|
Lithuanians were the first to find the production of the grain vodka
Before starting to read this essay about the ancient Lithuanian strong drinks, take the heated, thick-walled cup and pour in a splash of the real home-made Krupnikas (the Lithuanian liqueur, made out of honey and herbs) warmed up until 50 degrees of Celsius (and only at the worst it can be a very poor Krupnikas made by Kaunas’s "Stumbras", but by no means it can be a disgustingly sweet, glycerine, washed-out drink that is being produced by "Vilniaus Degtine"). Breathe in and feel the bitter and amazing aroma of honey, that is being spread by the warmth of the cup. Take a sip, hold it in Your mouth for some time, swallow slowly, press the tongue to the palate to feel its bitterly fantastic taste with all the parts of Your tongue, close Your eyes, and when You will be surged over with the aroma of Lithuanian meadows and will hear the buzz of the bees working in the grasses, open Your eyes wider, and...You can already start reading...
In 1523 the geographer from Cologne, George Brown, published the atlas of the world cities. The 59th plan of the Part Three is dedicated to Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. The careful description of the life of Vilnius’s town-people in the 16th century is given together with the plan. Besides, presenting the royal Upper and Lower castles, aristocracy, and churches, G.Brown also depicts the life of the lower class (the Plebs)of the city. G.Brown writes about the townsfolk of Vilnius: "Everyone is allowed to come into the house, sit down near the fire, and have a sip of beer, vodka or mead for free, and then leave. But if somebody drinks more, and has breakfast or supper with the host, he or she must pay. Only the price is so low that, to tell the truth, the strongest man can buy so much food for four small coins , that it will be more than enough for the whole day."
Lithuanians were the first in the world to start distilling vodka from grain!!!
However hard the Russians propagandize that, they were the ones who started producing vodka in the 17th century, neither historical, nor any other source can confirm that. The Russians never knew how to make real vodka, until the Russian chemist D.Mendeleev (1834-1907) found the rectification of the alcohol. He also was the first, who suggested to mix alcohol and water according to the weight, and not volume, what is not known to the manufacturers of the poor vodkas in Western Europe up to now. (Having bought some of the "gorbachiovka", "yeltsinovka", or "kremliovka" You will never find the same percentage of alcohol there. This shows that in Belgium, Germany or any other place, such a wish-wash is being made for a "little bit touched" ones. To tell the truth, the poor alcohol is being diluted with water from the tap - the drunkards will drink it anyway, they feel no difference...)
Both in the old times and nowadays, Russian villagers can not make vodka. In the old times they drank an oversoured drink - "sivuha", "samagon", "brandahlist". The Ukrainians in the 17th century learned how to distil vodka from Lithuanians, but having no experience they distilled a whitish drink "gorilka", that kept all the alcohols and the water steam inside, and which contained about 25-30 per cent of alcohol. And in spite of the fact that the Ukrainians were under the rule of the Grand Lithuanian Principality for three hundred years, they have not learned to distil good vodka. Most probably it was cheaper to buy vodka, which was brought by the Lithuanian merchants, than to make it. Knowledge and experience were needed for this.
In Lithuania vodka was being distilled from grain already at the beginning of the previous millenium. Sour drink "gira", beer, mead were being made, but vodka was being distilled. The specially prepared barley was being burnt (heated)so that it by no means boiled, but vodka evaporated. From this process vodka gets its Lithuanian name - "DEGTINE". (By the way, this is the only term, describing the process of the production of the strong drink(!). This linguistic-semantic argument is the most archaic in the world. Whisky - means "water" in old English, le de vi - "water" in old French, vodka - "water" with a little bit negative meaning in old commonfolk Russian.) Ancient Lithuanians in their experience knew that ethyl alcohol evaporates at the temperature of 78.3 degrees. Even now the very good distillers of the home-made vodka determine and control the time of the barley burning (heating), in order to get a clear as a tear home-made vodka, without any additional smells (of other alcohols), dashes, and with the alcohol percentage of
60-70. But, vodka distillers know, that while distilling vodka the poisonous methyl alcohol exudes earlier at the temperature of 71 degrees. The technlogists of the modern vodka production, especially from Russia and Europe, where nobody knew how to make vodka, can not understand how Lithuanians could rectificate vodka, though the rectification itself was not known to the world yet.
