Alcoholic drinks 45 degrees. How many degrees should vodka be? The softest vodka

First, let's decide on the measurement of strength. Strength is now measured in percent by volume or “volume degrees” - this is the ratio of the volume of anhydrous alcohol in the drink to the volume of the entire drink multiplied by 100. That is, for vodka with a strength of 40% vol. the number 40 was obtained from the ratio of 0.2 to 0.5 liters (we take a half-liter bottle), multiplied by 100.

Stronger drinks are often more expensive. This is understandable, because alcohol is always more expensive than water. But that doesn't mean they are better. The fact is that the more alcohol in the drink, the worse the aromas, flavors and nuances are revealed. But for every drink, there will undoubtedly be a lover.

Strength is a matter of taste, both for the buyer and the manufacturer. The point is not that it is difficult to produce a drink with a strength of 70 degrees, the problem is who is not afraid to drink it and find a special taste in it so that they can come back and buy it again. After all, making vodka, and in principle any drink in general, stronger or weaker is not difficult.

Absinthe

The strongest alcoholic drink. It is made with a strength from 55 to 80 degrees. The most common bottles are up to 65% vol.

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, absinthe was an extremely dangerous drink; it contained an extremely high amount of thujone, a hallucinogenic substance found in wormwood. It is this herb that plays a major role in the production of absinthe. Nowadays, the content of thujone is legally limited. In Europe, 35 mg/kg has been allowed since 2008; in the USA, absinthe with a thujone content of up to 10 mg/kg can be imported. The Green Fairy of the poets of the late 19th century contained up to 200 mg/kg of thujone.

Absinthe with a small amount of thujone is not hallucinogenic, but due to its high strength it can cause a severe hangover and generally cause harm to the body.

Whiskey

Most often we buy whiskey with a strength of 38-40% vol. It is brought to this strength after aging in barrels and blending with distilled water. But there is such a thing as cask strength whiskey; the label will say: Straight from the Cask or Cask strength. This means that the whiskey was bottled without diluting with water, at the strength that was obtained naturally during the aging process. Usually it is 50-60% vol. Bottles of cask strength are more expensive than diluted whiskey, and quite a bit of it is produced.

Bourbon

Bourbon also comes in much stronger than the usual 40 proof. Barrel strength on the label will be designated as barrel proof. And you can find more high-strength bourbons than classic scotches. The fact is that bourbon is not aged as long as Scotch whiskey needs; other, new barrels are used for it. In them, the aging process proceeds faster, but they give a slightly rougher taste than previously used barrels. Therefore, for bourbon, 8-9 years of aging is a very long time, but for Scotch whiskey it is not a long time at all.

Many brands have cask strength bourbons. For example, the popular Jim Beam - 7-year-old Baker's reaches a strength of 53.5%, and Booker's - is bottled at 61-63%, and is aged for up to 8 years. Knob Creek's 9 year old is bottled at 50% ABV, while Wild Turkey's 12 year old can be 58% ABV. Sometimes the strength of bourbons can reach even 80%.

Rum

The weakest rum is Cuban. Its strength usually does not exceed 40 degrees. But other countries that produce rum make it much stronger. So, in Puerto Rico and Barbados the drink is heated to 57 degrees. And Jamaicans and Trinidadians start at 48%.

The Austrians do not lag behind their Latin American colleagues, making “Stro” - a spiced rum with a strength of 40 to 80 degrees.

Gin

Grain distillate distilled with the addition of juniper berries; other spices can also be used. Gin must be at least 37.5% ABV, there is no upper limit, but it usually ends up at 47%.

There are several varieties of gin, but the strongest was Plymouth gin. It can only be produced in the city of Plymouth. At the beginning of the 19th century, Plymouth gin was supplied to the navy and had an alcohol content of at least 57%. It was believed that with such a strength, it was not scary to spill gin on gunpowder - it would still burn.

Rat wine

It is prepared in China. To prepare the drink, newborn rats that have not yet opened their eyes are poured with rice vodka. The infusion is soaked for a whole year. Afterwards, the strength of the drink reaches 57 degrees.

Spanish vodka

The strongest Spanish alcoholic drink is called El aguardiente, which means "fire water" or "burning water". This distillate, like grappa or French marque, is made from grape presses, seeds and other waste from wine production. It can be aged or infused with different herbs and coffee beans. The strength of the Spanish distillate reaches 80 degrees.

Devil's water

This American vodka is banned in 30 states. It is made from corn or wheat alcohol and its strength is 95 percent.

