About Soviet vodka, and its prices. Soviet drinks
Let's remember what kind of alcoholic drinks we have
always stood on holiday tables in the Soviet years.
Many of them have not been
produced, but their taste is still remembered.
At first I wanted to call this part in the spirit of the previous ones - "What did we drink".
But so I thought about it and decided that this is a little incorrect :)
First time alcoholic drinks I tried when I was 15,
and for the first time seriously drunk at the age of 16, for New Year... "Port 777".
Fortunately, I was not addicted to the "green serpent" and to this day I consider it evil.
If in excess. But high quality vintage wines,
I respect cognacs and whiskers occasionally.
I had one hobby in my childhood and youth. Collected wine (vodka, cognac) labels.
Agree, quite an innocent hobby for a child. And I was just a fan.
You used to find a bottle on the street, bring it home, put it in a bowl of hot water,
15 minutes - bang! and a new label in the collection. Friends (mother's) helped
- they looked for cherished bottles of the deep Soviet period in the cellars / attics and gave them to me.
For several years, an impressive bundle has accumulated
... Then the hobby suddenly disappeared, as did the collection itself. But, fortunately, she was later found.
I carefully scanned it and now I want to show you :) Labels for me -
one of the doors to childhood memories.
Soviet drawings, fonts, prices, "I belt, II belt", "Price with the cost of dishes", containers,
kilometer lines for wine and vodka, coupons ...
Crimea, sea and vine, after all.
Don't be lazy, take your time, peer at every label -
she is able to tell and remind a lot of things.
So what was on our tables and refrigerators 20-30 years ago?
I'll start with the aperitifs.
The lion's share of wine production in the USSR came from the Moldavian SSR. The inscription "MOLDVINPROM"
will be found in almost every third label.
Sherries and vermouths:
And "GOSAGROPROM" - every second :)
One of the gems of my small collection is Hungarian Vermouth.
Very popular in the 90s, live bottled beer of our native Ulyanovsk plant (R.I.P):
And this is the same Ulyanovsk plant, but still in the 80s:
The pride of our brewery!
Our plant drunken not only Ulyanovsk, but also its neighbors :)
Classics of the genre!
Now this is also the case. But not so ...
Greetings from Chyna. Theirs is more beer. These are the dashing 90s.
We are done with aperitifs, we are moving on to table wines, of which there were a great many in the USSR.
Still (dry, semi-dry and semi-sweet) wines:
Guys, this is Checheningushvino! Quite a rare label.
Rkatsiteli is a popular light wine made from a high-value grape variety.
Greetings from Volgograd!
Azerbaijan:
Black Sea pink, with an inscription on the boat "Abrau-Dyurso". Apparently, it was produced at the same plant.
This small bottle was brought by us from my first trip to Crimea, in 1991:
Such a small bottle of wine stood in our sideboard for a long time.
Until the wine turned to vinegar.
I have many childhood memories associated with her:
In particular, the dream of the sea began with her.
Abkhazia. By the way, the label has been revived these days and can be seen on the shelves.
This one is from those Soviet times.
Here is the modern label of Abkhazian wine:
Bulgaria has always been distinguished by expensive label printing.
Bulgaria 90s:
Algerian wine. I think ordinary people did not have this on their tables:
Fortified wines:
The pack of the next two "zero" labels, the boys and I found in some basement.
Apparently, someone hid it there for an underground workshop.
This one has a very uneven print. Apparently - a samopal. I will not believe,
that "Abrau-Dyurso" could afford such a hack.
Did I say that I first tasted alcohol at 15? I lied.
In church, a whole spoonful of diluted Cahors was poured into us children :)
Well, who doesn't remember the popular Amaretto liqueur in the 90s? :)) Sold in every "lump".
Like this fortified Moldovan wine:
Remember this troubled time when alcohol could be bought anywhere,
just not in the store ... In "lumps", "at the granny's" ... Horror.
Here's something else sweet and foreign from those times. More like a chocolate bar.
Odessa Mama!
I like these monsters: "GLAVUPRISCHEPROM GOSAGROPROM RSFSR ROSSPIRTPROM"
Probably those who worked there always met for a long time to answer the question about the place of work.
Cossack wine:
Flavored wines:
And here even the counter-label with the cocktail recipe has been preserved:
Port wines
Ortwine has always been associated with something cheap and unworthy
self-respecting person. Like a triple cologne.
"Mom is anarchy, Dad is a glass of port." Unfortunately,
the opinion was confirmed with the first experience of severe intoxication,
what happened to me after the chiming clock in the year 96. Bottle "777"
was destroyed almost in one gulp, for two with a friend
- rushed to friends (Vityok, if you read me, then hello). Hmm ...
"Agdam" is still Soviet:
"Agdam" is no longer Soviet. And it has risen in price. Release prices ....
3
And another variation:
Moldovenesc :)
Georgian port bag "Three Bananas":
Sparkling wines (Champagne - New Year is coming soon!):
Champagne in the late 80s and early 90s, like everything else, was not easy to buy.
With some tricks they got out a box or two for the wedding.
And it was even necessary to show a certificate from the registry office what was really for the wedding.
For there is no need to celebrate without a reason when the "dashing" are in the yard
- drink vodara according to coupons ...
I didn't like champagne. No, not because it is somehow different.
It was just that bottles from under it were very rarely accepted.
We can say that they did not accept it at all. From under vodka and beer - easily.
And the champagne bottles were dead weight in the sheds and on the balconies.
The only benefit from them is shooting with slingshots. Strong glass -
did not fly off the first time, prolonging the pleasure for the second and third hits.
They also mixed carbide with water in them, plugged them with their own cork and ran into the "bunker".
Yes, motorists stored all sorts of liquids in them, such as diesel fuel, oil and electrolyte. Reliable capacity.
Here they are, dear to every Soviet citizen, labels.
Made and bottled everywhere.
Azerbaijan SSR:
Tolyatti:
What had no right to be called "champagne" was called "sparkling".
Abrau-Dyurso, the king of Soviet sparkling wines:
And note, one price - 6 rubles 50 kopecks with the cost of dishes. How simple and clear it was ...
Cheap Moscow "pop" for two write:
Imported, from Bulgaria:
From Hungary:
Friends, sorry, I could not resist :)
This is modern, "new world". I have not tried anything better ...
Strong tinctures:
End of grade 10. We are all very adults, we can decide for ourselves what to drink and how much :) The choice always fell on this:
0.5 for 10 people - cool, let's go for a walk! :) Why lemon?
Apparently, on a subconscious level, they chose a compromise between childhood (lemonade) and supposedly already adult life (vodka).
The rubbish is still the same, but it was impossible to show it to the sight. And don't forget that this is 1996 ...
For some reason, the tinctures were then made similar to lemonades. Attracted children? :)
The only inscription "bitter" said that it was not tasty.
Strong tincture "Zubrovka": It is prepared on the basis of the herb bison, has a mild, slightly pungent taste and aroma of bison.
And the price is already a whole red gold piece.
Cognacs:
Our parents were lucky - they could still drink normal, "not burned"
cognacs from Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Moldova.
How many species were there! But not everyone can afford it. More expensive than vodka by 5 rubles.
Moldavian SSR:
I found this bottle in some old basement, half full. Naturally, the liquid was immediately drained to the ground :)
But it was someone's stash.
