up to 90 days.
Eating there
Be warned. The search for the perfect pierogi (Polish dumpling) could become as much of an obsession as the hunt for the best vodka. A great selection, plus other Polish food, is available at Pierogarnia, 28/30 Bednarska Street.
Staying there
The folks at the pleasant and clean Helvetia Hostel speak English and are extremely friendly. Choose from nicely decorated doubles with bathrooms for about 210 zloty ($108) or bunk rooms for about 50 zloty a bed. See www.hostel-helvetia .pl.
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Post by Bonobo on Jun 16, 2009 21:34:54 GMT 1
Polish wine available in shops
news.poland. com
2009-06-01
The first bottles of Polish wine made of grapes will be available within one month. Producers say that it will not be very expensive, around 20 zloty per bottle (4.5 euro).
Wine production was legalized one year ago. The Polish government simplified all procedures connected with obtaining special licences. Moreover those who produce less than 1000 hectolitres of wine do not need to have bonded warehouses, or build custom clearance halls or laboratories. There are 35 people who registered with the Agricultural Market Agency as wine makers.
Polish wine makers are very optimistic and hope their products will captivate wine tasters' hearts. There are many good places for producing wine in Poland, for example the regions of Zielona Gora, Wodzislaw, or Raciborz.
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Post by Bonobo on Jul 3, 2009 16:23:28 GMT 1
Zywiec to introduce plastic beer bottles
Retail Portal for Poland
6/16/09
Grupa Zywiec, the prominent Polish beer producer, is planning to introduce plastic beer bottles onto the Polish market, according to Puls Biznesu. Warka, in 1.5 litre PET bottles, will be the first well-known beer available in such containers in Poland.
According to Maciej Szaroleta, the manager of Warka, quoted in the newspaper, plastic containers will be cheaper than those made from metal or glass and PET containers will be more convenient for customers.
Plastic beer bottles have been gaining in popularity in other European countries. Grupa Zywiec reports that sales of beer in PET bottles increased from 10 million hl to 70 million hl in the last few years in Europe. By the way of example, plastic beer bottles accounted for 7% of the Slovak market in the first year of business. In Russia and Romania beer available in PET containers accounts at present for 44%.
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Post by Bonobo on Jul 8, 2009 21:11:54 GMT 1
AD by BO Sobieski does Poland, vodka's homeland, proud
examiner.com
7/2/09
Sobieski Polish Vodka
Sobieski Wodka Polska The recipe for the #1 cocktail in Poland
1. Shot glass
2. Sobieski Vodka
The Polish are a robust, hearty people. Sobieski, Poland's number one premium vodka, is a robust and hearty spirit, and it would take a people of like disposition to drink it out of a shot glass.
At its price point, Sobieski vodka should make one cringe and hold one's breath before drinking. What it does is make you recalibrate your jigger, and question your drink-mixing talents, as every drink you make suddenly tastes much stronger than you are used to. Sobieski contains the standard 40% alcohol by volume, but has a body common to liquor of much higher alcoholic concentration.
A fifth sells for about thirteen-dollars; no other spirit sold so reasonably is this good. Thirteen-dollar vodkas are most commonly good for removing stains and stripping paint. Sobieski is good for drinking.
Unless you happen to be first, or perhaps second generation Polish, you likely can't handle Sobieski from a shot glass, and will want to mix it with something. You will find Sobieski an ideal mixing vodka. Pure and full bodied, it will not demure to any soda, juice, or martini-flavoring in which you may hope to mask it. With its indomitable spirit, even those who lament the blasphemous dilution of liquor can enjoy Sobieski in a cocktail.
The overriding strength of Sobieski is nothing to fear. Simply accept that your favorite drink now tastes like a double, and respect the power of Poland's #1 vodka.
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Post by tufta on Jul 8, 2009 21:30:40 GMT 1
Zywiec to introduce plastic beer bottles
Retail Portal for Poland
6/16/09
Grupa Zywiec, the prominent Polish beer producer, is planning to introduce plastic beer bottles onto the Polish market, according to Puls Biznesu. Warka, in 1.5 litre PET bottles, will be the first well-known beer available in such containers in Poland.
