Spirits of Estonia

 http://www.inyourpocket.com/estonia/tallinn/Spirits-of-Estonia_56060f

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For some of our readers, vodka might just be some colorless liquid that tastes like rubbing alcohol but goes great mixed in a cocktail. In Estonia however, hard liquor is pretty serious stuff. Spirits can be made from many raw materials including grapes, potato, and grain. These days in Estonia the vast majority of vodka is made using high quality rye grain. First the raw material is fermented using yeast, which creates a weak alcohol or mash. Next this product is distilled creating a much stronger alcohol. Finally the impurities are filtered off, and water is added to bring the percentage from about 96 to about 40.And that is how you make vodka!Of course there is much to be said about quality and it certainly varies from brand to brand. The world’s best vodkas are made from the finest grains, the purest waters, multiple distillation & special filtration techniques.  

A little history 
Alcohol was first mentioned in Tallinn in writing in 1485 when the Reval Great Guild of wine producers issued an order prohibiting the residents of suburban areas to sell spirits in town. Only members of the guild had the right to produce alcohol for the purpose of sale. This is where our tale begins.Naturally the pharmacies had to also get in on the action so in 1550 they were also granted the right to produce and sell the sweet drop. It wasn’t until 1669 that for some strange reason the barbers obtained a license to produce and sell spirits too. At this time during Swedish rule the total annual production of legal alcohol was said to be about 600 buckets or 7,200 litres - quite a bit for the time.Peasants being poor and thirsty for a cheap buzz had already been producing moonshine for several years when, in 1645, a new decree was passed banning them from making their own at home. Naturally they did not listen and illegal production continued, making for a lot of happy peasants and a few pissed off knights. It was in 1765 under Russian rule that the production of spirits in Estonia really picked up, with such a huge market and a lot of thirsty Russians, the possibilities seemed endless. By the end of the 18th Century, 85% of Estonian farms had their own distilleries, and in the year 1799 production capacity reached 8.2 million litres - only slightly under the current production level - the majority of which was exported to Russia, of course.An important leap in spirit-making technology occurred in Estonia when, in 1801, Georg Friedrich Parrot invented complete distillation of spirits. This would prove significant not only for local producers but for the rest of Europe also.In 1863, with all of this alcohol around and so much happiness throughout the Baltics, the government decided to remove a little of the good cheer and started to tax spirits for the first time. This proved pretty sweet for the tsar so at the turn of the century he decided to take the whole cake and turn the production of spirits into a state owned monopoly. (Perhaps one of the reasons that there was a massive uprising of the peasants in 1905.) Around the time of WWI there were 129 factories and twenty distilleries in Estonia. The war however also brought about the first prohibition, the productions of spirits were allowed only for industrial, technical and “special needs”. (Probably precursors to some of today’s industrial grade cheap Estonian vodkas.)
Historical information courtesy of: “500 Years, Spirits Production in Estonia”. Published by Onistar  

Present DayAt the present time Estonia still produces huge volumes of the good stuff despite only having two distilleries (in Rakvere and Moe). Both distilleries are owned by Onistar AS and at the moment this is the only producer to use Estonian spirits exclusively . There are three other major producers operating in Estonia, Altia, Liviko, & Remedia. The oldest producer in the country is Liviko founded in 1898 and is the only solely Estonian owned spirits company. Although not all spirits produced in Estonia start with raw domestic product, the quality of the end product is among the highest in the world. This, and the price being cheaper than many other places in the EU, has had a profound impact on the way alcohol is sold in Estonia. Every year more and more tourists and even small armies from Finland invade the country pillaging the store shelves for vodka. The only difference between today’s invaders and that of the past are the coffers are left with more money and the army usually only stays for the day. This is good news for the liquor industry and Estonians alike.

