Arthur Przebinda (redwinebuzz.com) and Me: Vodka Wars

The other day, on Facebook, I was engaged in an interestingdiscussion with my wine pal Arthur, the founder of redwinebuzz.com.  He knew something about Vodka that Ididn’t.  And, instead of scamperingaway, I did what every wine 101er/Vodka 101er should do: I stayed for theknowledge.
To make the reading easy I’m in regular text, and Arthuris bold:
This is how it started, with his status update reading:
Remember: If it’s not Polish orRussian, it’s NOT vodka.
  
Err, I like Ciroc, distilled from grapes, doesn’t freeze.
Eve – Ciroc is NOT vodka. It’s artificially flavoreddistilled grape spirits.
I understand that Vodka can be distilled fromanything…this is one thing that I learned from my WSET training. But, notfrom a purist’s point of view? Please enlighten me Arthur. Or is it just Cirocmisrepresenting itself as a Vodka?
Okay, I’m reading up on EU’s Vodka Beltright now…in case you don’t have time for this. Interesting.
Ciroc, because of its ABV, it is “technically”a VODKA. From a purist’s view it is not from grain (rye) or from potatoes andas such it is not a true vodka. From a nationalist, perspective (kind of likethat of the Champenoise – or is it “Champenois”?), if it is not Polish orRussian it’s a knock off.

Ciroc is basically Cognac or Armagnac without theoak treatment.

Fascinating Arthur. Readingabout Vodka Wars now. If you ever want to write a guest post about it or LEAD AVODKA TASTING I want in! And I bet Chef Mike would too!
Thanks. I am not sure I am the person to lead a vodkatasting. My initial assertion is nationalistic in origin. As for the vodkabelt, although vodka production dates back several centuries in theNordic/Scandinavian countries, I’m inclined (for reasons stated above) to wantto exclude them out of the belt…. (sorry)
I just read that too. I know a couple of experts in Sake,Scotch, wine…but I’m intrigued by the Vodka ideas you’re putting forth. I hadliked the Ciroc as the fruit is distilled out enough that it can’t be tasted,so the Vodka lends itself well to, say, a Martini. Is the point, then, to tastethe potato or rye I wonder? And, do you make into a cocktail or drink alone?
Well. When I tasted the original Ciroc some years back, Ifelt it had something artificial to it. It turned me off right away. It was notthat floral, stone fruit nuance you get in Cognac and Armagnac.

Traditionally, vodka is consumed in shots inPoland. It’s not a cocktail culture. There, they want it to go down smooth andnot be harsh on the aftertaste. Some vodkas can have harsh aromas, but to behonest, it is meant to be knocked back with inebriation as the sole purpose.

Like with any beverage, you are looking for aromas,subtle flavors (all of which are derived during the fermentation anddistillation as there is no steeping of herbs or spices and no oak treatment)and after tastes as well as smoothness.

I generally mix it with blackcurrant juice. ForMartinis I prefer Hendricks Gin.
Interesting Arthur. I understand from friends that Vodka isserved, alongside wine, in Russian restaurants, as you say, to inebriate only.I had a Russian exchange student live with us that was actually pretty afraidof all alcohol as she was very concerned with addiction.

We do a Hendricks Gin Martini too, but with Vodkaand Lillet Blanc. Guess I better go back to using Jewel of Russia Vodka for thetime being until I get this sorted out!

I should add that there are some vodka variants inPoland. Most notably Siwucha ( I think it may be called a “malted”vodka, but am not sure), Zubrowka (infused with bison grass – which, last Iheard, is barred by the FDA so you can’t get the real stuff in US) and variousadditions of caramelized sugar, honey and assorted herbs.

The clear stuff, to me, is one of those things thatrequires more skill and luck because you can’t mask flaws with sugar or herbs.So, by that logic, a clear rye (and to a lesser extent, potato or beet sugar)vodka that has interesting nuances and goes down well is a more masterfulproduct.