According to Maciej Szaroleta, the manager of Warka, quoted in the newspaper, plastic containers will be cheaper than those made from metal or glass and PET containers will be more convenient for customers.
Plastic beer bottles have been gaining in popularity in other European countries. Grupa Zywiec reports that sales of beer in PET bottles increased from 10 million hl to 70 million hl in the last few years in Europe. By the way of example, plastic beer bottles accounted for 7% of the Slovak market in the first year of business. In Russia and Romania beer available in PET containers accounts at present for 44%. This is something I find hard to understand. First of all - beer from plastic looses much of it's taste. Second- a 1,5 litre bottle? If there are two people pouring beer from it into their glasses - the last drinks will be with no gas. Or is it ment for the larger groups of teenagers only, drinking large qunatities beer while camping during the holidays ? ;D But they don't like Zywiec! |
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Post by Bonobo on Sept 3, 2009 20:40:39 GMT 1
Wodka Wars' - a groundbreaking documentary on the Vodka confictPrfire (press release)
27th Aug 2009
Vice chases the history of vodka through its 500 year history, in books and bars, whereby both Russia and Poland claim it as their proud invention from this stems Wodka Wars.
The documentary follows academics and experts in both Poland, Russia and beyond, as they both put forward their case on why this international favourite is theirs, and a source of great pride and tradition.
Its a tale of conflict much wider than simply vodka, its of a nation growing and creating a new identity for itself as a real player on the world stage, or at least on your local bar.
Take a vodka-fuelled trip back through the history of Polish and Russian spirit with VBS.tv. To see a trailer for the doc see, www.youtube. com/watch? v=6BLAcUCA3eI
View the whole documentary at VBS.tv, www.vbs. tv/watch/ the-vice- guide-to- travel/wodka- wars
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Post by Bonobo on Nov 3, 2009 23:37:58 GMT 1
Sobieski Infuses Two New Flavors Into the Vodka Market
Sobieski Cytron and Sobieski Vanilia Vodka Launch in the U.S.
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla., Sept. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Imperial Brands, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Belvedere S.A., today announced the launch of Sobieski Cytron and Sobieski Vanilia. Noted for its quality, affordability, Polish craftsmanship and authenticity, the two new flavors are an extension of their flagship Sobieski vodka brand, the #1 premium vodka in Poland and one of the world's best-selling and fastest growing vodka brands.
Sobieski Vodka launched in the U.S. in 2007 with its "Truth in Vodka" marketing campaign that urges consumers to focus on what's in the bottle, rather than on gimmicky marketing techniques and overpriced packaging. This back-to-basics, anti-hype campaign helped Sobieski Vodka break the sales record for a newly-introduced spirit where in 2008, 255,000 cases of Sobieski were sold in the U.S. in the first full calendar year. The Imperial Brands management team is determined to reach its goal for Sobieski to become the fastest new vodka brand to reach the one million-case sales milestone.
"Recognizing the public and industry's demand for flavored vodka, we selected two celebrated, yet pure and savory extensions," says Timo Sutinen, VP Marketing & Business Development, Imperial Brands, Inc. "We are delighted to add Cytron and Vanilia to the Sobieski family. They are exceptionally smooth vodkas with taste profiles incomparable to any other premium vodka brand."
Sobieski Vanilia and Cytron are authentic Polish vodkas made from the finest Dankowski Rye with natural vanilla and citrus flavor. Vanilia's colorless vodka has mellow brown sugar and hazelnut tones on the nose with a rich, buttery texture. A crystal clear spirit, Sobieski Cytron reveals a zesty and crisp nose. The bold, succulent taste leads to a fresh and irresistibly smooth finish.
Sobieski Vanilia and Sobieski Cytron vodkas are available nationwide at the suggested retail price of $10.99 (750ml). For more information, including cocktail recipes, imagery and more, please visit truthinvodka. com, our Facebook fan page (Sobieski Vodka) and follow us on Twitter (Twitter.com/ Sobieski_ Vodka).