Drink vodka like an Estonian 
Everyone has their own alcohol consumption traditions but in Estonia they take things to the next level.
 First the vodka should be kept in the freezer, and whether or not you will mix it or drink it straight, it should be served ice cold.
 Next, while drinking vodka it is important that you do so while eatingzakuska. A Russian vodka snack which consists of many different salty or pickled food items such as sprats, pickled herring, pickled onions, salted crackers, and usually some dark bread.Now just when you thought it was safe to start drinking, think again. In Estonia it is considered poor manners for a woman to pour her own alcoholic drinks when in the company of a man. So awaken your chivalrous ways guys and start pouring. One more thing, it is important to give a toast before embarking on a heavy night of drinking, however if you have nothing to toast just say “terviseks” or cheers.After a night of sampling all 100 or so different vodkas produced in Estonia, and waking up next to a horse, there is no better way to beat that hangover into submission than by going down to your local pub and ordering a bowl of seljanka. This soup was actually invented to get rid of a hangover and consists of tomatoes, onions, pickles, and meat…there are many different types of meat but as we can attest, during a hangover you don’t really care what they are, you just want them.

Did you know?
Estonian spirits have even made the Guinness Book of World Records, with a distillery at Rakvere producing the strongest and purest alcohol (98%) in the world.

New tax markFrom October 1st 2006 strong alcohol can only be sold in Estonia when the bottle is equipped with a special excise hologram. The label proves that excise has been paid on the product, making it easy to distinguish legal alcohol from illegal alcohol.

The aim of the excise label is to prevent the circulation of alcohol for which no excise taxes have been collected by the government.
The label is a circular hologram 20 mm in diameter, designed to meet strict security criteria. It features a unique letter and number combination.

To find out whether the booze you bought is legal or not can be checked by entering the letter and number combination on the website of the Estonian Tax and Customs Board, www.emta.ee.

Moe Distillery & Museum
Housed in the 18th century distillery building at the Moe farm, this museum provides a fascinating glimpse back through five centuries of making and producing spirits and alcohol in Estonia. Tours must be booked in advance.
Moe factory and museum: Saksi vald, Moe 45105 Lääne-Virumaa tel. (+372) 322 57 00.
Moe is situated near Tapa, about 100km from Tallinn. To drive to Moe just head out to Tapa and then just outside Tapa, there it is. By public transport the best way to get there is by train (departures from the Balti Jaam). 

Vana TallinnOne of Estonia’s favorite and indeed most exported drinks is Vana Tallinn. This dark brown strong liqueur has a vanilla, slightly exotic and velvety taste, characterised by 10 natural ingredients, including citrus oils, cinnamon, vanilla, as well as rum. A couple of us here at IYP were allowed a special glimpse into the top-secret underground facility where the drink is made, and we can assure you that the ingredients are all natural requiring plenty of hands-on work to get everything just right.  The recipe is a secret produced by some mad scientist at Liviko in the 1960’s in order to fill a quota of new drinks to be sent to the Kremlin to keep the Soviets happy. They liked the drink so much that they demanded more, and soon Vana Tallinn became an elite drink in Russia as well as in the whole Soviet Union. For a few short years after independence, when the youth of the country despised anything former-Soviet, the tan liquid began to decline in popularity. But now it seems that everything old is new again, and Vana Tallinn has regained popularity in the youth market, as well as with tourists wanting to take a little piece of Tallinn back home with them.Vana Tallinn is available in strengths of 40%, 45% and, for the connoisseur, 50%. For those of you want to taste Vana Tallinn in a different way, try Vana Tallinn-filled chocolate, Marzipan or the ever popular Vana Tallinn ice cream. There are even pre-mixed Vana Tallinn coolers available, and several cream liqueurs of the same name. As for the regular Vana Tallinn, Liviko recommends drinking it straight, over crushed ice. We here at In Your Pocket like it best with coffee, hot chocolate or with an ice-cold glass of milk.We would like to thank Liviko, Onistar, and Altia for providing the alcohol and information for this article. 


The In Your Pocket Taste Test
ith so many vodkas available in such a small country, we thought we would help our readers to decide which vodka was right for them by putting together a blind taste test. The evaluation consisted of 9 Estonian produced vodkas, 5 unique liquors, 1 booze administrator and 9 testers (all unpaid but very willing volunteers).The test took place at an apartment in Old Town scheduled for 20:00; we would like to note that everyone had arrived by 20:03. All of our testers were of various nationalities, ages, sex, and sizes.The vodkas were poured ice cold in another room and brought to the testers who eagerly awaited their fate. The identities of the vodkas were only revealed at the end of the tasting. Of course we also had zakuska and water nearby to help cleanse the palate in between tastes. Evaluations were given on smell, taste, and aftertaste. The test was in no way scientific, ratings were not given but a good time was had by all. We will list a few of the most descriptive comments for each of the vodkas. All vodkas are listed in bold along with the producers name and average retail price for 0.5l. Please note that all descriptions below are quoted from the producers.