Experts distinguish varieties of vodka depending on the degree of purification of the alcohol and production technology. Knowing them, you can easily navigate the assortment when choosing a drink. We will consider only those varieties that have already proven themselves positively.

Last time we found out that there are only two: ordinary and special. It is more difficult to understand vodka varieties, since there are many more of them. Domestic producers, having only slightly changed the recipe and technology, immediately consider their product a new unique variety of vodka. In the current situation, it is advisable to consider only those varieties that were developed back in the USSR.

Moscow special– considered the vodka standard, 40% alcohol, made only from “extra” and “luxury” alcohols (the highest quality).

Russian– for preparation, high-purity alcohol and specially prepared water are used. This vodka is also considered standard, but its quality is slightly lower than that of Moskovskaya. The strength is standard – 40%.

Starorusskaya– made according to an old recipe from high-quality alcohol and drinking water. This variety has a characteristic vodka aroma and is preferred by true vodka connoisseurs.

Stolichnaya– is considered one of the best Russian vodkas in the world. It differs from other varieties in its softness, refined aroma and absence of impurities. The strength varies from 37 to 42 degrees.

Stolichnaya - the most famous vodka in the world

Wheat– made from selected wheat raw materials. The taste is soft without any foreign shades, the strength is 40%.

Posolskaya– an elite variety of strong vodka made from “extra” class alcohols. It is distinguished by crystal transparency and complete absence of odor.

Lemon- vodka with a pronounced lemon smell, suppressing the taste of alcohol. Thanks to this feature, women really like it; the strength is standard.

Kubanskaya– in addition to water and alcohol, the composition contains other additives: citric acid, bitter orange and sugar syrup. Kuban vodka has a mild, slightly bitter taste and a pronounced citrus fruit aroma. Strength – 40%.

Siberian– traditional Russian vodka, produced using standard technology, is distinguished by a high alcohol content – ​​45%.

Anniversary– refers to the varieties of strong vodka, as it has a high alcohol content – ​​45%.

Strong– the name speaks for itself. This vodka contains 56% alcohol. It is recommended to drink it only for those who have previously consumed less alcohol-containing vodka, otherwise the consequences may be unpredictable. Do not serve “Strong” vodka to foreigners!

The strongest vodka in the world

Pertsovka– famous for a wide range of additives, the main one of which is pepper. The alcohol content varies between 30-40%.

Extra– to prepare this type of vodka, ethyl alcohol is used that has gone through all stages of purification. Depending on the recipe, other components may be added to the composition along with drinking water to improve the taste.

Hunting– is not a classic vodka, since it has a high alcohol content – ​​up to 56%.

Dining room– experts classify this vodka as the highest grade. It has a high degree of purification and a mild taste; the strength is standard.

In addition to the above-mentioned varieties, there are others: “Petrovskaya”, “Prazdnichnaya”, “Rossiyskaya”, “Zubrovka”. They have no distinctive features, the only difference is in the name.

From time to time, new varieties of vodka appear in Russia. For example, “Gold of Russia”, “Imperial”, “For Three”, “Kalashnikov”, “Olympus” and “Smirnov”. The most modern technologies are used in their production (as the manufacturers assure). But it’s too early to talk about the popularity of these varieties.

Vodka is one of the most popular alcoholic drinks, but to this day there is a huge amount of controversy about what the “correct” strength of vodka should be in order to ensure the most acceptable taste and minimize the harmful effects of the drink on the body. But no matter how many degrees it is, it still has a destructive effect on the body.

In the article:

Vodka strength

Speaking in the dry definitions of GOST, vodka is an alcoholic drink made from rectified alcohol and prepared water as the main components and several additional ingredients that determine taste. The strength depends on a certain ratio of the main components of the drink. Considering that rectified alcohol cannot be stronger than 96 degrees, the strength of the vodka obtained from it is necessarily lower than this value, and its quantitative expression depends on the percentage of water and other components in the resulting drink, ready for consumption. A prerequisite for preparing vodka is treating the resulting water-alcohol solution with special adsorbents that reduce the amount of harmful impurities.

According to GOST R 51355-99, the strength of vodka can be 40-45, 50 and 56% with or without the addition of flavoring additives.

GOST R 51355-99

Domestic and foreign producers have several designations for the strength of vodka, expressed in different units:

• Degrees, where the number of parts by weight of alcohol in the finished drink is taken as a basis.
• Percentage, when to determine the strength, the volumetric content of the ingredients is selected and the clarification “volume” is necessarily introduced. (the same “revolutions”), showing that it is the volumetric parts of alcohol and water that are taken into account.