About Sobieski Vodka
Sobieski Vodka, the #1 premium vodka in Poland and one of the world's bestselling and fastest growing vodka brands, makes no compromises on quality and exemplifies the height of Polish craftsmanship and authenticity. Building on a noble heritage, Sobieski Vodka is produced exclusively from the revered Dankowski rye at the Starogard Gdanski distillery dating back to 1846.
In summer 2007, Sobieski Vodka launched its "Truth in Vodka" campaign in the U.S., declaring that consumers don't have to pay a king's ransom to get superb vodka. Their back-to-basics approach to marketing, which focuses on what goes in the bottle -- tradition, heritage, authenticity and taste -- is in marked contrast to competitors who rely on lavish packaging and gimmicky ad campaigns that have resulted in a deluge of overpriced vodkas.
In fall 2007, the Beverage Testing Institute (BTI) honored Sobieski Vodka with the Gold Medal and Best Buy Award. It was also ranked #1 in a blind-tasting of 25 major international vodka brands conducted by La Revue du Vin de France, one of France's top wine and spirits publications. In 2008, the brand received the coveted Hot Brand Award from IMPACT Magazine. Sobieski Vodka's suggested retail price is $10.99 for a 750 ml bottle and $19.99 for a 1.75 liter bottle. For more information, please visit www.truthinvodka. com.
About Imperial Brands, Inc.
Imperial Brands, Inc. is an importer and marketer of distinctive wines and spirits. Headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., it is a U.S. subsidiary of Belvedere S.A., one of Europe's largest producers and distributors of white spirits and wines. Belvedere S.A. operates production and distribution units in Poland, France, Bulgaria, Lithuania and the United States and additionally owns subsidiaries in Russia, Canada, Spain, Scandinavia, Turkey and Brazil. Belvedere S.A. purchased Marie Brizard & Roger International in July 2006.
Imperial Brands, Inc. also owns Florida Distillers Co., which has two production facilities located in Florida. This provides bottling capacity of 5 million (9-liter) cases of distilled spirits for the company and a base on which to coordinate its expansion across the U.S. For more information, please visit: www.ibrandsinc. com.
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Post by Bonobo on Jul 28, 2010 22:25:01 GMT 1
World Cup alcohol sales - beer 3, vodka 1
28.07.2010 15:12
Beer consumption in Poland during the World Cup 2010 in South Africa increased significantly, beating vodka consumption 3 to 1.
Although Poland’s national team did not even qualify for the World Cup, this did not discourage Poles from celebrating and spending their money at pubs, bars and alcohol shops. According to the Market Monitoring Centre, sales of beer in during the World Cup rose by 18 percent and potato chips by 21 percent.
Beer took a clear lead over the traditional Polish tipple - vodka. Sales of the amber nectar were three times higher than that of vodka. In the final week of the World Cup, sales of vodka made up just 26 percent of total sales of alcoholic beverages, while beer scored 74 percent – a ratio of 3 to 1.
In 2009, the ratio was respectively 31 percent to 69 percent.
