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Although Mike was not able to make it to dinner, he was able to muster enough energy to attend the vodka tasting later that evening. This was the display as we entered the Panorama Bar.
Each table was set for four. We were joined by our (by now) VERY good friends Jim and Donna. They hail from near Columbus, Ohio, not far from Mike's sister's home.
The meaty appetizers, including pork fat and herring on dark bread, were not so much my style (although Mike, Jim, and Donna didn't turn up their noses). But thankfully there were some pickled veggies to clear my palate between vodka courses.
There were six brands for us to sample. All were served chilled.
Our hostess Marina described history on each and offered a taste description. She advised us to first smell, then drink, and then breathe in the essence.
In order of serving. Number relates to the bottles in the top pix from left to right, so you can see the labels. Italics are my comments.
Beluga Nobel (6) - Refined, rich taste, from purest Siberian artesian well water, malt spirit added, triple filtering system, rests for 30 days to neutralize harsh smell and soften its flavor. This was a good one to start with, as quite smooth to the palate.
Viking Vodka (5) - Made from winter wheat, infused with buckwheat honey, made in the city of Kashin (near Moscow), specifically for Viking. A little harsh for my taste.
Honey Buckwheat "Mead" (4) - Ukrainian in origin, made with natural honey and herb extracts (oregano, thyme, cinnamon, peppermint), darkest in color, may have medicinal value. Harshest of all, my least favorite.
Kizlyarka Apricot (3) - A light straw color with influences from France's vodka recipes, dates back as far as 1657, from the city of Kizlyar. I liked it. It had an "after-kick." Best of the two flavoreds.
Tsarskaya Original (2) - Also comes in "gold," made from the purest waters of Lake Ladoga (which has glacial origins), filtered with birch charcoal and silver, said to have healing properties. This was our favorite.
Mamont (1) - Name comes from the exceptional woolly mammoth specimen discovered nearby, one of Siberia's oldest distilleries, distilled six times. Cool and unusual bottle. Smoother than the Beluga.
In between courses, Mariana and her assistant told stories and put on skits. As the evening wore on, they got funnier and funnier. Mariana matched the tastings one for one and was obviously as "happy" as the audience. Here's one story with our assistant using a straw to portray a mustache.
Well, at the end of the evening, we declared the healing powers of vodka to be a success, because Mike was as smiley and happy as I had seen him in several days. He even tried drinking the Russian way, with shot glass in the elbow. What a wild man!!
Here's our crew at the end of the evening--Jim, Mariana, Mike, Donna, me (lower left).
Other vodka tidbits:
- Vodka means "little water" in Russian.
- According to legend, the first Russian vodka recipe was concocted by a monk in the Kremlin in 1430.
- Originally called "bread wine" because it was made from buckwheat. Grape wine at the time was only for aristocrats.
- Until the mid-18th century vodka alcohol content did not exceed 40%, but these days ranges up to 90%.
- The first written mention of the word "vodka" in an official Russian document came from Empress Elizabeth in 1751. The decree regulated ownership of distilleries to the State.
- Due to the government policy of promoting consumption of state-manufactured vodka, it became the drink of choice for many Russians.
- In 1863, the government monopoly on vodka was repealed, causing prices to plummet and making it available even to low-income citizens.
- Its taxes produced much income for the government, at times up to 40% of all state income.
- By 1911, it was the alcoholic beverage of choice for 89% of Russians.
- Vodka remains liquid in even the coldest regions of Russia.
- Vodka is an excellent disinfectant and was used to treat soldiers in many wars, including as an anesthetic for wounded soldiers (by drinking it).
- One ounce of vodka contains 65 calories.