The domestic designation of the strength of alcoholic beverages in degrees is recognized as the most accurate, taking into account the specific gravity of not only alcohol and water, but also all components of the finished drink. Taking into account that the specific gravity of 1 liter of finished vodka, 40% strength, is 953 grams, by simple calculations it can be established that such a drink contains 572 g of water and 381 g of grain ethyl alcohol.

If the strength is determined in volumetric units, then the same amount of vodka will contain only 318 g of alcohol and already 635 g of water, i.e. the real strength of such vodka will be, taking into account the contracting of alcohol, only 35°. The strength of a real drink may be even lower, since the degree of purification of alcohols is not taken into account when determining the volumetric part.

Why is vodka 40 degrees

There are many opinions, based on reliable facts and multiple legends, why vodka should have a strength of 40 degrees.

One should not believe the widespread belief that such a composition was invented by the great Russian scientist D.I. Mendeleev. Long before his birth, the strength of alcoholic drinks in Rus' was checked using simple annealing, when the alcohol contained in the solution was simply burned out of the total volume of the liquid. If exactly half of the original volume of the test drink remained, then it was called polugar and had a strength of approximately 38 degrees. Subsequently, the bureaucracy rounded this figure to 40° to simplify tax calculations.

Many “connoisseurs” of strong alcohol claim that the most pleasant taste sensations arise when drinking drinks with a strength of 45 degrees and that is why so many varieties of tequila, whiskey or cognac have such a strength. But it is worth noting that these are, in principle, different drinks, made not by mixing rectified alcohol and water, but by distilling the mash in a still, similar to the well-known moonshine. The taste and aroma of drinks of this kind depends on the type of raw materials, the degree of purification and the presence of flavoring additives.

D.I. Mendeleev, in his dissertation on the properties of water-alcohol solutions, found that when mixing alcohol and water in various proportions, a chemical reaction occurs in which the final volume of the resulting liquid will be less than the initial volume of the mixed ingredients. The scientist found that when mixing 1000 g of water and 850 g of alcohol, the same 40-proof vodka is obtained with a minimal decrease in the final volume of the resulting liquid.

This ratio of alcohol and water in vodka was adopted due to the least burning effect on the mucous membranes of the digestive tract and the acceptable effect of the aqueous-alcohol solution on the human cardiovascular and nervous system.

Is it only 40 degrees?

The fact that there are many varieties of alcohol distillates with a strength above 40 o does not raise the slightest doubt in anyone, but is there vodka with strength indicators different from this “magic” figure.

It was already mentioned a little earlier that vodka can be called alcoholic drinks with a strength of 40-45, 50 and 56 degrees, which is confirmed by the presence of a certain assortment of vodkas with strength levels other than 40 degrees.

Strength 45°

Some of the elite varieties produced by domestic enterprises have a strength of 45 degrees. Most of the vodkas are branded “Sibirskaya”, some, especially the export versions of “Stolichnaya”, “Kizlyarskaya aged” and many other products of distilleries. 45 proof premium vodkas are made from luxury alcohols and contain additional softening or flavoring additives.

Vodka "Sibirskaya"

Particular attention in the process of their manufacture is paid to additional preparation of water obtained from special sources (read about). And if in the production of imported alcoholic drinks, in most cases, boiled or practically distilled water is used, then Russian vodkas are characterized by the use of especially soft natural water, which has a unique taste.

Strength 50°

Vodka Absolut

After the monopoly on the production of alcoholic beverages was lifted, private producers began to produce separate varieties of fifty-proof vodka made from high-quality alcohol and specially prepared soft water. Often, when producing vodka with a strength of 50 degrees, special flavoring additives were used to reduce the negative impact of high alcohol content on organoleptic characteristics.

Their foreign colleagues did not lag behind domestic manufacturers. Ukrainian vodka “Nemirov strong”, Swedish “Absolut” and “Finlandia” from the country of Suomi occupy a worthy place on festive tables. Despite the increased strength, drinking these drinks in small quantities does not cause any discomfort.

Strength 60° and 70°

Koskenkorva Vodka 60%

If you follow the standards exactly, then by definition there is no vodka stronger than 56 degrees. There are similar drinks - gin, whiskey, liqueurs, rum, but the technology for their production is more similar to the production of well-known moonshine, the strength of which after double or triple distillation can also reach 70 degrees.

Rasputin Vodka 70%

Absinthe is also a record holder among strong alcoholic drinks in the world, where the share of alcohol sometimes accounts for 75-85%. In its pure form, it is consumed by rare gourmets; most often, various cocktails are made based on absinthe.