Over 8.5 million Poles watched the Spain-Netherlands final. The average value of beer purchase on that day was 7.18 zloty (1.8 euro), which is 13 percent more than usual in summer, while the average value of potato chips purchase increased by 15 percent. At the end of the World Cup football fans preferred to buy big 85-gramme packets rather than the small ones – a wise choice as the final went into extra time. www.thenews.pl/business/artykul136577_world-cup-alcohol-sales----beer-3--vodka-1.html
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Post by jeanne on Jul 29, 2010 1:41:35 GMT 1
Hey.....!!!! Is that your hand?  What happened to your personal crusade not to drink anymore? ? ;D ;D ;D |
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Post by jeanne on Jul 29, 2010 1:43:07 GMT 1
Hey.....!!!! Is that your hand? What happened to your personal crusade not to drink anymore? ? ;D ;D ;D Sorry, I just noticed the date! Mea culpa! |
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Post by Bonobo on Sept 25, 2010 22:55:02 GMT 1
Hey.....!!!! Is that your hand? What happened to your personal crusade not to drink anymore? ? ;D ;D ;D Sorry, I just noticed the date! Mea culpa! I ahev jsyt stsretd another personakl crusade. I vow not ftroingk alien wine, onlyt muy oewn one. which is thew besxt in thew world. Translation: I have just started another personal crusade. I am not going to drink alien wine!!!! Only my own!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D |
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Post by tufta on Sept 26, 2010 19:47:35 GMT 1
Whjyu dfpo yuopui yttrasmnsdl;asytre? IOyt iosd asl;l; vcl;reastr!@!@!@
Cvjhreretrsd!@
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Post by Bonobo on Sept 27, 2010 21:01:34 GMT 1
Whjyu dfpo yuopui yttrasmnsdl;asytre? IOyt iosd asl;l; vcl;reastr!@!@!@ Cvjhreretrsd!@ Jawohl, Volkswagen. And where is the translation? |
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Post by tufta on Sept 28, 2010 7:26:42 GMT 1
Whjyu dfpo yuopui yttrasmnsdl;asytre? IOyt iosd asl;l; vcl;reastr!@!@!@ Cvjhreretrsd!@ Jawohl, Volkswagen. And where is the translation? The system is the same as you are using. However it now seems you ar eusing it inconsciously ;D ;D Whj yu dfp o yu op ui y tt rasm nsd l; asy tr e? IOy t io sd as l; l; v cl;r east r!@ !@ !@ Cvjhreretrsd |
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Post by Bonobo on Sept 28, 2010 20:51:26 GMT 1
The system is the same as you are using.  ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D What system? I don`t use any damn system when I drink. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D I am all natural! Everything I do I do it for you subconsciously. |
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Post by Bonobo on Sept 30, 2010 9:12:35 GMT 1
A guide to Polish vodkas Alex Webber Proven masters of make-do with the potato as their primary resource, the Poles have been producing and drinking vodka since the early Middle Ages, distilling their skill into some of the best vodka blends available in the world, many of which date back centuries.
Proven masters of make-do with the potato as their primary resource, the Poles have been producing and drinking vodka since the early Middle Ages, distilling their skill into some of the best vodka blends available in the world, many of which date back centuries. The two most highly regarded clear Polish vodka brands must be Belvedere and Chopin, both of which you’ll find in any alcohol shop. But you won’t find many tipplers throwing them back at the bar. While clear vodkas are generally reserved for giving away at weddings and mixing in cocktails, the real fun of Polish vodka sampling is the flavoured vodkas. Unlike beer with juice (regarded as highly emasculating), flavoured vodkas are embraced by both sexes and imbibed copiously.
Wiśniówka
Undoubtedl y the most common flavoured vodka, wiśniówka is a cheap, dangerously easy to drink, cherryflavoured variety. You’ll see students and pensioners alike buying trays of it at the bar, as well as toothless tramps sharing a bottle in corners of tenement courtyards. A splash of grapefruit juice is often added to cut the sweetness of this bright red monogamy cure.
Żołądkowa Gorzka
Due to its very name, which translates to something like ‘Bitter Stomach Vodka,’ Żołądkowa Gorzka gives even the most infirm of health an excuse to drink under the guise of its medicinal properties. An aged, amber-coloured vodka flavoured with herbs and spices, Żołądkowa has a unique aroma and sweet spiced taste unlike anything you’re likely to have tried before. Incredibly palatable, it’s best enjoyed when sipped on ice.
Krupnik
Popular in Poland and Lithuania, Krupnik is a sweet vodka made from honey and a multitude of herbs. Buy a bottle for Mum – drinking vodka doesn’t get any easier than this. In winter, hot krupnik is a popular personal defroster with hot water, lemon and mulling spices added.
Żubrówka
One of Poland’s most popular overseas vodka exports, Żubrówka has been produced in Eastern Poland since the 16th century. Flavoured with a type of grass specific to the primeval Białowieża Forest that straddles the border (a blade of which appears in each bottle), Żubrówka is faint yellow in colour, with a mild fragrance of mown hay and a subtle taste which has been described as ‘floral’ or having traces of almond or vanilla. Delightfully smooth as it is on its own, Żubrówka is most commonly combined with apple juice – a refreshing concoction called a ‘tatanka.’
