Any Polish Vodka fans?

Clearly not a wine question. But I'll be making a short jaunt over to Poland shortly and as Poland doesn't have much in the way of wine (that I know of anyway) I'll have to check out its other libations.

Now for beer, I'm in the clear (comfortable just trying what I run into), but does anyone have recommendations for Polish vodka that I might pick up? I'm currently working on a bottle of Chopin potato vodka--which I rather like, though it can be a bit on the heavier and sweet side, but the eucalyptus, mint, and white pepper thing going on is really refreshing. Suggestions?

Poland is supposedly pretty big on honey wine.

Poland is supposedly pretty big on honey wine.

Thanks, Ryan. I should have thought of this. I have Lithuanian (and indeed a small touch of Polish as well) roots and I recall being amused by a recipe for mead in one of my grandmother's cookbooks (it clearly was made to apply to the old country and clearly had little relevance but a lot of sentimental value). I'll def check out the mead scene if I get the chance. Thanks!

Hey Keith,

As one with Polish roots myself, I have a total indifference towards vodka. Heck, the only hard liquor that I do like is ... London Dry Gin :)

Having said that, I visited Poland last summer and can confirm that the wine scene is pretty abysmal. Most people do not have a "wine consciousness", if you will; for lots of folks, mulled wine is where it starts and stops. Traditionally, Poland has not been a grower of vines on any scale, though the Zielona Gora region (western Poland) does have an annual wine festival and there is some viticulture there - I don't know what varieties they focus on, and to tell you the truth, I don't think it makes very big waves among most Poles in terms of influencing the culinary culture.

Choices in beer are fine, however, and I didn't have any bad beers in Poland. In fact, that was my favourite alcoholic drink since I bought three bottles of wine while there and they were ALL duds . . . I was shocked by the experience.

There is a fascinating fellow who runs the Winnica Golesz website. There he goes into all the varieties of grapes that can be successfully grown in Poland - some are vinifera, but many are hybrids (anyone see my grin yet? ). I don't know if innovation will result in any commercial attempts at viticulture in Poland, although I would love to see this developed and for the culture in general to become more wine-oriented and less spirits-oriented.

Personally, I believe that Austrian and German wines are ideal matches to most Polish cuisine, since our respective cuisines are so very similar in many respects.

Potato based vodka's are my preference!

Clearly not a wine question. But I'll be making a short jaunt over to Poland shortly and as Poland doesn't have much in the way of wine (that I know of anyway) I'll have to check out its other libations.

Now for beer, I'm in the clear (comfortable just trying what I run into), but does anyone have recommendations for Polish vodka that I might pick up? I'm currently working on a bottle of Chopin potato vodka--which I rather like, though it can be a bit on the heavier and sweet side, but the eucalyptus, mint, and white pepper thing going on is really refreshing. Suggestions?

3/4 of my heritage is Polish (the remaining 1/4 is Swedish).

Beer would have been my recommendation. Alas, the only Polish beers to reach the eastern USA have been badly skunked due to bad transport. But I imagine they were excellent in their native land.

There's a type of vodka allegedly popular in Poland made with a native grass (the name of this sub-variety of vodka escapes me). I'd be on a lookout to try that in its native environs.

Be sure to give us a report of what you find there.

-Paul W.

Thanks, Paul and Paul. Good stuff. I'll let you know what I find.

There's a type of vodka allegedly popular in Poland made with a native grass (the name of this sub-variety of vodka escapes me).

I think it is Zubrówka (Bison grass vodka) that you are referring to. I thought it was interesting . . . I think the local thing to do was mix it with apple juice.

I Bought a bottle of Potato vodka about 15 years ago called Pushkin. It was absolutely horrible. So bad that I still remeber it by name after all of these years. Like tipping the bottle of Isopropyl from the medicine cabinet.

Alas, the only Polish beers to reach the eastern USA have been badly skunked due to bad transport.
-Paul W.

Skunky beer is actually caused by light exposure due to green or clear bottles. Isohumulone compounds from hops are a light sensitive and will break down into chemicals that are surprisingly similar to the stinky compounds found in skunk musk. Dark brown bottles do a much better job in filtering out the light wavelength spectrum that causes the reaction. Kegs or cans pretty much prevent it. I still don't understand why breweries still insist bottling in green or clear bottles as the beer will always be light struck unless other methods are used to protect from light exposure such as closed top boxes.

Why is my beer skunky?