Perhaps, of all the alcoholic drinks that the inhabitants of Russia prefer, the most popular is vodka. At least no other hot product can compete with it in terms of fame. At the same time, it is the most fake product. Experts note that the amount of quality vodka that would meet all the requirements of state standards is significantly inferior to the amount of counterfeit that can be found on the market. Today we will tell you about how to choose the right vodka, what you need to pay attention to and what to do if you are sure about vodka, but its taste is not very pleasant for you!
What is vodka?
Vodka is called a strong alcoholic drink, a mixture of purified water and high-quality ethyl alcohol. Usually this drink is treated with activated carbon. In small quantities, a variety of aromatic and flavoring additives are allowed. Good alcohol must have a delicate aroma. Please note: a sharp unpleasant odor, which is popularly referred to as fowl, gives low-quality alcohol. The aftertaste of vodka is short, moreover, it should not burn the mucous membrane. If all these conditions are met, you can say about the perfect recipe for a drink.
Methods and means of falsification
Experts attribute vodka to the group of the most frequently falsified alcoholic beverages. The thing is that it is quite simple to cook it, moreover, it is popular among the population. Among the most common methods of falsification, full or partial replacement of raw materials with cheap technical, the use of water that does not meet the requirements of the technology, dilution with water. Slightly less often replace individual components with others. For example, fake vodka may not contain sugar, honey or other ingredients. So how to choose vodka? What parameters should I pay attention to? We will tell you right now!
Appearance
The easiest way to determine if vodka contains any impurities is to simply flip the bottle upside down. After that, you need to look at the contents in the light. With this method, suspensions and turbidity will begin to move towards the neck, in the rays of light all this garbage will be quite easy to notice. Quality vodka is just a mixture of alcohol and water. Therefore, any admixture in the bottle is evidence that the drink contains a number of undesirable additives. Experts remind that even such random components as a hair or grains of sand should not be in vodka. Their presence speaks of unsanitary conditions in the workplace.
Speaking about how to choose good vodka, you should know that the perfect drink is transparent, any shades - yellow or whitish - indicate incomplete purity. If various impurities in strong drinks can be detected visually, then the naturalness of alcohol can sometimes not be identified even for taste. But it is low-quality alcohol, which is part of the vodka selected in an ordinary supermarket, that can cause serious harm to the body. In order to choose a quality product, you should carefully inspect the bottle and label.
Bottle
In deciding how to choose vodka, the appearance of the bottle is also important. True, it’s worth not evaluating design delights, but the quality of the cap or cork. They should be branded, scrolling and dangling should not be. A sign of a fake is the deformation of the cap or the fact that it does not separate from the metal extension. On the cap is usually stamped the date of bottling of the drink, the same is placed on the label. Of course, they must be identical. Those who understand the choice of strong drinks are aware of yet another trick to determine whether alcohol was bottled in production or in artisanal conditions. At the bottom of the bottle, on the outside, a few dark strokes should remain. Such traces are usually left by the conveyor rubber. This means that the bottle was filled automatically. However, you should not spend your time looking for a bottle with strokes; this phenomenon is quite rare, albeit reliable.
To some extent, a dispenser can be considered an indicator of quality. At least its presence indicates that nothing was added to the bottle. So you can take a container without a dispenser if you do not want to overpay for its availability.
Label
People who know how to choose vodka say: the label must be properly and smoothly glued. Skews, air bubbles under the paper are not allowed. The glue should be applied in a uniform thin layer over the entire surface of the back of the label.
It is also important that the label contains a mark on the compliance of the drink with the requirements of GOST. The fact is that today all quality products are manufactured according to GOST R 51355-99. If you find the inscription GOST 12712-80 on the label, with a probability of 99% you get a fake. After all, this GOST has long been abolished. What other information should be on the label? Of course, the address of the manufacturer’s factory, because if the address does not contain a city, most likely, and such a factory does not exist. Mandatory presence of the mark of the certificate of conformity, license number, date of bottling, vodka strength and, of course, the name of this product.
Multi-level cleaning
This is another criterion that allows you to answer the question of how to choose high-quality vodka. Recently, it has become incredibly fashionable to purify finished vodka or alcohol itself with various products and substances. In attempts to stand out from competitors, manufacturers often use honey, birch buds, milk and even silver. Experts say: most of these technologies are just advertising moves. Although it is worth noting that silver and activated carbon can make water cleaner. Overpaying for technology or not is a purely individual matter. It is only important to remember that no cleaning processes should alter the transparency of the beverage.
Shelf life
Speaking about how to choose vodka in a store, its shelf life should be noted. The usual type of vodka is stored for no more than a year, special varieties - no longer than six months. In the event that the label indicates that the strong drink can be stored for two or three years, you should be suspicious of vodka.
Alcohol quality
Always pay attention to the alcohol from which vodka is made. This information should be indicated on the label. Extra or alpha alcohol is considered the best for the manufacture of this product. For example, in lux and super lux alcohols can contain up to 0.03% methyl alcohol, and in alpha alcohol this number is 10 times less and amounts to 0.003%.
Price
How to choose vodka in the store? It is very important to pay attention to the price. Good alcohol is never cheap. The thing is that taxes on the production of this product are quite large, and therefore a premium drink is unlikely to cost 200-300 rubles. Of course, even for this amount you can find a good drink created on the basis of high-quality alcohol. However, it is important to know the producers of such alcohol. Experts note that these brands have been on the market for decades, some of them have been remembered by the inhabitants of our country since Soviet times.
Brands
Which vodka is better to choose? It is just great if you are familiar with a manufacturer who has established himself on the best side and has been producing a quality product for many years. But trusting brands that have appeared recently is not worth it. There are frequent cases when a producer produces vodka using the most advanced technologies for the purification of raw materials. At first, such a product has excellent quality, but over time, the manufacturer refuses modern filters and begins to save on cleaning. Of course, the quality of alcohol begins to plummet.
Decent store
What vodka should you choose for a wedding or other special occasion? The one that is sold in a decent store. Best of all, if it is a point of sale specializing in alcohol. A significant advantage of such stores can be considered the presence of employees who can help you choose an alcoholic drink for every taste and budget.
By the way, you can pay attention to other buyers. Most often, well-dressed men of considerable age are well versed in the brands of this alcoholic drink.
How to evaluate the quality?
How to choose vodka, you already know, we suggest talking about how to evaluate its quality at home. Let's say right away: for this you need to drink it warm, the ideal temperature is room temperature. Only under this condition will you be able to understand whether this drink is suitable for you, what it tastes like. A small amount of an alcoholic drink - literally 2-3 drops - can be rubbed in your hands, and then sniff your palms. Good quality vodka will smell like the raw materials from which it was made. But for a feast, it is better to cool the alcohol. In the event that the taste is not entirely suitable for you, but you are 100% sure of the quality of the products, you can simply freeze vodka: leave it in the freezer for a couple of hours.
And remember: vodka is good only if you drink it under the appropriate snack, while in high spirits. It is also important to drink in moderation, and the measure for each person is determined individually!