Siwucha vodka
Encyclopedia
Siwucha is an incompletely rectified vodka
(raw vodka) from Poland
. The name derives from the siwy (ash grey) color of the liquid due to Tyndall effect
of the colloid emulsion
of residual fusel oil.
. In Polish
it denotes a home-brew vodka or rotgut used for its preparation. The Russian
term сивуха denotes also its poor quality.
The name was first used as a vodka brand in Warsaw
shortly before World War I
. It was in production by various distilleries in Poland during the interbellum. After the World War II
all distilleries were nationalised and its production was halted. In 1995 the Polmos
distillery in Zielona Góra
reintroduced it as a way to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the company's foundation.
It is sold in 0.5 litre bottles, cork
ed and sealed with sealing wax
.
Rectified spirit
A rectified spirit, rectified alcohol, or neutral spirit is highly concentrated ethanol which has been purified by means of repeated distillation, a process that is called rectification. It typically contains 95% alcohol by volume...
(raw vodka) from Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. The name derives from the siwy (ash grey) color of the liquid due to Tyndall effect
Tyndall effect
The Tyndall effect, also known as Tyndall scattering, is light scattering by particles in a colloid or particles in a fine suspension. It is named after the 19th century physicist John Tyndall. It is similar to Rayleigh scattering, in that the intensity of the scattered light depends on the fourth...
of the colloid emulsion
Colloid
A colloid is a substance microscopically dispersed evenly throughout another substance.A colloidal system consists of two separate phases: a dispersed phase and a continuous phase . A colloidal system may be solid, liquid, or gaseous.Many familiar substances are colloids, as shown in the chart below...
of residual fusel oil.
History
Siwucha is one of the generic Slavic words for a moonshineMoonshine
Moonshine is an illegally produced distilled beverage...
. In Polish
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
it denotes a home-brew vodka or rotgut used for its preparation. The Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
term сивуха denotes also its poor quality.
The name was first used as a vodka brand in Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
shortly before World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. It was in production by various distilleries in Poland during the interbellum. After the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
all distilleries were nationalised and its production was halted. In 1995 the Polmos
Polmos
Polmos was a Polish state-owned monopoly, controlling the Polish market for vodka and other spirits. Founded in the late 1920s, until World War II it was one of the leading vodka producers in Poland...
distillery in Zielona Góra
Zielona Góra
Zielona Góra is a city in Lubusz Voivodeship, in western Poland, with 117,557 inhabitants within the city limits and 294,000 inhabitants within the metropolitan area, including three neighbouring counties ....
reintroduced it as a way to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the company's foundation.
It is sold in 0.5 litre bottles, cork
Stopper (plug)
A bung is truncated cylindrical or conical closure to seal a container, such as a bottle, tube or barrel. Unlike a lid which encloses a container from the outside without displacing the inner volume, a bung is partially inserted inside the container to act as a seal...
ed and sealed with sealing wax
Sealing wax
Sealing wax is a wax material of a seal which, after melting, quickly hardens forming a bond that is difficult to separate without noticeable tampering. Wax is used to verify something such as a document is unopened, to verify the sender's identity, for example with a signet ring, and as decoration...
.
Technology
The vodka is composed of a mixture of two rectified grain spirits. The mixture is then seasoned in oak barrels and a scent of forest fruit flavour is added.See also
- MoonshineMoonshineMoonshine is an illegally produced distilled beverage...
, Polish moonshine - Rotgut