Our Testers
•Aleksei, Journalist, Russian-Estonian
•Hannu, Hotel General manager, Finnish
•Chuck, Product Manager, American
•Martin, Real Estate Developer, Irish
•Katja, Music Student, Russian-Estonian
•Kaarin, Shop Assistant, Estonian
•Küllike, Publisher, Estonian
•Steve, Journalist, American
Our alcohol administrator Eddy, and host Nat 

Vodkas 1. Viru Valge - (Liviko) “The longest produced Estonian vodka, Viru Valge has witnessed both important national events and people’s everyday joys and troubles. It is distilled from high quality grain spirits and specially processed water, which give the product its soft, pure taste and fragrance.” Aleksei – Gentle nice smell of good vodka. Taste is very smooth doesn’t make you run for zakuska, not much aftertaste at all. It feels like it’s weaker than 40 degrees.
Katja – Smell disappeared too fast. Aftertaste was like a candy that burns your tongue.
Chuck – Probably crap vodka but I thought it was smooth, no aftertaste, no smell. (Post test: best of bunch)
2. Old Thomas Deluxe - (Onistar) “This exclusive vodka was created according to the needs of foreign markets. Only the finest spirits and water are chosen, which must pass through a coral filter during the production of this vodka.”
Hannu – Smell is neutral a bit sharp. Pleasant roundness. Very sweet aftertaste. Very nice.
Martin – Strong scent, a member of the petroleum family? It would put hairs on your chest.
Küllike – Very vodka-like smell, good thing it was so cold.
Aleksei – Drinkable with lots of zakuska. Aftertaste a bit salty. 

3. Laua Viin - (Liviko) “Laua Viin has been produced according to a recipe dating back to the first Republic of Estonia. The Laua Viin today is characterized by mild taste, which comes from the mild grain spirits and specially processed water. It is the most sold economy brand in Estonia.” Chuck - Sweet, a lot smoother than expected when it first hit my tongue.
Kaarin - No smell, but the taste is worse than the first two.
Martin – Very mild scent – barely noticeable! Or maybe I’m losing my sense of smell? Subtle taste / very drinkable but good? 

4. Stön – (Remedia) “Stön was listed among the ten best vodkas in the world by Forbes magazine. The taste of Stön is deemed to be distinctively smooth and slightly sweet. This vodka has become very popular in American bars and Nightclubs” Katja – A bit too much taste (even for a vodka), but makes you feel very warm… even hot inside… Aftertaste – would like to have more of it!!!
Hannu – homemade smell and taste, very strong alcohol, too strong.
Küllike – Very strong taste and smell. Something I’d expect at a Russian wedding. 

5.Volganaya – (Liviko) “This vodka with a smooth taste and aroma is produced according to a special recipe created specifically for the US market. The excellent taste of Volganaya is guaranteed by high quality grain spirits and specially processed water.”
Steve – No smell! Really smooth.
Martin – I would call this Jekyll & Hyde. “Innocent aroma with a killer punch”.
Katja – Doesn’t smell at all and then a nice surprise – very soft, sweet, pleasant taste & doesn’t burn the mouth at all; very relaxing. 
6.Eesti Standard Vodka – (Altia) “Eesti Standard Vodka is made from high quality grain spirits and super pure water, which comes from one of the deepest artesian wells in Estonia -180 m. This is an economy brand.”
Martin – Subtle scent & taste / easy down the hatch – This one is a good one for a vodka shots night
Aleksei– Smells very pleasant. Just right. Taste is smooth with a hint of fruit. Really!
Steve – Smooth as battery acid. Curls your nose hairs 

7.Saaremaa – (Altia) “Saaremaa Vodka is made from the finest ingredients. Its taste reminds of traditional Estonian settings - an island of thatched-roof cottages, century old stone walls, juniper fields and windmills. One of the most popular Estonian brands.” Kaarin – Smells like water, taste is pretty strong.
Aleksei – Tastes harsh. Had to get a quick zakuska straight away.
Steve – Almost sweet, not too bad.
Hannu – Neutral, a bit sweet smell. Little sweetness, a bit alcoholic taste. 

