WHAT IS BLUE VODKA? - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2024

The blue vodka is an alcoholic beverage composed mainly of vodka liquor but combined with some other ingredient depending on the brand, which can be: selection of forest berries, raspberry, etc. These give it a unique and different flavor to the classic original clear vodka, as well as having a fantastic color.

As its name says, it is bright blue in color and is made from the unusual fruits of vodka, generally the color of this liquor is of great quality and it is excellent to mix in more elaborate drinks, providing a different flavor and color.

Source: flickr.com/photos/jessicamullen/7098010117

It generally has a mild flavor with a refreshing texture. The degree of alcohol in this liquor is generally around 18% vol.

Origin of vodka

It is a distilled drink of possible Polish origin, generally produced by fermenting grains and starchy plants such as rye, wheat or potato (potato).

The alcohol content of pure vodka can vary greatly depending on the manufacturer, but can be as high as 37% to 50%.

The name "vodka" comes from the Polish word "woda" which means water and its chemical composition is made up of alcohol and water: H ₂ O + CH ₃ -CH ₂ OH, a characteristic that makes it perfect for cocktail mixes, due to its neutral flavor.

Other types of Vodka

Neutral vodka

It is the one originally created in their countries of origin, Russia and Poland. This vodka has the characteristic of being essentially composed of water and alcohol with a high quality and alcoholic volume, reaching even more than 50% alcohol degrees.

In certain countries like the United States, this neutral vodka lacks specific aromas due to its composition, so it is very important to take into account the brands, degrees of alcohol depending on the brand and their prices.

Flavored vodka

It is a relatively new trend. Recently, vodka manufacturers have tried to innovate by creating new flavors to incorporate into this liquor.

Since the days vodka was first produced, the world has undergone many changes. Among them, a good taste is now more appreciated and valued.

This is why the first Russian and Polish vodka producers started adding flavors to their products in order to hide a bit of the flavors that turned out to be unpleasant.

Over time this work became a badge of honor that reveals the quality and skill of the distiller.

The techniques and procedures to create this type of flavored vodka have advanced a lot and every day more variations and new flavors are added to the wide range of vodka.

Many of these come from Russia and Poland like "Limonnaya Vodka (lemon)", "Pertsovka Vodka (peppercorns and chillies)", etc.

Today, this type of vodka with added flavor is one of the most popular among all consumers worldwide.

Fruit flavored vodka

Extremely useful for making cocktails with fruit flavors. There is a wide variety of these; flavored with blueberry, passion fruit, apricot, peach, pomegranate, blackberry, blackcurrant, pear, strawberry, watermelon, melon, black cherry, banana, grape, pineapple, orange, raspberry, lemon, lime, tangerine, etc.

For a stronger drink with a distinctive and highly concentrated flavor, drinkers use these vodkas without accompaniments.

Vodka with novel flavors

There is a wide variety today, from vodka that mimics the taste of other popular drinks such as espresso, coffee, tea.

Imitations of dessert flavors flavored with honey, chocolate, vanilla, cinnamon, mint, whipped cream, etc. Other exceptional flavors include ginger, pepper, potato, etc.

• Black Vodka: A variation of neutral vodka with a fruity taste and very dark color, it is difficult to obtain, has excellent flavor and usually stains the tongue.
• Grape vodka: unlike traditional ingredients, this vodka is made with white grapes, its alcohol content is around 40 degrees and its flavor and body are powerful.
• Sparkling Vodka: or sparkling vodka, simply refers to a type of vodka that has been carbonated.

Elaboration process

Preparation of the broth

The first step is to grind the grains that will be used until they can be converted into flour, then water must be added and mixed under pressure.

The starch that is present in the grains will be transformed into a kind of gelatinous mass and then into sugar that, subjected to the effect of yeast, will transform into alcohol during the fermentation process.

This process takes about 40 hours and results in a very strong drink of 90% on average that must be distilled.

Distillation

It is produced by means of a continuous distillation system or "pot still" system composed of isolated alembriques, it can also be produced by the combination of these two previous processes.

The alembriques that are generally placed in groups of 2 to 5 and have a size of 20 to 40 meters, in industrial productions, but in small distilleries they use the “pot still” system due to its small size ”.

Each wire has a function, in the first "the pomace" makes the alcohol separate from the grill, this alcohol rises to the top by the stream of hot steam from below, through the second "rectifying" wire, the alcohol Increase your strength by concentrating on the top.

Generally, they are distilled two or three times a maximum but this depends entirely on the brand and quality, there are companies that can even distill it 9 times.

Filtration

After distillation, filtration is carried out in order to eliminate any type of impurities that may be present in the liquid.

This process varies depending on the producing company, among the most common methods we can find: organic carbon filters, birch or apple wood, quartz sands, precious metals, etc.

In other cases, cooling is also carried out at very low temperatures so that the residues solidify and facilitate filtration.

Dissolution

The result of all this process produces a liquid that contains 96% alcohol, so it dissolves in water to obtain the drink we know today and for this reason the concentration of the total volume of alcohol can vary.

References

1. "General information about vodka." Taken from Alimentos.org.es.
2. "The best vodka brands around the world and their origin". Taken from verema.com.
3. "Process of making vodka". Taken from coctelesycopas.com.
4. "Icelandic Blue Vodka". Taken from tiendalicoressinc.com.