Some Vodka history
After the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the Civil War that erupted after that, the world's first state of workers and peasants was created - the USSR. And in this state, a monopoly on the production of alcohol was established.
In the early thirties, the country was experiencing a large-scale, fast paced industrialization and the development of new territories, mainly in the cold north, was way underway. It was a time of technological breakthrough, discoveries and achievements. In this dynamic, the communist government decided to organize a large-scale production of a strong alcoholic beverage, which was to meet the following requirements:
- Be affordable for all social groups
- Be familiar and pleasing to the tastes of the Soviet People
- To contain a minimum of impurities, so that it can be used also for medical purposes.
- The availability of sufficient high quality raw materials in the country.
This was the beginning of vodka production in the USSR. The first plant for the production and bottling of the new vodka was built in the city of Leningrad, the cradle of the Russian Revolution.
This plant had a simple name: Vodka Factory Number 1, the vodka itself also had no name, the bottle just had the inscription "Vodka" on it.
How was it made?
The plant itself had the latest, state of the art, equipment, which used the most advanced technologies and applied the latest scientific knowledge in the industry.
For the production of the spirit, winter wheat of hard varieties was used, as it was best suited for these purposes, allowed high yield, and was grown in the USSR in large quantities.
Water for the vodka came from an intake located in the upper current of the Neva river. This was done because of its purity and also because its mineral composition was considered as best suited for the production of high-quality vodka.
The result exceeded all expectations: the vodka turned out soft, with a fresh characteristic smell and did not require the addition of flavorings and aromatic additives to improve its taste.
This vodka quickly gained popularity, although the label had only a simple inscription "Vodka" and the name of the manufacturer "Factory Number 1", the people called it "Leningradskaya".
And one more thing: because Leningrad’s vodka had no flavours or aromatic additives, people called it "honest vodka".
This vodka was also supplied to one of the first mega projects of the USSR - the construction of a strategic shipping channel linking the White sea in the Russian north with the Baltic sea. A feat completed in record time between 1931 and 1933.
Hundreds of thousands of workers worked at this construction site in summer in heat and high humidity and during winter - in conditions of severe frosts and snowfalls, all the while living just in tents. At first, many suffered from infectious and cold diseases and lacked first aid kits. Then military medics suggested giving workers at the end of the working day 100 grams of vodka in the summer and 200 grams in winter. Vodka relieved stress after a hard day’s work, improved mood, accelerated blood circulation and kept at bay intestinal infections. It was also recommended, in the absence of first aid kits, to treat small wounds and bruises by applying compresses impregnated with vodka.
The measures were quickly implemented and yielded tangible results, the number of cases decreasing significantly.
During the second world war, Leningrad’s vodka helped the exhausted defenders of nazi-blockaded Leningrad to endure the hardships of trench life and survive the terrible frosts during the winters of 1941-1944.
LENINGRADSKAYA
The modern vodka bearing the name "Leningradskaya" is made in compliance with all the principles laid for the manufacture of the first soviet vodka:
⁃Primary raw materials of the highest quality: winter wheat of hard varieties grown in the fertile steppes of Ukraine, which are considered to be the European etalon of fertility.
⁃Soft spring water of very weak mineralization
⁃ The latest rectification and filtering technologies
⁃Lack of flavourings and aromatic additives changing the natural taste and smell of the product.
THIS IS AN HONEST VODKA
Also, what makes Leningradskaya vodka unique is:
⁃Double filtering: first on charcoal derived from coconut shell and saturated silver, and then on a coal filter saturated with platinum.
⁃Final treatment of the finished vodka with a modulated magnetic field, which softens the vodka without changing its composition.
⁃This vodka is perfect in its pure form, and the absence of any additives makes it ideal for making various cocktails and blends, as it does not change, but only emphasizes the taste of other ingredients, adding strength to a cocktail.
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