Goldwasser
A celebrated Gdańsk tradition since 1598, Goldwasser is a unique alchemic elixir characterised by the 22 karat gold flakes floating in it. One of the oldest liqueurs in the world, Goldwasser’s secret recipe contains some 20 roots and herbs, combining to create a sweet, but spicy flavour with touches of anise, pepper and mint. While we thought turning the potato into vodka was an example of creative ingenuity, we’re not sure what sort of statement the practice of turning gold into vodka makes about Polish culture...
www.newpolandexpress.pl/polish_news_story-1613-a_guide_to_polish_vodkas.phplet me translate the names: Cherry Vodka Stomach Bitter Cereal Vodka Bison Vodka Golden Water Paradoxically, Stomach Bitter isn`t bitter at all, it is really sweet.:  |
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Post by Bonobo on Jan 19, 2011 21:57:42 GMT 1
Polmos Bialystok, one of Poland’s most noted distilleries, is redoubling its efforts to crack the American market with fabled vodka Zubrowka.
The so-called “Bison vodka,” which was described by William Somerset Maugham as like “freshly mown hay and spring flowers,” and “like listening to music by moonlight,” was long off limits to Americans owing to quantities of a banned substance present in the concoction, reports the Wall Street Journal.
As tradition dictates, each bottle of the vodka comes with a blade of grass from Bialowieza, Europe’s last primeval forest. This herb is a beloved fodder of the European bison, the only problem being that the plant produces coumarin, a potentially toxic substance outlawed as an additive in the U.S. since 1954.
The ban on coumarin in the States has caused endless headaches for Polmos, as it is a substance which occurs naturally in fruits such as strawberries and cherries. Numerous imitation brands tried to fill the gap whilst Polmos set chemists cracking on how to remove the coumarin from the finished product.
Having finally achieved their goal, the vodka was relaunched onto the American market in time for Christmas. The product has been rebranded with the diminutive name Zu, complementing the more tricky to pronounce Zubrowka.
The spirit has a long and colourful history. Reputedly, a variant of the vodka has been swilled since the Medieval era, when Polish grandees were offered the drink whilst hunting in the forest of Bialowieza. 
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Post by valpomike on Jan 20, 2011 0:35:14 GMT 1
I can and do buy this in Chicago, and my son's love it.
Mike
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Post by Bonobo on Feb 3, 2011 20:15:18 GMT 1
I can and do buy this in Chicago, and my son's love it. Mike You drink with your kids? |
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Post by valpomike on Feb 4, 2011 0:33:16 GMT 1
My kids are 39, 35, 31, & 29, most are married with children, and I think that is old enough to drink with, whenever we do.
Most just think I am 35, but am not.
Mike
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Post by Bonobo on Feb 11, 2011 13:08:59 GMT 1
My kids are 39, 35, 31, & 29, most are married with children, and I think that is old enough to drink with, whenever we do. Mike Kids are always kids. And you should always remain a father who sets a good example. For ever. ;D ;D ;D ;D |
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Post by valpomike on Feb 11, 2011 17:37:15 GMT 1
I myself, drink a very small amount, just to enjoy it. I only drink with others, never alone.
Mike
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Post by Bonobo on Feb 23, 2011 22:58:29 GMT 1
Fork Out: Winter Warmers
Ewa Spohn | 13th January 2011
This article has been read 642 times
This month, Ewa Spohn warms to her subject
There’s a sure fire way to keep the cold winter at bay, and not surprisingly it has been perfected by many Poles. All over Poland, treasured bottles of nalewki (matured fruit liqueurs) are emerging from cellars and dark cupboards, where they have been patiently macerating since the warmer months, and being offered to unsuspecting visitors as well as the unwell.
Made on a base of spirytus (a 90% alcohol that can also be used to clean paint brushes and remove nail polish) diluted with vodka, there are as many recipes as there are people who make them. Many of these recipes are jealously guarded secrets and their subtleties appreciated by legions of amateur experts or judges in numerous competitions held all over Poland.