What is not now. Georgian cognacs:
Azerbaijani:
Brandy of the Dagestan ASSR. Produced at the "Moscow Inter-Republican Winery".
Disgusting brandy drink "Strugurash": But for lack of better, he went too:
Vodka was as it is now - cheap and expensive.
The cheap one was almost always sold in lemonade bottles - "Cheburashkas", with a lid made of dense foil, with a "tail":
Darling - in long bottles, with a screw cap:
And this is how they bought vodka in the USSR:
First, they handed over the old container, then they took a new one with this money. If enough :)
Gorbachev's Loop:
If there was not enough vodka, then they took port. When he ended, they went to a nearby store for this:
Interestingly, the same vodka could be both cheap and expensive at the same time.
I'll start with the cheap ones. This was usually paid with a tractor driver in the spring, for arable work at a summer cottage:
This was usually placed on the table on regular holidays:
The capital was not available (in any case, with us).
It is prepared with alcohol of the highest purity with the addition of sugar in the amount of 0.2 g per 100 ml.
And finally, the tsar vodka! Siberian:
Fortress - 45%, the price is almost like that of cognac - almost 12 rubles!
This was written out for weddings.
Kuban liqueur, with the sacramental inscription RUSSIAN VODKA.
Gin, whiskey, brandy, rum:
That which in the USSR was usually not drunk, tk. did not produce. But no one canceled business trips to fraternal countries,
so you could find the following drinks:
It is likely that one could buy in "Birch".
But this, apparently, was transported in barrels from friendly Cuba and bottled here.
Bulgarian brandy "Sunny Beach":
By the way, it is produced with the same label to this day. Recently, a friend brought it, they used it :)
Scotch whiskey!
So what do you think? :) What did you drink from this?
According to GOST 12712-80, depending on the taste and aromatic properties, YIKR are divided into special vodkas and vodkas. According to GOST 20 001-74, vodka is alcoholic beverage obtained by processing sorting with active carbon followed by filtration; special vodka is a high-grade vodka with a strength of 40 - 45% with an emphasized specific aroma and mild taste.
Back in the 1930s, the domestic vodka industry produced only four types of vodka: "40%" - naya, "50%" - naya, "56%" - naya and "Osobaya Moskovskaya". The first of these was considered to be vodka of normal quality, the rest were considered to be of higher quality. In the manufacture of "40%" vodka, rectified alcohol was used, produced from potatoes, grain or molasses. Vodkas "Osobaya Moskovskaya", "50%" and "56%" were made from high quality double rectified alcohol. The use of alcohol from molasses for the preparation of these vodkas was not allowed. Alcohol was diluted with corrected river water, while vil vodka content mineral substances could not exceed 500 mg, of which alkaline - not more than 300 mg.
In the post-war period, along with the previously named ones, they began to produce Stolichnaya vodka and 95% drinking alcohol. As before, vodkas "40%" - naya, "50%" - naya and "56%" - naya were a mixture of only alcohol with corrected vbda, treated with coal and filtered. In the manufacture of Stolichnaya vodka, 20 g of sugar was dissolved in 1 dal of sorting, and Moskovskaya Osobaya 40% vodka was used with baking soda and acetic acid.
Drinking alcohol was a mixture of rectified ethyl alcohol produced from grain and potatoes with softened water. After mixing alcohol with water, the solution was subjected to filtration and exposure; treatment with active carbon was not performed.
The regulatory requirements of that time for the physicochemical indicators of vodkas and drinking alcohol are given in table. 56.
Over time, the range of vodkas has expanded significantly, and new regulatory requirements have been introduced for the previously produced ones. The following vodkas were produced: "Vodka" (OST 18-7-76): "40%" - naya (GOST 12714-67); "50%" - naya and "56%" - naya (GOST 12712-67); "Russian", "Extra", "Starorusskaya vodka", "Wheat", "Siberian", "Stolichnaya", "Moscow special", "Posolskaya", "Golden Ring", "Golden Gate" - all in accordance with GOST 12712-80 and in a limited amount of special vodkas: "Ukrainian Gorilka", "New", "Dzidrais", "Kristall - Dzidrais", "Viru-Valge", "Lietuvishke skydrion" ("Lithuanian transparent"), "Prazdnichnaya".
Alcohol. According to GOST 12712-80, only ethyl alcohol should be used for the sentence of special vodkas and vodkas.
|
ІTable 56. Requirements for physical and chemical parameters of vodkas and drinking alcohol |
Rectified of the highest purification, "Extra" or "Lux", produced from food raw materials in accordance with GOST 5962-67 (see table 41). The type of alcohol used for the preparation of a particular vodka is given in table. 57. Vodkas for export are prepared only from "Extra" or "Lux" alcohol, produced from grain in a healthy state.
Water. The quality of water, which, for example, in 40 ° vodka is over 60 wt.%, Plays an extremely important role. In the USSR, only natural, mainly river water was used for the preparation of vodkas.
Natural water taken from one source or another always contains admixtures of various substances in a dissolved and suspended state. These impurities pass into the water when it moves over the surface and through the soil layers, as well as during the formation and movement of clouds.
Substances dissolved in water are represented by: salts of mineral origin - calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, sodium, manganese, copper; substances and salts of organic origin - mainly decay products of animal and flora; human production activities - mineral and organic fertilizers, components of wastewater and industrial emissions.
Suspended substances are represented by the smallest particles of mineral and organic origin, colloids and microorganisms.
The amount of these impurities in water depends on the composition of the soil on which it moves, on the production activity of a person and can vary significantly throughout the year. This is especially true for river, lake and well water during the period of snow melting and floods. All impurities affect the organoleptic properties and physicochemical parameters of water and, depending on their content, it can be hard or soft, salty or fresh, cloudy or transparent, colored or colorless, have one or another odor.
The hardness of water is determined by the calcium and magnesium salts present in it. With an increase in their content, the hardness of the water increases. Water hardness is expressed in milligram-equivalent - ribbons of calcium or magnesium ions per liter (1 dm3) of water (mg-equiv / l); (mEq / dm). Hardness of 1 mg-eq / l corresponds to the content of 20.04 mg of Ca ions or 12.16 mg of Mg ions in water. Sometimes they use the old expression for hardness - in German degrees: 1 German degree of hardness corresponds to the content of 10 mg CaO vil water, that is, 1 meq is equal to 2.004.
Water hardness is characterized by: a) total hardness; b) temporary or removable stiffness; c) constant rigidity. In this case, the total stiffness is the sum of temporary and permanent stiffness.
Temporary or removable stiffness is caused by carbonate salts of calcium and magnesium. When boiling water, these salts precipitate.
Constant hardness is caused by sulfate and chloride salts of calcium and magnesium, which do not precipitate when boiling water.
