Sobieski makes waves in TT

The excellence of Sobieski Vodka begins not in the distillery, but in the rich fields of Mazowse, where the famous Dankowski Rye is harvested. This grain has been recognised for centuries for its distinctive character and high quality, particularly in the production of premium vodka. Skilled craftsmen distill the vodka four times, combining five centuries of tradition and expertise with the latest technology.

Named after the legendary Polish general and king Jan Sobieski III, Sobieski vodka has a 40 percent alcohol content but because it is distilled from rye, it is regarded as one of the best tasting vodkas in the world. Alcohol Level: 40% alc/vol (80 Proof).

Vodka is said to be developed in the Northern European region. Polish claim it was their discovery.

The Russians will tell you it was theirs. Despite the speculation, we will try to summarise it in a couple of paragraphs, using its background in the three countries that played the biggest role in its development - Russia, Poland, and Sweden.

Vodka came to be a huge part of the Russian culture, as it was being distilled even before the word vodka came into general use. Although it has been described by many other names, the word vodka is a diminutive of the word voda; in Russia, meaning water.

The distilling techniques had significantly emerged in Russia from the 12th century, when they had to redistill the vodka mix to get rid of the fused oils that were used, to the 15th century, when distilling techniques were learnt from foreigners, as honey now was used to improve the aroma and the flavour of vodka. In the 18th century, it was later discovered that charcoal was a great method to filtrate the mix, to get rid of the unnecessary by-products, even though the spirit had to be diluted before it was filtered.

Distilling techniques and strategies further improved with the introduction of different herbs and spices. In spite of the multiple vodka varieties that the Russians have been introduced to, including vodka made out of wheat and potatoes, rye was considered to produce the finest taste.