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World Business, September, 1994
For centuries, Poland has produced many of the finest vodkas in the world. And for good reason. You see, in Poland, vodka has always been served straight, generally with food, much like wine in other countries. So the distillers art in Poland progressed with keen attention to character and taste that would accompany different foods. Today, Poland's "varietal vodkas" are named for the ingredient used in distillation, be it pure rye grain, double rye grain or even potato. Each varietal vodka complements different drinks in a unique manner. And each varietal vodka has a distinct bouquet just like fine wine. Don't believe it when someone says vodkas are the same.
Pure rye grain harvested from a select area in Poland's vast farmlands accounts for the distinctive dry character of Wyborowa Pure Rye Grain Varietal Vodka. The careful and exacting separation of the pure rye grain used in Wyborowa is painstaking, but necessary, to ensure its distinctive quality and character. Much like the Appellation Contrôllée or DOC designations on fine European wines that guarantee harvest from particular areas with distinctive characteristics, so too, the meticulous insistence on rye grain from a single area in Poland guarantees a distinctive vodka. Also, like a fine wine, Wyborowa Vodka is aged a full 3 years before bottling to ensure a particularly smooth, clean and mellow taste. Even before you taste its crisp, extra dry character, you'll notice its spicy bouquet with hints of rye grain harvested in the field and aromatic prairie flowers. Serve it neat, ice cold from the freezer or over ice and you'll discover a new sensation in vodka.
Most people think all vodka is made from potatoes. But the fact is, most vodkas available in Canada are made from corn or grain. Potatoes are the most expensive way to make vodka primarily because the yield is so low and the availability of the few proper varieties is not abundant.
As the world's second largest potato producer, Poland has cultivated and bred many potato varieties. But only the special potatoes grown in the unique soil conditions along Poland's northern Baltic Sea coastline have proven to produce the finest pure potato vodka.
A distinctively soft and subtle bouquet with hints of new mown hay precedes its extraordinarily smooth character and long finish across the palate. Sipped neat right out of the freezer, over ice or mixed for the smoothest martini ever, you'll discover this is one of the world's finest vodkas.
Today many countries produce vodka. It is generally distilled from various grains but often from corn which is the most economical means of producing vodka. Yet vodka itself is an original Polish beverage dating back to the early 14th century.
The word "Wodka" as it was originally spelled, is a derivative of the Polish word for "water". In fact, when first distilled early in the 14th century, vodka was known as "okawita" which means "water of life". "Aqua vitae" was the Latin name for Polish vodka.
The first vodkas were distilled by medieval Polish monks originally for medicinal purposes. But as the art of distilling progressed and rye grain was introduced as a distilling ingredient, many Polish country manors, much like the French chateaux, began to operate distilleries on their estates. By 1580 the Polish cities of Gdansk, Krakow and Poznan had become the centres of vodka production and distribution in the country. It wasn't long before early merchants and travellers to Poland tasted the new beverage. The secret was out.
But it wasn't until the 17th century that vodka began to appear in Russia, Scandinavia and other parts of Europe. Historical documents show that it was first exported by sea from the port city of Gdansk around 1768 when a large new distillery was constructed in Poznan.
By the end of the 18th century a true vodka industry had emerged in Poland. New raw materials in addition to pure rye grain were introduced for making vodka. Varietal potato vodka was introduced. Later a beet vodka, a double rye grain vodka and a wheat vodka were made.
With the success of Polish vodka it wasn't long before other countries began to crudely distill their own vodkas as copies of the Polish original. However, the traditional recipes and way of production were never exported. And the tradition of different vodkas to complement different foods and drinks was completely overlooked. Perhaps that's why Polish varietal vodkas, consistently down to our day have been considered superior in quality, possessing distinctive tastes and character, to complement different foods and drink mixes.
For more information about Polish varietal vodkas contact: The Varietal Vodka Information Centre, 3075 Ridgeway Drive, Unit 7, Mississauga, L5L 5N6 Canada or fax: (905) 820-8180.