In the overwhelming number of cases, vodka production plants use drinking water from communal water pipelines and are located in large industrial centers, where the water is especially polluted by human waste products. Drinking water (GOST 2814-73) meets a number of sanitary and epidemiological requirements that ensure its satisfactory organoleptic properties. It is harmless in chemical and radiation composition and epidemiologically safe. However, the requirements for the water used to make vodka are much higher. In particular, natural non-softened drinking water should have a hardness not exceeding 1 mg-eq / dm 3, softened and demineralized water - up to 0.36 mg-eq / dm (according to GOST 12712-80). For vodkas for export, these requirements are even more stringent: natural drinking water that is not softened must have a hardness of no more than 1 mg-eq / dm3, corrected, including softened, up to 0.1 mg-eq / dm (according to GOST 27907 88). The total content of mineral salts in water should not exceed 0.5 g. Therefore, in order to ensure the necessary salt composition, transparency, crystal luster and odorlessness, drinking water, before mixing with alcohol, is processed: softened, discolored, deodorized, filtered. Such treatment is carried out on the basis of laboratory analyzes of water and in each case includes various technological operations and the amount of chemicals used.
Sometimes water is almost completely demineralized (demineralized), as a result of which its properties become close to those of distilled water. Note that in the USSR, distilled water was not used to prepare vodka: vodka prepared with its use has an "empty" taste.
Coal sorting treatment. Since the 1930s in the USSR, sorting was processed only with active carbon. At the same time, the duration of its contact with the sorting and the dosage, in comparison with charcoal, was significantly reduced, since on the basis of analytical studies and tasting it was found that the duration of the contact of the sorting with active carbon should not exceed 30 minutes. Beyond this time, the taste of vodka does not improve and, moreover, may deteriorate, since the content of aldehydes in it increases. It was considered that when processing the sorting during the specified time, 16 g of active carbon per 1 dal of the sorting is sufficient. It was these figures that were normatively fixed for vodka "40%". In the case of its preparation from alcohol from molasses, 24 g of active carbon per 1 dal was consumed. For vodkas of higher quality ("50%" - noy, "56%" - noy and "Osobaya Moskovskaya"), 30 g of active coal was consumed per 1 decalter of the sorting, also with a 30-minute contact of coal with the sorting.
During the specified time, it is necessary to ensure continuous and vigorous mixing of the coal with sorting, after which it is necessary to immediately separate the sorting from the coal.
Mainly birch active carbon was used with particle sizes ranging from 0.5 to 3.5 mm. The weight of 1 liter of coal must be at least 170 g.
At the pre-war factories, three methods of processing sorting with activated carbon were used: 1) Moscow; 2) Kiev; 3) Tula.
Moscow way. Sorting is poured into a metal container, after which a weighed amount of coal is poured into it, based on the regulatory documentation and the volume of sorting. Immediately after this, the sorting is continuously and vigorously mixed with coal, which is carried out by oars, a mechanical stirrer, or compressed air from a compressor. After 30 minutes, stirring is stopped, the coal is allowed to settle to the bottom of the container, which occurs within 4 hours, the sorting is drained, and the coal is sent for regeneration. Since in this technology the duration of contact of the sorting with coal actually exceeds 30 minutes, this was considered its significant disadvantage.
Kiev way. In this method, the sorting is in contact with the coal for exactly 30 minutes. This is achieved due to the fact that the calculated amount of coal is not poured directly into the tank, but is introduced into it in drums from a metal mesh. In this case, the sorting is launched into a drum with coal, washes the coal contained in it and flows out into the tank through the mesh openings. At the same time, the sorting is mixed in the tank with compressed air. After 30 minutes, the drum with coal is removed from the tank, the coal is sent for regeneration, and the sorting for filtration.
Tula way. In this method, filters were used that were available at pre-revolutionary vodka factories, but the sorting moved from the bottom up, due to which it was vigorously mixed with coal.
In modern technologies, sorting processing, with certain differences, is carried out both in Tula and according to the methods used in pre-revolutionary factories. Used active wood charcoal crushed grades BAU-A or DAK in accordance with GOST 6217-74; when preparing export vodka, brand BAU-A. (According to the named GOST, coal of the BAU-A grade is intended for use in alcoholic beverages and for adsorption from solutions and aqueous media; DAK grade - for purifying steam condensate from oil and other impurities.) Since the implementation of these technologies in domestic conditions is difficult and impractical , we will not describe them. We only note that modern technologies for processing sorting with activated carbon are described in detail in.
Sort filtering. Sorting is filtered twice: before and after treatment with active carbon. Quartz sand is used as the main filtering material, which is divided into several fractions at vodka production plants, based on the size of the grains of sand. After fractionation, the sand is thoroughly washed with water, then with 3% hydrochloric acid and again with water. The sand treated in this way is loaded into cylindrical drums called sand filters. In the simplest sand drums of old designs (Fig. 46), sand fractions with particle sizes from 1 to 3 mm and from 3.5 to 5 mm and coarse gravel were used.
The filter was a copper, tin-plated inside cylinder with a diameter of 0.7 m and a total height of 1 m.The total height of the filtering layers was about 0.7 m.The number of filtering layers - no more than Si The cylinder was divided in height into three chambers using removable apertured diaphragms , also made of tinned copper: a) top - supply; b) medium - boot; c) the bottom - the national team. The filter material is placed in the loading chamber in layers. At the same time, the lower and upper layers are made of gravel, the intermediate ones are made of sand. The perforated diaphragms were covered with cloth gaskets made of greatcoat cloth, felt or flannel. Sometimes layers of sand and gravel were also separated from each other by spacers of these materials. To retain the largest particles, a pad of several layers of cotton wool, wrapped in gauze and placed in the upper part of the filter, was used. Often, in order to retain the largest particles of coal, preliminary
filtration of the sorting, passing it under pressure through a glass with a layer of flannel or cloth reinforced at its bottom.
Direction of movement
Sorting during filtration from top to bottom. The first portions of the sorting machine passing through the freshly loaded sand and gravel are unclear, so they are sent back to the sorting vat. When the crystal-clear sorting filtrate starts to come out of the filter, the filter is switched from the sorting vat to the finishing one. In the finishing vat, the sorting is fine-tuned to the required strength by adding alcohol or carefully filtered water, after which the vodka is bottled.
Modern filters use sand of three fractions with particle sizes: from 1 to 1.5 mm; from 1.5 to 2.0; from 2.0 to 3.0 mm. The fabric is not used by placing layers of sand with different particle sizes on top of each other. In this case, the bottom layer of sand, which has the largest sizes of grains of sand, is poured onto a fine-mesh metal mesh, fixed on a strong lattice frame. Along with sand filters, monolithic ceramic filters with pore sizes of several tens of microns are used.
Vodka recipes. In a strict sense, vodka should consist only of water and rectified grain ethyl alcohol with a share of the latter 40 vol.%. Even before World War II, no other ingredients, with the exception of baking soda, were allowed with it. According to the normative documentation of that time, the content of alkaline substances in terms of baking soda for vіl vodka of ordinary quality could not exceed 300 mg, due to which it was allowed to add baking soda to the sorting with the lacking alkalinity, bringing the alkalinity to the full norm (300 mg / l). For vodkas of improved quality, it was allowed to bring the alkalinity to 600 mg / l. Due to the fact that in an alkaline environment the absorption properties of active carbon are weakened, it was recommended to add soda after the sorting treatment with coal.
