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Poles learning from the British? [42]
About vodka, was the original distilled liquid the same as the stuff we have today?
The strength may have varied considerably over history. It would have been much milder before certain technologies reached European parts. Modern day vodka is that it is distilled into almost pure alcohol before being watered down to the determined strength (sometimes they seem to forget to put the water back in).
The recipe has certainly varied. Potato? The Andean root vegetable not introduced to Poland until 1708 and not even popular in any part of Europe until the early 19th century, only widely cultivated in Russia after an earlier law started to be enforced by Tsar Nicholas I? Surely it should be made from cereal grain such as rye or maybe barley.
Beer has been with as for as long as we've had bread.
Wine is as more ancient than grape juice.
Mead! Whoa! Let's all go to a mediaeval-style banquet and do some quaffing.
But of the beverages collectively known as spirits?
Distillation was known in the ancient world. From Mesopotamia to Greece, the Roman Empire, Britain before the Roman Empire, other places I don't, and probably archaeologists don't even know about.
The alembic was an advancement in distillation. A revolutionary still. It originated in Persia, was perfected along the way by such greats as the philosopher, mathematician, astronomer, physician and all-round clever clogs, Avicenna (real name: something really long and Arabicky-sounding). Used for creating lotions and perfumes and for attempting to turn base metal into gold, it was spread to Europe by our old teetotal friends the Turks who passed on the partially Greek-derived Arabic name to various European languages. More importantly, it was an advancement in alcohol production (one step forward, several steps roughly from side to side, then fall over). Where are we? The 15th and 16th centuries? Ish.
We even get the word alcohol from Arabic, although the meaning has somewhat changed along the way. Anyway, so we find Portuguese Aguardente (burning water), Eau de Vie (water of life) in France, Whisky (uisge beatha: Gaelic for water of life) in the Celtic lands and Vodka in the Slavic east (water... little water).
In Iberia it was painful! This water burns!
In northwest europe, it's life-giving (but maybe life-taking)!
But to the Poles and or the Russians, pah! It's just some little diminutive of water!
So this makes it look as though the Slavs are the toughest in this regard, and I'm not going to be the one to argue against this statement. So maybe to find the answer to the question 'Who invented vodka?' we could say
a) Who's the hardest, Poles or Russians?
b) They both invented it at the same time and just happened to give it the same name,
c) Blame the Turks - they just wanted to lure all of Europe into their kebab shops.
d) Shut up and just drink it. Do dna!
I need a cup of tea after writing all that. 