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2007-03-25 09:09:25 · 14 answers · asked by sarkell4 1 in Food & Drink Beer, Wine & Spirits

14 answers

Vodka may be distilled from any starch/sugar-rich plant matter; most vodka today is produced from grains such as sorghum, corn, rye or wheat. Among grain vodkas, rye and wheat vodkas are generally considered superior. Some vodka is made from potatoes, molasses, soybeans, grapes, sugar beets and sometimes even byproducts of oil refining or wood pulp processing. In some Central European countries like Poland some vodka is produced by just fermenting a solution of crystal sugar and yeast. In the European Union talks about the standardization of vodka the Vodka Belt countries insist that only spirits produced from grains and potato must be allowed to be branded as "vodka", following the traditional methods of production. [4] [5]

2007-03-25 09:11:29 · answer #1 · answered by BlueSea 7 · 2 1

Vodka is the dominant spirit of Eastern Europe. It is made by fermenting and then distilling the simple sugars from a mash of pale grain or vegetal matter. Vodka is produced from grain, potatoes, molasses, beets, and a variety of other plants. Rye and wheat are the classic grains for Vodka, with most of the best Russian Vodkas being made from wheat while in Poland they are mostly made from a rye mash. Swedish and Baltic distillers are partial to wheat mashes. Potatoes are looked down on by Russian distillers, but are held in high esteem by some of their Polish counterparts. Molasses, a sticky, sweet residue from sugar production, is widely used for inexpensive, mass-produced brands of Vodka. American distillers use the full range of base ingredients.

Distillation of Vodka
The choice of pot or column still has a fundamental effect on the final character of Vodka. All Vodka comes out of the still as a clear, colorless spirit, but Vodka from a pot still (the same sort used for Cognac and Scotch whisky) will contain some of the delicate aromatics, congeners, and flavor elements of the crop from which it was produced. Pot stills are relatively "inefficient," and the resulting spirit from the first distillation is usually redistilled (rectified) to increase the proof of the spirit. Vodka from a more "efficient" column still is usually a neutral, characterless spirit.

Except for a few minor styles, Vodka is not put in wooden casks or aged for an extensive period of time. It can, however, be flavored or colored with a wide variety of fruits, herbs, and spices.

Classifications of Vodka
There are no uniform classifications of Vodka. In Poland, Vodkas are graded according to their degree of purity: standard (zwykly), premium (wyborowy) and deluxe (luksusowy). In Russia Vodka that is labeled osobaya (special) usually is a superior-quality product that can be exported, while krepkaya (strong) denotes an overproof Vodka of at least 56% ABV.

In the United States, domestic Vodkas are defined by U.S. government regulation as "neutral spirits, so distilled, or so treated after distillation with charcoal or other materials, as to be without distinctive character, aroma, taste or color." Because American Vodka is, by law, neutral in taste, there are only very subtle distinctions between brands. Many drinkers feel that the only real way of differentiating between them is by alcohol content and price.

2007-03-25 16:29:05 · answer #2 · answered by *Princess Sharona* 2 · 1 0

It depends where you're at.

Some sort of grain is the broad answer. This can include sorghum, corn, rye or wheat. Among grain vodkas, rye and wheat vodkas are generally considered superior. Some vodka is made from potatoes, molasses, soybeans, grapes, sugar beets.

In poland bison grass vodka is really nice.

2007-03-25 16:12:15 · answer #3 · answered by Fred 2 · 0 0

Vodka is made from a neutral spirit, What gives Vodka it's character is the way it is filtered. Smirnoff vodka is filtered from a mixture of hardwoods from Poland.

2007-03-25 16:26:33 · answer #4 · answered by READER 1 5 · 0 0

Old School Russian Vodka was made from rotting potatoes..delightful.

2007-03-25 16:21:22 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

Most vodka is made from wheat these days.

2007-03-25 16:11:49 · answer #6 · answered by Tom ツ 7 · 1 0

Potatoes.

2007-03-25 16:11:56 · answer #7 · answered by Scoots 5 · 1 2

Fermented from potatoes... strange, I know, but in the words of Céline Dion and N Sync... 'That's the way it is!!'

2007-03-26 18:35:46 · answer #8 · answered by daniel b 2 · 0 0

originally its made from potatoe starch

2007-03-25 17:45:17 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

potatoes

2007-03-25 18:26:45 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

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