Along with this, in the scientific and technical literature of that time, several more formulations of vodka are given. In particular, in the Technical Encyclopedia, vol. 3, p. 860 - 862, (Moscow: Sov. Encycl., 1928) when preparing vodkas, it is recommended to add 0.3 g of baking soda and 1.6 g of beet sugar for each liter of sorting, which leads to a softening of the harshness of its taste. According to vodka high taste obtained by adding to each liter of sorting 25 mg of potassium permanganate, previously dissolved in a small amount of water, and 40 mg of 80%
acetic acid. After half an hour, 200 mg of baking soda is added and everything is left for 1 - 2 days, after which the whole mixture is filtered from manganese dioxide. The oxidative effect of potassium permanganate brings with it, like ozone, a certain aging effect. After filtration, there is no manganese in the finished product.
In the post-war period, the range of substances used in the manufacture of vodka has expanded significantly. So, according to GOST 12712-80, in the preparation of one or another type of vodka and special vodkas, in addition to the previously mentioned alcohol, water and activated carbon, the following are used: refined granulated sugar and refined sugar in accordance with GOST 22-78, sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) according to GOST 2156-76; food acetic acid according to GOST 6968-76; food citric acid according to GOST 908-79; lactic acid food according to GOST 490-79; hydrochloric acid according to GOST 3118-77; potassium permanganate according to GOST 20490-75; table salt in accordance with GOST 13830-68; distilled glycerin in accordance with GOST 68224-76; natural honey according to GOST 19792-87; skimmed cow's milk in accordance with GOST 10970-87; potato starch in accordance with GOST 7699-78; aromatic alcohols obtained from aromatic plant raw materials and rectified alcohol of the highest purity, essential oils and some other products. It is clear that some of the named substances, such as, for example, starch, milk and potassium permanganate, are used only for cleaning the sorting and they are absent in the vodka supplied to the trade. Along with this, some vodkas, for example, "Pshenichnaya" and "Sibirskaya", are made only from alcohol and water and do not contain additives, except for those that come from coal and are formed during the sorting process. Here is the technology of adding additives and formulations of some vodkas.
So, according to the recipe of A.S. Egorov and his co-workers, given in, high organoleptic characteristics has vodka containing 36 mg of NaCl (table salt), 546 mg of NaHCO3 (baking soda) and 50 mg of Ca (HCO3) 2 in 1 dal. According to this recipe, table salt and baking soda in the indicated quantities are added directly to the water, after which the solution is passed through a filter with marble chips. During the filtration process, part of the soda chemically interacts with the marble, resulting in the formation of Ca (HCO3) 2. (Marble is a rock, its main component is calcite (CaCO3).) Use marble chips with a particle size of 10 - 20 mm. The specified amount of Ca (HCO3) 2 is formed during the duration of the contact of a solution of soda and sodium chloride in water with marble chips for 10 - 20 minutes. The water treated in this way is used to dilute the alcohol.
Recipes of vodkas "50%" - naya, "Stolichnaya", "Extra", "Vodka", "Moskovskaya Osobaya", "Ukrainian Gorilka" and "Prazdnichnaya" are given on the basis of; "Siberian" and "Pshenichnaya" - respectively OST 18-292-76 and OST 18-296-76; "40%" - naya -
GOST 12714-67, "56%" - naya - GOST 12712-67. Unfortunately, we cannot give the recipe for other vodkas, since it has a prohibitive stamp, and the authors are law-abiding citizens.
Stolichnaya vodka. For the preparation of this vodka, refined granulated sugar is used. For 1 dal of sorting, 20 g of sugar are consumed, which is introduced into the sorting in the form of syrup.
In an industrial environment sugar syrup prepared with a sugar content of 65.8 and 73.2 wt.%, which corresponds to approximately 0.52 and 0.37 liters of water per kilogram of sugar. The technology is carried out as follows. In a container of the required volume, water is heated to 50 - 60 ° C, after which, without stopping heating, the calculated amount of sugar is poured into it with constant stirring and, having completely dissolved it, the syrup is brought to a boil. In the process of boiling, the heating is reduced or stopped several times and at this time the foam is removed from the surface of the syrup. The cessation of foam is a sign that the syrup is ready. After that, the heating is stopped and the syrup is quickly cooled. Heat treatment sugar syrup is tried to be carried out as quickly as possible, because from a prolonged stay at the boiling temperature, the syrup turns yellow. "It should be noted that while the sugar syrup is boiling, it should be constantly stirred so that it does not burn and does not acquire a yellow color. The finished syrup is drained into clean, strong oak barrels or in a tinned metal container in which it is left to cool. Cooking syrup is best done in a boiler (copper) with a steam jacket heated by steam; the inner surface of the boiler must be well cured. It is also possible to heat the boiler with a steam coil. Steam heating is convenient in that it is easier to regulate and the danger of syrup burning is reduced. If there is a fire furnace under the boiler for boiling syrup at the factory, the walls of the boiler must be protected from direct contact with the flame by installing safety shields or brickwork with an air gap, or used for heating water bath" .
Vodka "Extra". For the preparation of this vodka, refined granulated sugar and potassium permanganate are used. One dal of sorting consumes 25 g of sugar and up to 10 mg of potassium permanganate. Potassium permanganate solution is first added to sorting, mixed, and then sugar syrup is added.
Vodka "Vodka". To prepare this vodka for 1 dal of sorting, 1 g of baking soda (INSOz), 0.308 g of food citric acid and 10 g of refined granulated sugar. Baking soda injected directly into the sorting unit in the form of an aqueous solution. Sugar is introduced into the sorting in the form of invert sugar. Of the specified amount of citric acid, 0.3 g is introduced into the sorting solution in the form of a solution to create a certain acidity, and 0.008 g is used to obtain invert sugar (0.08% by weight of sugar).
Invert sugar is a mixture of equal parts
Glucose and fructose. Received by heating sugar syrup in the presence of citric or hydrochloric acids. Under these conditions, sucrose is inverted, that is, the sucrose molecule attaches a water molecule and decomposes into glucose and fructose molecules: C12H22O11 + H20 = CbHigOb + CbHiOb. sucrose water glucose fructose
Compared to sucrose, invert sugar is less prone to crystallization when mixed with aqueous-alcoholic solutions, is sweeter and has a greater total mass.
To prepare a solution of invert sugar, sugar syrup is first prepared at the rate of 1 kg of sugar per 0.52 liters of water according to the previously described technology. Having removed the foam from the syrup for the last time, a 10% aqueous solution of citric acid is added to it in an amount of 0.08% citric acid from the mass of the processed sugar and, stirring, kept at 95 - 100 ° C for 2 hours. During this time, about 50 % sucrose. With a longer heating duration and, accordingly, the degree of inversion, the syrup darkens, which is unacceptable in the production of vodka. The inversion is carried out in enamelled containers.
Vodka "Moscow special". To prepare this in<эдки используют пищевую соду и уксусную кислоту. Пищевую соду в виде концентрированного раствора ее в сортировке вносят непосредственно в основную порциию сортировки для придания ей мягкости, а также используют с уксусной кислотой для получения уксуснокислого натрия (СНзСОСЖа). В каждом конкретном случае массу соды, которую необходимо внести в сортировку, определяют путем титрования исходной сортировки в лаборатории и выполнения расчетов по формуле
М = (0.084 g / ml) (А2 - Аі), where М is the mass of chemically pure NaHC03, which must be added to each 1 dal of the sorting to ensure the necessary alkalinity; A2 is the required sorting alkalinity, expressed in ml of 0.1 N HCL solution per 100 ml of sorting; And i is the initial alkalinity of the sorting, in ml of 0.1 N HC1 solution per 100 ml of sorting.