8.Veskimeistri – (Onistar) “Economy brand made from Estonian raw materials.” Katja – It says “ Lick me!!!”, but when you do it doesn’t lick back (sad face).
Küllike – It smells like nail polish. Is it safe to drink?
Martin – A vodka to run your Lada on. 

9.Y2K - (Onistar) “Y2K is a very popular vodka. Its smooth and a bit sweetish aste is reached thanks to in part to water and it is also filtered through the filter containing black Sango coral from Okinawa Island, Japan. As a result the water is enriched with all the necessary microelements while removing impurities.” 
Steve – The aftertaste kicked my ass…made my eyes explode!
Martin – Strong taste! This one’s great on a cold night.
Hannu – Strong alcoholic smell. Tastes a bit strong, aftertaste a bit sweet. 


Liqueurs As if that was not enough, we also tried some of the special liqueurs made in Estonia. Something you may wish to try out and perhaps even bring back home with you, to share (or not) with your friends and family.
Vana Tallinn – (Liviko, see Vana Tallinn text above for description).
Kaarin – Smell is good, original. It’s the best with orange juice but drinkable also solid.
Chuck – The classic Estonian liqueur, great with coffee, deadly with Champagne.
Katja – Sweet, but would need some coffee with it and a cigarette.
Aleksei – The classic Soviet taste. Your grandmother would love it. 

Old Thomas Palsam – (Onistar) “Ecologically clean “Old Thomas” balsam contains extracts of 33 plants, spices and tonic additions, which increase, work ef ficiency, endurance & boost the body’s immune system against disease. This drink is actually considered a medicine, and as such is licensed to be sold in the apothecary. Each of the herbs used, are collected by elderly women in the Estonian nature, and only a few thousand litres are produced each year by hand.”
Katja – Smells like Coca Cola light, looks like Coke, but when you taste it – I’m not loving it.
Chuck– Smells like Coca Cola, tastes like some kind of mutant Jägermeister.
Nat – Smells like flat coke, tastes like...find the woman I think she is picking the wrong herbs.
Martin – I guess Thomas was extremely old when he began making this liqueur!! 

Kiiu Torn – (Remedia) “Kiiu Torn is an egg liqueur made from pasteurized egg yolks, inverted liquid sugar and high quality grain spirits. Rum and natural herb essences have been added to enhance the taste. One of Estonia’s oldest and most loved liqueurs.”
Küllike – Lemon smell, mild taste. Mmmm….it’s good!
Steve – Those poor eggs! Katja – M-m-m-m-u-a-h!!! Like a kiss from somebody that you actually like (smile).
Chuck – Tastes like eggnog with Baileys. 

Pirita Ürdiliköör – (Altia) “Mellow, luminous golden Pirita - its aroma is heavenly. 33 fine natural herbs, roots, fruits and flowers create its magic, characteristic taste.” Chuck – Sweet like you’d expect, probably tastes good in a milkshake.
Küllike – Tastes like caramel candy.
Hannu – Very sweet but balanced taste. Not only a ladies’ drink. Needs strong tea beside it.
Nat – Herbal, pleasant cough syrup, sweet. 

Kännu Kukk – (Liviko) “Kännu Kukk is the oldest product of Liviko’s current product range, dating back almost 75 years. The know-how of ancient masters have been used in creating the recipe of the liqueur. The main reason why the product is so popular is its luxurious appearance and unique flavor. Kännu Kukk is a strong ruby-red color liqueur with caraway flavor and aroma.” 
Aleksei – The color is very unnatural. Thank god it’s not too sweet. The taste has a hint of cumin.
Hannu– There are traditions but this is not one of them. (runs for zakuska) “Give me something, anything!”
Katja – Stylish – Nice picture on the bottle and very nice color; very exciting; fire!!!