The strongest vodka in the world

Since ancient times, Scotland has been considered the birthplace of the strongest alcoholic drinks. Nowhere else can you find beer with a strength of 41 degrees (more about) and the strongest strong whiskey, which is almost pure, about 92%, alcohol, aged in special oak barrels.

Pincer Shanghai Strength 88.8

Scottish Pincer Shanghai Strength, made from grain alcohol that has undergone multi-stage purification and flavored with thistle extract, has a strength of 88.8 o. The number 88.8 is no coincidence. The product is intended mainly for the Chinese market, and the number 8 is considered lucky in China. Despite its strength, the drink has a unique soft taste and is pleasant to drink thanks to a precisely selected recipe.

The softest vodka

Of all the variety of manufacturers and products, it is very difficult to select the softest one. Sometimes the products of famous brands are worse than the unknown product of a small distillery.

Softness is determined mainly by the quality and degree of purification of the alcohol. The quality of the activated carbon in the purification column plays a special role. The higher quality and “younger” the coal, the softer the taste passing through it during the production process.

How many degrees according to standard

Industrially produced vodka can have a strength according to domestic GOST from 40 to 56 degrees, and according to foreign requirements - no less than 37.5 degrees. Everything else, even if it refers to alcoholic beverages, has no right to be called vodka.

The optimal ratio of alcohol and water is considered to be 1 to 1.176 mass units. At approximately this ratio, the density of the finished solution is about 950 kg/m3. And although the density is not indicated on the label, this indicator directly affects the speed of intoxication and the magnitude of the subsequent hangover.

Regardless of how many degrees there are in the drink you drink, you must always remember that any alcohol in large quantities will cause irreparable harm to your health and vodka, even the highest quality, is no exception to this rule.

The variety of alcohol exceeds consumer demand. Various types and strengths of vodka are available on all continents. If in other countries people are used to it in the form of cocktails, then in Russia they drink it in its natural form.

Russian alcohol

On Russian shelves you can find several domestic types of vodka with a strength of more than 40 degrees. They do not have a distinctive feature from the main drink.

“Ouzo” is an aniseed Greek vodka, more precisely, brandy with anise extract. Usually has a strength of up to 50 degrees.

“Whisky” means “water of life” in Scottish. Scotch whiskey is called "Scotch". It, in turn, is also divided into 3 items.

The alcoholic drink mulberry is made not somewhere overseas, but in the neighborhood - in Transcaucasia. First, they prepare the well-known mash, but only with the addition of white and black berries - mulberry, which is why the name is mulberry. And the strength of this drink is no less than 75 degrees.

Doctors do not recommend consuming large quantities and on an ongoing basis of alcohol with a strength of more than 40 degrees. It has been scientifically proven that a person can handle a drink with a strength of up to 40 degrees. When these indicators are exceeded, the liver cannot cope with the processing of poisons and begins to degenerate. Liver cells die and can no longer cope with the task.

Dedicated to those who drank it and lived to this day...
Golden autumn, 1 rub. 15 kopecks. - “Zosya”
Vasisubani, 2 rub. 00 kopecks. - “To the bathhouse with Vasya”
Port wine 777, 3 rubles 40 kopecks. - “Three Axes”, “Lowing”
Bile mitzne, 1 rub. 70 kopecks. - "Biomitsin"
Import substitution, it turns out, was also relevant during the Soviet Union.

Vermouth, 1 rub. 50 kopecks - “Vera Mikhailovna”, “Vermouth”
Aroma of gardens, 1 rub. 80 kop. - “The aroma of butts”
Autumn garden, 1 rub. 70 kopecks - “Fruit-profitable”
Port wine 33.2 rub. 15 kopecks - “33 misfortunes”
Rkatsiteli, 2 rubles. 50 kopecks - “Cancer to the goal”
Caucasus, 2 rubles 50 kopecks. - "Beggar in the Mountains"
Anapa, 2 rub. 30 kopecks. - "Sunstroke"
Fruit wine, 1 rub. 30 kopecks - “Tears of Michurin”
The most legendary "babble" of the USSR

Port wine “AGDAM”, alcohol 19 vol.%, price 2 rubles. 60 kopecks, - as soon as they were called - “As I will give”, “Agdam Bukharyan”, “Agdam Zaduryan”, etc., etc.
This hellish mixture of fermented grape juice, sugar and potato alcohol was drunk by everyone in the country of victorious socialism - homeless people, students, academics.
Agdamych completed his victorious march across the expanses of the country only in the 90s after the destruction of the cognac factory in the town of Agdam, the most famous city of Azerbaijan, which is now completely wiped off the face of the earth...