Example: Let AI = 1.0 ml, and A2 = 3.0 ml (see table 57 for the requirements for the alkalinity of Moskovskaya Osobaya vodka). Skinny M = 0.84 g / ml x (3.0 ml - 1.0 ml) = 1.68 g of baking soda per 1 dal of sorting. The weighed amount of soda is first thoroughly mixed with a small amount of sorting, after which it is poured into the main portion of the sorting and also thoroughly mixed.
Titration (determination of alkalinity) sorting is carried out as follows. In a conical flask made of uncolored chemically resistant glass with a capacity of 250-500 ml, pour 100 ml of sorting, add two drops of methyl red solution to it, shake it, then gradually add 0.1 N HC1 solution with constant shaking. The titration is terminated at the moment when the color of the sorting color changes from yellow to pink. The number of milliliters of HC1 solution used for titration is a measure of the alkalinity of the sorting
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Table 57. Requirements for physical and chemical indicators of vodka |
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Indicator name |
Norms for vodkas for domestic consumption from alcohol |
Norms for vodkas exported from alcohol |
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Highest purification |
Highest purification |
"Extra" |
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"Russian", "Extra", "Starorusskaya vodka" |
"Wheat" |
"Siberian" |
"Stolichnaya" |
"Moscow special" |
"Ambassadorial" |
"Golden Ring", "Golden Gate" |
Special vodkas |
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Fortress, % |
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Alkalinity - the volume of slyric acid with (HC1) - 0.1 mol / dm3, consumed for the titration of 100 cm3 of vodka, cm3, no more |
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Mass concentration of aldehydes in terms of acetic acid in 1 dm3 of anhydrous alcohol, mg, not more |
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Mass concentration of fusel oil in terms of a mixture of isoamyl and isobutyl alcohols (3: 1) in 1 dm3 of anhydrous alcohol, mg, not more |
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Mass concentration of ethers in terms of ethyl acetate per 1 dm3 of anhydrous alcohol, mg, not more |
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The volume fraction of methyl alcohol in terms of anhydrous alcohol,%, no more |
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(table 58. Requirements for physical and chemical indicators of vodka
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(the value of Ai). We would like to draw the reader's attention to the fact that the above titration method and formula are suitable only for sorting with initially neutral or alkaline properties, which is the case in the industrial production of vodka (alcohol is weakly acidic and water is alkaline). A solution of methyl red is prepared by dissolving 1 g of the drug while heating in a water-alcohol solution consisting of 300 ml of ethyl alcohol and 200 ml of water.
A solution of sodium acetate is obtained by neutralizing acetic acid with baking soda. According to the normative requirements, 0.4 ml of 80% acetic acid is consumed per 1 dal of sorting. In order to obtain sodium acetate, the corresponding amount of 80% acetic acid is placed in a tin-plated or enameled container, diluted with 8-10 times the volume of softened water and baking soda is added in small portions to this solution with constant stirring with a wooden stirrer until a solution with neutral properties is obtained. After that, an aqueous solution of СН3СОСЖа is poured into the sorting unit and mixed thoroughly.
Vodkas "40%" - naya, - "50%" - naya, "56%" - naya, "Siberian" and "Pshenichnaya". For the preparation of these vodkas, only alcohol and water are used. At the same time, water for "Siberian" and "Pshenichnaya" vodkas is treated with active carbon and filtered before being mixed with alcohol.
Special vodka "Ukrainian gorilka". For the preparation of this vodka, 40 g of honey are used per 1 dal of sorting. Linden honey is preferred. Honey is introduced into sorting in the form of its solution in vodka or sorting, compiled at the rate of 1 g of honey per 10 ml of liquid. In order to remove mechanical particles and colloidal substances present in honey, the honey solution is thoroughly filtered through filter paper in accordance with GOST 12290-89 before being added to the sorting system.
Special vodka "Holiday". To prepare this vodka, use (based on 1 dal of sorting): baking soda - 2 g, sugar - 2 g, citric acid - 0.8 g.
Solutions of sugar, invert sugar, baking soda and potassium permanganate are introduced into the sorting unit before it is processed with active carbon; honey, glycerin, essential oils and aromatic alcohols after its treatment with active carbon, since the latter partially absorbs these substances.
The quality of the vodka. Determined organoleptically on the basis of tasting and analytically through laboratory tests. At the same time, the requirements for the quality of vodkas produced for domestic consumption are set by GOST 12712-80, for export - by GOST 27907-88.
Organoleptic indicators of vodka are: a) appearance; b) color; c) taste and aroma. According to the above-mentioned GOSTs, the requirements for the organoleptic characteristics of vodkas produced for domestic consumption and exported are identical: vodka must be a clear liquid without impurities and sediment; should be colorless; have a taste and aroma typical for this type of vodka, and have no foreign taste and aroma. In practice, organoleptic characteristics are assessed on a ten-point scale. The highest mark - 10 points is assigned to vodka with impeccable transparency and crystal shine (2 points); does not have a sweet, pungent or bitter taste (4 points); odorless of alcohol and other foreign substances and with a characteristic aroma of this type of vodka (4 points).
Analytical (physicochemical) requirements for vodkas produced for domestic consumption (GOST 12712-80) and exported (GOST 27907-88) are given in table. 57.
Later, in GOST 12712-80, in accordance with the change No. 4 from 04.07.86 g in the table specifying the requirements for the physicochemical indicators of vodkas, the word "Extra" was excluded from the column "Norm for vodkas from high-purity alcohol", and in accordance with by amendment No. 5 of 12.11.91, the requirements for the physicochemical indicators of vodka are set forth in a new edition (see Table 58).
Vodkas have a certain shelf life. According to GOST 12712-80, the guaranteed shelf life for vodkas is 12 months, vodkas intended for the USSR Ministry of Defense - 18 months, special vodkas - 6 months from the date of their bottling.
Vodka belongs to strong alcoholic beverages. (According to GOST 20001-74: alcoholic beverages are alcoholic beverages with a strength of 12 - 60%, prepared by mixing semi-finished products with rectified alcohol; strong alcoholic beverages are alcoholic beverages with a strength of 30% and higher). However, as they say here in Kiev, "Every drink has its own buzz." Therefore, along with vodka, the industry produces other alcoholic beverages on the basis of rectified ethyl alcohol: liqueurs, creams, liqueurs, tinctures, balsams, etc. These drinks have different strengths (from 12 to 60 °), and, unlike vodka, contain significant amounts of sugar, food colors, acids, aromas and other substances. The technologies for obtaining and formulating such drinks, as well as cognac, whiskey and gin, will be given by us in the second part of this book.
There are no substances, including ethyl alcohol, with a 100% content of the main component in nature, since any substances, even the purest ones, contain a certain amount of impurities. Therefore, for example, the terms "100% alcohol" or "100% acid" do not correspond to the real substance, but are used to facilitate calculations and records. The industry produces, in limited quantities, the so-called absolute alcohol, containing at least 99.8 vol.% Ethyl alcohol, and water as the main impurity. In laboratories, using some chemicals from rectified and absolute alcohols, alcohol is obtained with a negligible water content. In modern scientific and technical literature, instead of the term "100% alcohol", the term "anhydrous alcohol" is more often used.