You can, of course, make sugar liquor, addartificial flavors and colors or make the stuff from fruit and sell it to theclub crowd. But that is not a genuine vodka.
I can’t speak for Russian alcohol culture but most oftheir wine tends to be semi sweet and from the Balkans. They have been know todrink aircraft brake fluid as well…

As for Martinis. Drink what you prefer. That’s what I do. Hendricks may not be a purist’s choice as far as Gin goes. I’m okaywith that. I’m sure that I could pick a favorite out of a purist’s list of trueor correct Gins.

If people like Grey Goose, that’s fine by me. Butas with many things, commercial success does not go hand in hand withauthenticity or quality.
Love to try that Zubrowka! Are there any distilled from Ryethat you like? And, you’re right about the club crowd, interviewing a verypleasant bartender at the new SAKE this week, and the alcohol brand issecondary to the mixology techniques this guy employs.
Real Zubrowka is hard to come by. The real stuff lookslike this :
http://pictures.polandforall.com/images/zubrowka-bison-grass-vodka.jpgand is distilled by Polmos in Bialystok, Poland – apparently Wally’s carriesit. Not sure if it has the real Bison Grass or somesubstitute.
Polish rye vodkas: Wyborowa, Zytnia, Krolewska, Sobieski,Belvedere is pretty commercial, but good.
Pan Tadeusz is also a solid vodka. I forgot I have abottle in the bar.
Thanks for the lists! I’ve got such a craving now!
BTW, Eve, be sure that craving does not become ajones…. 🙂
What did I learn over the above exchange?  That vodka, like wine, isn’t just atasteless liquid for inebriation – at least not for me.  If I want to continue calling myinterest in wine spiritual, as I believe I spend more time thinking aboutwhat’s in my glass than in when I can get the next one, so it should be witheverything that passes my lips.
With that said, I will do a vodka tasting, like I’ve donesingle malt scotch, beer, sake and tequila tastings before.  Minus the foo-foo mixers.  I hope that my palate will learn todiscern rye from wheat, Russia and Poland from other European countries in the“vodka belt” and malted vodka from one infused with bison grass.  If I can get my hands on them.
In Arthur’s short segue into wine he mentions Champenoise, aterm that describes the people from the Champagne region of France, as he isinvariably of either Polish or Russian descent. The point is, if you hail froma place that takes pride in ownership, you will protect it.  A good example is Champagne, as Francehas effectively kept that name for their own use, and we are left withSparkling Wine.  Arthur is sayingthat maybe Poland and Russia would have had better success controlling thevodka branding had they done something similar.  I went back to ask him if he’d care to state which was hisnationality and/or preference, “I am Polish. Poland has made a huge contributionto the world of Vodka. Hence my zeal….”
In regards to the “malt” flavor Arthur describes I found: http://www.scottish-whisky.com/showdetails.asp?id=2667  “Siwucha – Siwucha was developedin 1996 by Elzbieta Goldynka at the Zielona Gora distillery to mark thefiftieth post war anniversary. This rye vodka is packaged with a cork and waxseal enclosure, and made by adding a small amount of unrectified barleyspirit. This is vodka that represents oldstyle vodka dating back how vodka was made in the early 1940’s.”
(Arthur also wanted to clarify that he used the word malted“for lack of a better term, I used that one word in place of ‘addition of smallamount of unrectifiedbarley spirit.’”)
And a final note on Hendricks gin, the martini I mention isthe James Bond Casino Royale, shaken, not stirred.  I asked Arthur his preference, “Shaken, easy on the vermouth,careful about the olives – I find the over-seasoned ones muddle the drink.” Andif we’ve learned one thing here today: we don’t want our vodka too muddled! 

4 thoughts on “Arthur Przebinda (redwinebuzz.com) and Me: Vodka Wars

  1. Arthur, you've enlightened me yet again. Very interesting article, Eve. Glad you shared this!

  2. Thanks Diane for reading and commenting. I did learn some interesting facts about vodka from Arthur. Makes you pause…as there is a story, undoubtedly, behind every liquor.

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