With a couple of exceptions, there’s a world of difference between the nalewki available commercially and what is produced by keen amateurs at home. Making nalewki is time consuming and usually done in two stages. In the first, the fruit is covered with alcohol and allowed to macerate for up to 10 weeks. Then the fruit-flavoured alcohol is strained off and sugar added, or alternatively, the drained fruit is covered with sugar to extract the remainder of the juices and make a fruit flavoured syrup which is eventually added back to the reserved alcohol. The raw infusion is then poured into bottles and left to mature for at least six months, ideally longer.
My neighbour, a patient, even tempered and diligent engineer with a passion for making nalewki, has a collection of several dozen bottles in his cellar, each of which is a subtle variation on a couple of recipes he has developed in a never ending quest for perfection. He spends the summer collecting empty vodka bottles after weddings (he insists that these give the best results) and waiting until the fruit is ideally ripe before embarking on a series of nalewki-making sessions that last until late September. He usually makes a few bottles of porterówka from porter beer, which tastes like concentrated Guinness. After Christmas, he gets together with friends for a competitive tasting session of the previous year’s production. It’s pretty civilised.
Since the middle of the 15th century, nalewki were traditionally served in Poland as an accompaniment to spicy or savoury food, particularly meats, but they have also been used medicinally since the times of Hippocrates, who mixed cinnamon and fermented honey to make Hippocras. Over time, nalewki became essential elements in the healer’s tool box.
Luckily for those who have neither the space, talent nor inclination to make their own, there are a couple of producers who make the real thing commercially. The easiest to find are Nalewki Staropolskie, made by Karol Majewski near Warsaw. Karol gave up a career as a music journalist in 2004 to make his long-standing hobby into a family business. Every year they make small batches of nalewki by hand, using their fruit from their own orchards or from small growers who they’ve been cooperating with for years. Try their Poranna Rosa nalewka, made from an old, and now rare, variety of raspberries.
 www.krakowpost.com/article/2490
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Post by valpomike on Feb 24, 2011 3:11:38 GMT 1
Do you like it? What is like? If you buy it in a store, is it close to homemade? What would it cost here in the USA, if we could get?
Mike
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Post by Bonobo on May 21, 2011 22:11:36 GMT 1
Do you like it? What is like? If you buy it in a store, is it close to homemade? What would it cost here in the USA, if we could get? Mike No, I don`t like vodka drinks. Hmm, it tastes like strong alcohol. Yes, it is close. I have no idea about the cost. A guide to Polish vodkas
Wi¶niówka
¯o³±dkowa Gorzka
Krupnik
¯ubrówka
Goldwasser  |
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Post by Bonobo on Mar 25, 2017 23:22:55 GMT 1
China says ‘no’ to traditional Polish alcohol with gold flakes 24.03.2017 13:40 China has refused to allow in shipment of a Goldwasser-type liqueur, one of Poland’s most recognizable traditional alcohols. According to the Chinese authorities, the small flakes of gold in the drink -- from which it takes its name -- violate food safety standards. Chinese officials in the eastern port city of Wenzhou pounced on a shipment of 1,153 litres of the alcohol. Chinese media reported that the shipment came from Poland. Goldwasser is a strong liqueur which has been produced since the 16th century in the northern Polish city of Gdańsk. It is highly distinctive because of the small flakes of gold suspended in it. Chinese regulations forbid gold being added to food products because it has no nutritional value, Poland’s IAR news agency reported.  |
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Post by pjotr on Mar 26, 2017 22:55:29 GMT 1
I love Zubrowka, because it is less sharp than Duch genever and Scotch whiskey. I like Scottisch Low land whisky and Irish whiskey and American bourbons like Four Roses, Jim Bean and Johnny Walker, but nothing beats a good old Polish vodka every now and then. Fact is that I drink special Dutch, Belgian and some German beers, and like some wine every now and then. Strong beverages are difficult for me because I work a lot, have to drive a lot and drink less than when I was younger. I simply don't drink when I have to drive (Ford Transit) and work. Limited drinking is what I like and so when I can enjoy a Polish vodka every now and then it is very nice. To open a new bottle of Polish bottle of vodka is already a party of mine. Unfortunately I seldom engage one these days. That is probably better for my health.    |