Detailed tables of converting metric units into Russian and Russian into metric units are given in the "Encyclopedic Dictionary" (v.9) of Brockhaus-Efron. - St. Petersburg: TypogrAkts. About-va "Publishing business", Brockhaus-Efron, 1900.
This corresponds to 1 kg of flour per 4.2 liters of water.
This corresponds to 1 kg of flour per 5.4 liters of water.
Ostsee Provinces - German name for the Baltic region
Before the invention of alcohol meters, the alcohol content in wine was determined by alcohol burnout. For this purpose, a certain volume of wine was placed in a metal glass and set on fire. It was believed that the difference in the volume of wine before and after the end of combustion correspond to the volume of alcohol in it. It is clear that this method was inaccurate and always gave an overestimated alcohol content, since part of the water evaporated during the combustion process. If the burned out alcohol was half or two-thirds of the volume, then in Russia such wine was called, respectively, "half-gar" or "two-thirds of the gar".
In the USSR, vodka was a liquid currency, a solid payment for the labor of plumbers, the private activities of tractor drivers, and a ration for small entrepreneurs. They did not drink vodka in the Soviet Union - they "ate" it. The milestones of the board of general secretaries were celebrated in the name of vodka. As we know, any change in the price of "bitter" influenced society and politics. Today we remembered the most famous spirits in the price of alcohol in our history. Each of them can be called iconic ...
"Rykovka"
In 1924, on the 10th anniversary of the introduction of Prohibition, the new Soviet state decided on a responsible but dangerous act - to allow the sale of vodka. Interesting memories of this were preserved in the newspapers of that time: "On the first day of the release of the forty-degree room, people on the streets ... cried, kissed, hugged. They started selling it at 11 am, and by 4 am all the shops were empty." The cult needs folklore - the people have their own gradation of vodka dishes: "If someone needs to buy a hundred square meters, then they ask for a pioneer, half a bottle for a Komsomol member and a bottle for a party member." In line for vodka. Petrograd. 1920s In Moscow, the sale of Soviet vodka began on October 4, 1925, on Sunday. There were queues at the shops selling liquor, like in the 90s at McDonald's. On average, they sold 2,000 bottles a day. The emergence of vodka on sale hit the industry hard, many workers did not go to work, and many of those who nevertheless decided on a labor feat, by lunchtime "reached their condition." The most popular vodka in the history of Russia was nicknamed by the people "rykovka", after the name of the chairman of the Council of People's Commissars Alexei Rykov. A half-liter bottle cost only a ruble. Its quality was, to put it mildly, disappointing. "Rykovka" was even called "half-Rykov", insisting that Comrade Rykov himself (the people have stuck with him the stigma of a bitter drunkard) in the Kremlin drinks vodka at 60 degrees, and the people get a diluted, 30-degree one.
Alexei Rykov and Joseph Stalin, 1930s With his "vodka initiative" Alexei Rykov became a popular hero of jokes. There is, for example, this: "Rykov got drunk after Lenin's death for two reasons: firstly, from grief, and secondly, from joy." Vodka as an economic factor
In 1940, an average salary could buy 28 bottles of vodka, in 1950 - 29, in 1970 - 40. That is, a sharp decline in the cost of "bitter" happened after the death of Stalin. What happened under Stalin?
Stalin understood what he was doing when he canceled the "dry law" in 1924. In a letter to Molotov dated September 1, 1930, he wrote that a military bloc was being formed around Poland. The secretary general wrote: "It is necessary to discard false shame and directly, openly go to the maximum increase in the production of vodka in order to ensure a real and serious defense of the country." Along with the development of the vodka industry, Stalin allowed the creation of sobriety societies in Russia. And these societies began to have serious weight, gathered meetings of many thousands. Even children took to the streets with propaganda posters: "Dad, don't drink!", "Dad, come home sober", "Not alcohol, but bread." A great public outcry, which could turn into a curtailment of vodka production, and as a result - a cut in the budget for the military-industrial complex, forced Stalin in the late 30s to close the sobriety societies. 
Stalin openly used "vodka manipulation" for political purposes. Serious alcoholization was caused by the introduction of the "People's Commissar's 100 grams." The front-line soldiers returning from the fronts could no longer do without vodka on the table. Reform and the Decembrists
In the fifties of the last century, prices for vodka ranged from 21 rubles 20 kopecks for ordinary vodka ("mote"), to 3 rubles 70 kopecks for a bottle of "Stolichnaya". In 1961, a monetary reform was carried out and the prices of vodka rose. Vodka "Mote" disappeared, "Moskovskaya" began to cost 2 rubles 87 kopecks, "Stolichnaya" 3 rubles 12 kopecks.
People composed verses: "Comrade, believe, she will come - the same price for vodka ...". The previous prices, however, did not return, the bottles received foil corks with a "visor". In the future, no decrees were issued to raise prices. They just produced vodka under a different "name" and with a different price. This is how "Special", "Selected", "crankshaft", "Andropovskaya", "Russian", "Wheat" appeared ... 
Interestingly, at the same time, a decree was issued, according to which drunkards were imprisoned for 15 days and shaved bald. The decree was issued in December and everyone who suffered from it was teased by the "Decembrists". More popular "Pi"
In the early 70s, 3.62 was more familiar than Pi. In May 1972, the Central Committee of the CPSU and the USSR Council of Ministers issued a resolution "On measures to strengthen the fight against drunkenness and alcoholism." At the same time, vodka rose in price to 3 rubles 62 kopecks, only one of its varieties, popularly called "Crankshaft" (on the label, the inscription "Vodka" was made like a crankshaft), remained on the free sale.
Then the "bitter" began to trade from 11 in the morning - this hour was nicknamed "Lenin's" by the witches: it turned out that if one of the jubilee rubles issued in 1970 for the 100th anniversary of the leader is attached to the dial of the watch, then Lenin, with his raised right hand, points exactly to 11 o'clock. 
The price of vodka, figures 3.62 firmly entered the minds of the people, they were immortalized and works of art. For example, in Gaidai's film the swindler Miloslavsky calls the phone number: "Additional three sixty-two." Afghan factor
The rise in the price of vodka in the USSR in 1981 (the price increased to 5 rubles 30 kopecks) gave rise to a new round of folk art and revealed a deep relationship between alcohol and political changes.
If vodka is five, we will all take it. If the vodka turns eight, we will not quit drinking anyway. Tell Ilyich - we can handle ten! If prices become higher, then we will do as in Poland. If there are twenty-five, we will take the Winter one again! The rise in prices for vodka in 1981 is associated with the Afghan war. Every year the USSR spent about 2-3 billion US dollars on the Afghan war. The Soviet Union could afford it at the peak of oil prices, which was observed in 1979-1980. However, since November 1980, oil prices began to fall sharply, and an increase in the price of vodka was a forced measure. 
The people did not drink less, but began to spend more on alcohol, which made the picture of "Russian drunkenness" more and more gloomy. "Andropovka"
One of the proven ways to stay for centuries is to put cheap vodka into circulation. Let its price be not much lower than that of the previous one, but it is guaranteed the title of "national product". The famous vodka was "Andropovka". Among the people, there was another decoding of the name of the product: "Here He is, What kind of Andropov."
