Vodka is a clear distilled alcoholic beverage. Different varieties originated in Poland, Russia, and Sweden. Vodka is composed mainly of water and ethanol but sometimes with traces of impurities and flavourings. Traditionally, it is made by distilling liquid from fermented cereal grains, and potatoes since introduced in Europe in the 1700's. Some modern brands use corn, sugar cane, fruits, honey, and maple sap as the base.
Wyborowa or Wódka Wyborowa is a brand of Polish vodka. The adjective was used in a favorable press article and then added after the word wódka 'vodka', resulting in the final name Wódka Wyborowa.
Single malt whisky is malt whisky from a single distillery.
Rye whiskey can refer to two different, but related, types of whiskey:
Jenever, also known as Hollands, genever, genièvre, peket, or sometimes as Dutch gin, is the juniper-flavoured traditional liquor in the Netherlands, Belgium and adjoining areas in northern France and northwestern Germany. As an EU and UK Protected Designation of Origin the use of the term jenever and its soundalikes can only be used if the product is made according to the specifications in Belgium, the Netherlands, two northern French departments and two German federal states. Gin was developed in Britain after introduction of jenever to the island.
Siwucha is an incompletely rectified vodka from Poland. The name derives from the siwy color of the liquid due to Tyndall effect of the colloid emulsion of residual fusel oil.
Krupnik or Krupnikas (Lithuanian) is a traditional sweet alcoholic drink similar to a liqueur, based on grain spirit and honey, popular in Poland and Lithuania. In Poland it is grouped in the nalewka category of alcoholic beverages. Mass-produced versions of krupnik consist of 40–50% alcohol, but traditional versions will use 80–100% grain alcohol as the base. Honey, usually clover honey, is the main ingredient used to add sweetness, as well as up to 50 different herbs. There are many versions and some recipes have been passed down through generations; producers typically use their own recipes.
Polmos was a Polish state-owned monopoly, controlling the Polish market for alcoholic beverages. Founded in the late 1920s, until World War II it was one of the leading vodka producers in Poland. Distilleries of Polmos were relatively modern and efficient at that time so the company exported its products to some European countries.
Piołunówka is a very bitter alcoholic infusion made by macerating wormwood in alcohol. Its name comes from piołun, which means wormwood in Polish. It is becoming popular due to the recent absinthe revival but has been well known before absinthe. It differs from absinthe because it is macerated and rarely distilled, whereas absinthe is additionally distilled. Piołunówka is not simply an amateur's version of absinthe but can be perceived as its predecessor. For centuries wormwood-based elixirs have been used as digestive aids and disease preventatives.
The Polmos Łańcut distillery is one of the oldest producers of liquors and liqueurs in Poland. A small amount of the distillery's output is exported to Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Great Britain, Germany, Italy, and the United States.
Buffalo Trace Distillery is a distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky, owned by the Sazerac Company. It has historically been known by several names, including the George T. Stagg Distillery and the Old Fashioned Copper (O.F.C.) Distillery. Its namesake bourbon brand, Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon whiskey, was introduced in August 1999. The company claims the distillery is the oldest continuously-operating distillery in the United States. The company says the name "Buffalo Trace" refers to an ancient buffalo crossing on the banks of the Kentucky River in Franklin County, Kentucky. The Sazerac Company purchased the distillery in 1992.
AB Stumbras is the oldest and largest producer of strong alcoholic drinks in Kaunas, Lithuania. The company began operations in 1906. It is also the largest exporter of strong alcoholic beverages and one of the biggest taxpayers in Lithuania. The company's most famous brands include "Lithuanian vodka" (vodka), "999" (bitter), "Gloria" (brandy), "Stumbro Starka" (bitter), "Krupnikas" (liqueur) and "Poema" (liqueur). The company name translates as Wisent.
Alcohol preferences in Europe vary from country to country between beer, wine or spirits. These preferences are traditionally associated with certain regions. Hence, the Central European pattern of alcohol consumption is associated with beer-drinking, the Mediterranean pattern with wine-drinking and the Eastern or Northern European pattern with spirit-drinking countries. However, traditional preferences do not necessarily correspond to current drinking habits, as beer has become the most popular alcoholic drink world-wide.
Sobieski is a Polish vodka brand. This company became a property of Marie Brizard Wine & Spirits in 1998.
Distilleries in Canada are distillers of various alcoholic distilled beverages (spirits) such as whisky, rum, vodka, brandy, gin, etc. in the country of Canada.
Moonshine is a generic term for distilled alcoholic beverages made throughout the globe from indigenous ingredients reflecting the customs, tastes, and raw materials for fermentation available in each region. The term commonly applies to small-scale production, which is often illegal or tightly regulated in many countries, in the same order that is for example making food.
Downslope Distilling is a craft beverage distillery in Centennial, Colorado, United States.
Belvedere Vodka is a brand of Polish rye vodka produced and distributed by LVMH. It is named after Belweder, the Polish presidential palace in Warsaw, whose illustration appears on its bottles. It is produced in the town of Żyrardów in Poland.
Warsaw Vodka Factory "Koneser" is a factory complex of neo-Gothic buildings from the late nineteenth century located in Praga, the historical borough of Warsaw.
Soplica is one of the older brands of Polish pure and flavoured vodka, having been first produced in 1891. Although the origins of vodka in Poland can be traced back to as early as the 8th century, Soplica is one of the older industrially produced brands of vodka in the country. Żubrówka, for example, is based on a much older recipe than Soplica but exists as an industrially produced brand only since the 1920s.