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Post by Bonobo on Apr 11, 2017 22:34:31 GMT 1
- I love Zubrowka, because it is less sharp than Duch genever and Scotch whiskey. I like Scottisch Low land whisky and Irish whiskey and American bourbons like Four Roses, Jim Bean and Johnny Walker, but nothing beats a good old Polish vodka every now and then. - Fact is that I drink special Dutch, Belgian and some German beers, and like some wine every now and then. Strong beverages are difficult for me because I work a lot, have to drive a lot and drink less than when I was younger. I simply don't drink when I have to drive (Ford Transit) and work. - Limited drinking is what I like and so when I can enjoy a Polish vodka every now and then it is very nice. To open a new bottle of Polish bottle of vodka is already a party of mine. Unfortunately I seldom engage one these days. That is probably better for my health. - The main difference which matters to me is that whisky is bitter while vodkas are sweet in taste. I can drink pure whisky but with palpabable resistance from my taste buds while they accept vodka without any objections. - Why do you need such a big car/van? - Yes, liver transplant is a complicated matter. |
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Post by pjotr on Apr 12, 2017 23:06:38 GMT 1
Dear Bo, A very good question. It is not my choice. The Ford Transit was bought for Radio live broadcasts with an antenna, large mixing consoles, loudspeakers, wires, cables, antenna's, equalizers, amplifiers, RTV-Arnhem banners, tables, chairs and other equipments.   Here you see me at my job closing the door of the Ford Transit in Arnhem. In front of me a colleage of mine, a TV interview reporter and one of the seniors of Television, Jan.The advertisement on the van reads 'Radio & TV Arnhem'. I would prefer a smaller car due to parking possibilities, easier access to some places, but we have a limited budget and believe me or not this Van doesn't cost a lot. We use it for a lot of things, shopping for the company (batteries, new equipment every now and then, driving to destinations which are hard to reach). We often have appointments with accreditation -official allowance to enter an important meeting or special place- and it is nice that with the RTV-Arnhem car we are easily recognisable. I also act as a chauffeur sometimes, picking colleages and guest from home and bring them to a place where they have to interview somebody. I like driving the Ford Transit, love that Diesel Van. But you are right, it is obviously to big for just carrying my tv camera and TV tripod. I would prefer a small Peugeot, Volkswagen or Smart car. But we have the Ford and have to live with it. I am not from the financial department, the accounts (bookkeepers) have their reason for keeping the Ford. Because I drive this Ford for years now and don't have my own car (I have two bikes) I have become a van (Ford Transit) driver. Bo I like my present life style with limited drinking. For some reason my Polish mother has something against alcohol and excessive drinking. I wonder if it has to do with Poland. She hates and despises drunk people. She considers them people without etiquette, discipline, style, dignity and a focus in life. Probably she already disliked alcoholism in Poland during the fifties and sixties. My father loves Dutch genever and a good glass of wine with dinner. But there was never excessive drinking in my family. The disciplin of my mother kept alcohol out of our house. In fact today I like to drink beer without alcohol next to special beers with alcohol. I thank my mother for the way she raised me. I saw people struggling with alcoholism and how that ruined their lives. Alcoholism is present in our European societies and in the USA too. (Jeanne will be able to tell something about the USA). It is true that Vodka has a sweeter taste and is easier to drink, and therefor more risky. I like a screwdriver (vodka with orange jus mix) every now and then. I am a beer drinker, and limited whiskey and wine drinker. I only like good wines and good wines are often expensive. The Netherlands and Belgium have a lot of small breweries and special beers, so I like to drink these beers from small breweries. I don't like Heineken, Amstel, Grolsch or Brand beer. I prefer Jopen, Schelde beer, Hertog Jan or Palm. The Belgians have excellent beers too, also many good Roman-Catholic beer monks beer, abbey beers, like Trappist beer ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trappist_beer ) and the beers of 'my own favorite abbey, the abbey of Berne, in the Southern Netherlands'. Cheers, Pieter |
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What happened to your personal crusade not to drink anymore?