The price of a new bottle was 10% lower than the price of the cheapest vodka. "Andropovka" went on sale by September 1, 1983 and was first named "first grader" or "schoolgirl". The legendary vodka did not live long and after two or three years, during the Gorbachev era, it quietly faded away, although it was a Soviet vodka hit of the 1983-1984 season. Gorbachev peak
One of the main points of Gorbachev's program was the fight against alcoholization in the country. There were all the prerequisites for this: the country was drunk. Gorbachev raised prices sharply. "Andropovka", which cost 4 rubles 70 kopecks before the start of the anti-alcohol campaign, disappeared from the shelves, and since August 1986 the cheapest vodka cost 9 rubles 10 kopecks.
The Gorbachev reform damaged the Soviet budget system, as annual retail turnover fell by an average of 16 billion rubles. The people responded very vividly to the reforms. Chastooshkas began to walk: "For a week, until the second," we will bury Gorbachev. If we dig up Brezhnev, we will continue to drink. " 
Over the years, we can say that all the advantages of the campaign, such as increasing the birth rate, worked in the long term, and all the disadvantages hit the country here and now. In the mid-80s, the USSR was no longer ready to lose 10-12% of tax revenues to the budget. In long queues for alcohol, the already low prestige of the leadership fell very low ... Igor Provatorov
Remember AP Chekhov: "There is nothing in Russia, but everything is there in Greece." Of course, if you dig deep, there was everything in the USSR! But not always! And not for everyone!
And this trend applied to everything, including alcoholic beverages. Therefore, I will focus on the "folk" drinks, that is, those that were drunk by the overwhelming majority of honest people. I do not presume to judge this topic for the entire time of Soviet power, but only for the period when I began to take an active interest in this issue, that is, in the heyday of the stagnation of developed socialism - at the end of the 70s. To illustrate my thoughts, I use a “small piece” of my collection of liquor labels.
Spirits
... The most popular strong drink in the country. Fortress 40% (or 40 volume units) - among the people - 40 "revolutions". The cost of this "miracle" as evidenced by the price on the label 4.42 rubles of the USSR, including the cost of dishes. The fact is that in those days, dishes, or rather a bottle, was a kind of "currency" that could be easily exchanged for money - 12 kopecks (this is how much a bottle of alcoholic beverages cost). Therefore, the cost of drinks has always been indicated: "with the cost of dishes" or "without the cost of dishes." Bringing an empty container to any store could get the coveted drink 12 kopecks cheaper. And sometimes alcoholic beverages were dispensed exclusively in exchange for empty containers. The costs of the USSR State Planning Committee - they managed to produce vodka, but there was no container for it, so they had to forcibly withdraw it from the population.
Analog, Russian vodka ... Fortress 40%, price 5 rubles 30 kopecks. Later option.
Vodka. Or just vodka ... Fortress 40%, price 4.70. One of the "typical models", popularly called "Andropovka". After the former chairman of the KGB of the USSR Andropov came to power, a tough policy of strengthening discipline in the state began. To soften the attitude of the people to the authorities, or to make life easier for the people, vodka at the price of 4 rubles 70 kopecks was thrown onto the market, as opposed to the “expensive” Russian vodka at 5.30.
Bitter tincture Amateur ... Alcohol 28%, price 3.20. The same vodka as Russian, but diluted. The people simply called "Amateur vodka". It was intended for those who did not have enough money for a forty-degree one. In tandem with a bottle of beer, it completely replaced Russian vodka in effect.
Streletskaya tincture, bitter ... Fortress 27%, price 3.20. A kind of analogue of Amateur, but for connoisseurs of "painted over" vodka.
Ukrainian bitter tincture with pepper ... Fortress 40%, price 3.97. The people are simple: Ukrainian vodka with pepper. Produced as a rule in a square bottle. Was an excellent gift and bribe option throughout the USSR. Why it was cheaper than Russian vodka - history is silent. The disadvantages can be attributed to the fact that pretty much "eat" Ukrainian with pepper, it was dangerous to throw a lighted match in the toilet under oneself, and without a match the fire erupted from the body!
Strong vodka (or Strong vodka ). Fortress 56%. It was vodka for lovers of "strong sensations". It was produced for export (they say, know ours) and did not enter the free sale, so the price did not matter.
... Alcohol 95%, price 12.50. A drink for real Russian guys. With my own eyes I saw in the north how "tough guys" drink a bottle of alcohol from the neck in one run, washed it down with water from a stream, then get behind the wheel of their dump trucks and continue to work. They joked that in the north it is impossible without this, they say, in the cold at 60 degrees, the blood dissolved in pure alcohol, flowing through the vessels, does not have time to freeze!
... Fortress 95%, price 21.70 (a later option, when the country became tense with finances). Generally, it is known that alcohols are divided according to their chemical composition, for example: ethyl alcohol, methyl alcohol .... It is also possible to divide alcohols according to the type of raw material - grain alcohol, potato alcohol, wood alcohol .... By appointment, alcohols are divided into the following categories: medical alcohol, technical alcohol, food alcohol .... In the USSR, a special "breed" of alcohol - drinking alcohol - was bred to drink instead of water, probably. Before the collapse of the USSR, and immediately after it, drinking alcohol was packed not only in half-liter bottles, but also in 0.5; 1.0; 3.0 liter cans (cylinders among the people). Those who did not have the equipment for pouring alcohol into glass containers simply did it. I saw a kiosk at the entrance of one distillery, where alcohol was sold for bottling. They scooped it out of milk cans, with milk ladles. True, they say then all the management of the distillery was imprisoned for such an exclusive.
... Fortress 40%. This vodka appeared during the collapse of the USSR. It was sold exclusively in a liter container. Well, right, people were nervous about the collapse, so 0.5 per capita was not enough. Price doesn't matter. She already had her own.
Vodka Davidof ... An analogue of Rasputin vodka. It is likely that the capitalists sponsored the early collapse of the USSR with such drinks.
Orloff vodka ... The same as the previous representatives of companies such as "American Distillery". There was also Smirnoff vodka and the like. The only thing is not clear why Russian surnames suddenly began to end in "off" or even better - in "off"?
Rum Havana Club ... Fortress 40%. The price fluctuated, but was not much higher than the price of vodka. Friendly Cuba supplied such a noble drink to the USSR. The Soviet people often did not understand this drink, but sometimes indulged in it. The label that on the right attracted exotic lovers more - it is made of gold-colored foil. After all, in our country, all labels were printed on paper, such as toilet paper (toilet paper, respectively, was in short supply), so the "gold" attracted people like magpies glass beads.
... The origin is the same, but the fortress is 43%.
Rum Havana Club ... Fortress 40%, price 4.20. The inscription on the label reads: spilled at the enterprises of the USSR Ministry of Food Industry. But then, too, they knew how to count money! Why carry glass containers across the ocean? It's easier to get oil to Cuba by tankers, and back, so as not to get the empty ones - rum!
Rum Liberty ... Fortress 40%. Such rum appeared simultaneously with vodkas such as Rasputin, Smirnov, etc. And it cost like these vodkas. Personally, I liked it, therefore, as a rule, it was Rum Liberty that was used, less often Jean Liberty (when I wanted something stronger). Vodka of American origin "went with a bang" when "flavored drinks" were boring.