At the request of workers in the alcohol field:
Dessert drink “Volga Dawns”, strength 12% vol., sugar - 24%, price - 1 rub. 15 kopecks - a glorious representative of the Soviet “shmurdyaks”.
As a rule, this “dessert” was tried only once, because... the second time, the urge to vomit began just from the mere mention.

“A tincture of natural herbs with tonic properties” is the long name on the label of another legendary drink of the 70s - Abu Simbel Balsam.
Capacity 0.83 l., strength 30 degrees, price - 5 rubles. 80 kop.
As experienced senior students in the Tallinn dorm enlightened us, elementary students: “Abu” is the best “babolayer.”
The cork, they taught, must be opened very carefully so as not to damage it, and the bottle must not be thrown away under any circumstances: after emptying, you must pour regular port wine into it, carefully cork it, and everything is ready for the next romantic date!

Well, and finally, one of the main “gifts” from N.S. Khrushchev to the Soviet people - the wine of Algeria, which, with the light hand of domestic “winemakers”, turned into “Solntsedar”, “Algerian” and “Rose Vermouth”.
The people who survived, having tasted this muck, dubbed it “ink”, “fence paint”, “bug pest”, etc., etc., but nevertheless, almost 5 million decalitres of this swill came to the Union by tankers, which with difficulty steamed after draining in the village of Solntsedar near Gelendzhik. It was all about the price: “Algerian” - 14% and 65 kopecks!!!, “Solntsedar” - 20% and 1 rub. 25 kopecks!
A 3-liter can of “Solntsedar” for 8 rubles. 80 kopecks is my first alcoholic experience with my 8th grade classmates in Moscow, it’s simply impossible to find decent words to describe the state the next day.
“Solntsedar”, which became a symbol of the era of stagnation, collected its deadly harvest in the vastness of the USSR until 1985, when Gorbachev, who went down in the history of the country’s wine consumption as the Mineral Secretary, began the fight against drunkenness and alcoholism.

"Moscow special vodka"
0.5 l, 40%, price 60 rub. 10 kopecks,
Dishes 50 kopecks, cork 5 kopecks. 1944 - “Bitch”
“Vodka” 0.5 l, 40%, price 3 rubles. 62 kop.
1970 - “Crankshaft”
“Vodka” 0.5 l, 40%, price 4 rubles 70 kopecks.
1982 - “Andropovka”,
aka, “First-Grader” (released in early September),
aka, “Yurka’s Dawns” (based on the film)
“Vodka “Russian” 0.33l, 40%,
I don’t remember the price, in a Pepsi bottle - “Raiska”
(in honor of the wife of the “Mineral Secretary of the CPSU” Gorbachev)
“Vodka “Russian” 0.1 l, 40% - “Bum Yogurt”
I don’t remember the price.
Vodka “Krepkaya-Strong”, 0.5 l, strength 56%.
This very rare vodka from the USSR period, 56% alcohol, is deprived of popular attention, because... sold mainly to foreigners. The legend about its appearance is connected with the name of Stalin: they say, the leader, who had a weakness for polar explorers, asked them at one of the receptions what they drink during the winter, to which they answered: alcohol diluted to the strength of the parallel at which they at the moment of consumption are at the Pole - 90%, Salekhard - 72%, etc., and already at the next Kremlin reception on the occasion of the award, Stalin treated the conquerors of the North with specially prepared vodka with a strength of 56%, which corresponded to the geographical latitude of Moscow.

Pepper is not only for colds!

“And we walked together, like on a cloud,
And we came to Beijing hand in hand,
She drank Durso, and I drank Pepper.
For the Soviet family, exemplary!”

After these lines from Alexander Galich, I simply don’t want to comment tritely on this one of the most popular tinctures of the USSR, therefore, just facts from the labels:

Bitters tincture “Pepper”, 0.5 l, 1991,
35%, price with the cost of dishes 8 rubles. 00 kopecks.
“Ukrainian gorilka with pepper”, 0.7 l, 1961,
40%, price with the cost of dishes 4 rubles. 40 kopecks

There was also a tincture of “Pepper” in the USSR, 30%, produced already since 1932, but for more than 30 years of collecting, I never came across a single bottle of it, because it was not just an infusion of different varieties of allspice and the first a remedy for colds, but also a real holiday for all drinking citizens of the country of the Soviets.





And Tariban port. This is death. It was impossible to break the bottle with anything, 0.8 liters were brought in, non-standard bottles were not accepted.
Classic 90s)