Gene Liberty ... Fortress 45%.
Scotch whiskey ... Fortress 40%. If you really wanted moonshine, but there was nowhere to take it, you had to drink "real Scotch whiskey", since the price did not bite. Rum, Gin and Whiskey were sold in 0.7 - 0.75 liter containers, which is not typical for us. The good news is that in those days a lot of these drinks were drunk, because now a couple of bottles cost as much as before a month was enough!
Cognac ... For the people, just cognac. Fortress 40%. It was expensive - 5.70. Therefore, in comparison with cheap vodka (5.30), almost no one drank it. The people drank vodka and at the mention of cognac curled their lips and declared that it "stinks of bedbugs." Interestingly, do you know how bedbugs stink? No? And all the Soviet people knew!
Another cognac is a sort for the elite (please do not confuse it with the second grade). In this case Georgian Brandy Vartsikhe ... Fortress 42%. Exposure 6-7 years, medals also 6-7. What price? It doesn't matter at all. What's the difference, what is the price of a product that is sold mainly under the counter.
... Fortress 45%, price 5.80. On it I will end up with spirits. There were "many" liqueurs on sale: Lemon liqueur, Coffee liqueur, Cocoa liqueur, Mint liqueur. If I forgot something, please remind me. But Old Tallinn liqueur was perhaps the only and most real liqueur. I still remember it by the fact that it was in a ceramic bottle, and the neck was filled with sealing wax, with some kind of embossed stamp. Often they had to fly by air to the north and carry alcohol, which was strictly prohibited. Therefore, alcohol was filled into a bottle of Old Tallinn liquor, the neck was melted with sealing wax and a GDR coin was applied from the side of the "eagle". Who was there in the days of the USSR at the inspection could distinguish what the East Germans "write" from what the Balts write?
Wine
Soviet champagne ... There are no words about strength and price, and so everything is clear. Here is a label from a drink produced abroad. As you can see, the word "champagne" is not used. Simply Soviet Sparkling. Later, everything that “corks” will be called champagne, and even later the French through the courts will prohibit our producers from using the word “champagne” in the names of sparkling wines.
Georgian dry wine Hereti ... The price is 1.70 for 0.8 liters. In general, dry wines in the USSR are drinks exclusively for gourmets.
Georgian dry wine Tsinandali ... The price is 2.70 for 0.7 liters. Then, looking at the label and seeing many medals, they respectfully said "vintage". Now for the dull, they write this word on the bottles. It should be noted here that the prices for the above Georgian wines are somewhere in Tbilisi, Moscow or Kiev. In the Georgian outback in the store, all wines cost 1.00 rubles per 0.8 liters, plus or minus 20 kopecks, regardless of the number of medals. At the same time, the seller usually said: - "All the wine is good, everything is bottled from one barrel, but the best is homemade at Givi's, that is, with me!".
Table wine ... The people called this wine "sour". Why it was, no one understood. But now, when there was not enough money for something more solid (more precisely, strong), or suddenly nothing else turned out to be in the selmag, it was used up and sour for a sweet soul. At the same time, gentlemen of God were also thanked by 100% atheistic citizens of the USSR.
Fortified grape wine Stork ... Strength 18%, price 2.40 rubles for 0.7 liters. Wine of the middle price category. Many wines can be attributed to this category - these are Moldovan and Azerbaijani Port wines, Madera, Sun in a glass, etc. Such wines were drunk by the middle class, which included almost the entire population of the USSR. He really drank them either on holidays or after pay. In everyday life, cheaper fruit and berry wines were in demand.
Fruit-berry apple strong wine ... Strength 16%, price 1.05 rubles per 0.5 liter. The most popular wine among the people, it was nicknamed "Pepenka" due to the high-yielding apple variety bred by the famous breeder Michurin. The very name "Apple" is a little inconsistent with the definition of "fruit and berry". And this only says that the wine was made from "what God sent." More precisely, the collective farm brought it to the winery from that and made apple wine.
... Alcohol 17%, price 1.30 rubles per 0.5 liter. An analogue of the previous wine, but it was not called an aspen, this is truly a real chatter. I have never drunk more nasty things in my whole life! The romantic name Alma Valley does not come from South Africa, or Brazil there - the valley of the same name is located near the city of Lubna, Poltava region, in Ukraine.
Wine Aroma of orchards fruit and berry ... Alcohol 17%, price 1.80 rubles per 0.5 liter. The people called this wine "blue" for its poisonous blue color. The stains from the wine "planted" on the clothes practically did not give in to removal.
Radiant strong wine, fruit and berry ... Alcohol 17.5%, price 1.60 rubles per 0.5 liter. The wine is as strong as grape Madeira, but exactly half the price. In short, a surrogate for lovers of strong wines, or for those who like "to put in better for the same price."
Wine Apple fruit and berry, sweet ... Strength 16%, sugar 16%, price 1.40 rubles per 0.5 liter. An analogue of "pepenki", but for "heartburn lovers". A cheap analogue of dessert wines. The label shows how easy the problems were solved - the bottle capacity and the price were corrected with a ballpoint pen - and, as they say, "veri good".
Cherry sweet wine ... Fortress 16%, price 1.50 rubles. for 0.5 liters. Everyone in those days could feel like a gourmet for only one and a half rubles. Find cherry wine now!
Cider, or an effervescent apple drink ... Alcohol content 8%, price 1.00 rubles for 0.8 liters. An excellent "hangover" in the morning after vodka. Many are inclined to believe that the Cider was better than the current cheap "champagne". Today, you can also buy Cider "a la france" in supermarkets. But it costs a few dollars, and the strength is only 2%. Still, the price-degree ratio of the Soviet Cider was an order of magnitude higher. Perhaps the most significant drawback of Cider was that when heated in the sun, when opened, it completely evaporated from the bottle. But on the other hand, who would ever think of drinking heated champagne, even apple?
Beer
Beer. Long ago the Russian soul proclaimed "vodka without beer is a waste of money." In fact, the Slav brothers are accustomed to "polish with beer" not only with vodka, but absolutely with any alcoholic beverages, including liqueurs and champagne. Moreover, before drinking stronger drinks, there is a "training" with beer, and after "polishing". Beer significantly reduces the money costs that must be incurred to bring yourself to the desired condition. In addition, beer is widely used to relieve morning hangover. True, after this, as a rule, there comes another period of intoxication. There were not so many types of beer in the USSR. Here are the main ones: Riga, Jubilee, Moscow, Russian, Barley ear. Of course, other varieties were born in a great country (especially in the Baltic States), but such amateur activities were cruelly suppressed. Since the whole country is marching in formation, it means that brewers must march in the same way.
Zhigulevskoe beer is the main beer of the country. Today, every farm is brewing beer named after the farm, and in the USSR it is possible (to paraphrase Henry Ford Sr.) any beer, but it must be Zhiguli beer. I don't have exact data, but somewhere around 80% of all beer in the USSR was Zhigulevskoe. Regardless of the type, beer in the USSR cost 37 kopecks (with the cost of a glass bottle) plus or minus 4 kopecks.
That is, in general, all that I wanted to tell you. The drinking traditions of the USSR (especially considering its multinational structure) are so wide that there will not be enough space in a monogram the size of the TSB.
© I.G. Provatorov