The Lithuanian ancestors rectificated the dangerous methyl alcohol very simply. It was a taboo for the distillers to drink the first dipper of vodka, which had to be, and still has to, be sacrificed to the gods by pouring vodka on the ground. This custom is still alive and obligatory in Lithuania. The first dipper of vodka can not be drunk. It is being poured over the shoulder, simultaneously saying "For Gods!" Up till now, in the villages of the Lowlands, You can hear the distillers saying in the Lowlandish dialect: "Give the first cup to the gods"; "Who does not give to gods, gets his eyes dripped"; "First cheers to gods, then to a person"; "First cheer the god, then god will give you health"; "Pour the first vodka to gods, if you do not do this, they will take your health away."
The most famous Irish and Scottish whiskey (whisky) manufacturers are deprived of speech when they hear such an elementary rectification dictated and learned by the practice and experience. They incline their heads low, and award the Lithuanians with all the laurels. While the Irish (the first to start making whiskey in the British Isles) come straight to the point. They say, that the beginning of whiskey and beer production, in the 13th century, was not spontaneous. It was started using the recipe, originally brought from somewhere, most probably from Lithuania. This proposition is not made up, because the Irish legends that St.Patric tought the Irish folk to make whiskey, remain ony legends. The written sources point out, that in 1250 the monks started selling whiskey to the folk. It should not be so astonishing, because in 1236 the Pope Gregory IX signed the bull, and announced the Crusade against the Lithuanians. The warlike Irish monks took part in it too...
By the way, after visiting Lithuania and seeing how vodka can be distilled, Irish and Scottish whiskey manufacturers confess that they know this method only from the written sources, and they could neither understand nor master this ancient technology. The technology, that is known to every Lithuanian villager, and, of course, every villager can make some really good vodka for himself.
"Trejos Devynerios"("Triple Nine") - the oldest bitter in the world
"Trejos Devynerios" is the bitter of 27 herbs. In the old times it was made right after St.John’s night, at the sunrise. The herbs were being collected in the way, known only to the priests (earlier - to the senior priests). Then the herbs were being conformably dried, specially put together,and infused with vodka (60% of alcohol), distilled at that shortest night of the year. Only the priests could know the proportions. The ritual was always performed outside, for the bitter had to get more power and energy of the Sun. After the sunset, the bitter was being poured into the hornbeam barrels. Later on the barrels were poured over with the melted beeswax and dug in the cellars. There the hermetically sealed bitter was being kept for three years, three months, and three weeks.
In the 13-17th centuries, Lithuania was one of the biggest and the greatest countriesin Europe, with the territory from the Baltic till the Black Sea (including the present Belorussia, Ukraine, and Western Russia). The Grand Lithuanian Principality was often at war: protecting Europe from the Tatar-Mongol hordes from the East (in the 13-17th centuries, having the the most modern armaments in Europe, using the war leading tactics and strategies foun by the talented Lithuanian commanders, Lithuanians beat the Army of Batijus, and stopped their invasion into the Europe). And also for those long ages Lithuanians were fighting with the aggressive crusader and sword bearer orders, holding out the onslaught to Lithuania from the West, blessing by all the knights of the Europe and the Pope. The Lithuanian knights and the warriors were using "Trejos Devynerios" as a universal remedy from cold and joint illnesses, as a disinfection and a treatment mean for war wounds, and also as a tonic for the organism and the prophylactic. Lithuanian men the bigger part of their lives spent in wars, so the healing bitter "Trejos Devynerios" was even included into the army proviant (the list of food supplies for the army), what is shown in the old Lithuanian amy’s proviant lists of the 15th century.
(It is obligatory to make one more excursus here. The innate Lithuanian warlike character is known for the whole world up to now. After the Second World War, when Lithuania was occupied by Russia, Lithuanians were the only ones in the whole Europe, who continued the partisan struggle against Russia. In spite of being betrayed by all the bigger nations of the Europe and the U.S.A., Lithuanians were fighting alone, without any foreign support, against the most powerful army in the world at that time. This war, as it is known to everybody, finished with the Lithuanian victory. With the price of 300.000 fallen people (both, in the war and in the exile), Lithuania finished off the power of the Soviet Union, and won the independence, freedom, and democracy not only for itself, but also to other European nations, occupied by Russia. Just it would be interesting to know, if those nations will ever remembr the Lithuanian partisans, who gave lives for their freedom?)
Six centuries later, in 1878, "Trejos Devynerios" showed up in a small German town Welfenbüttel, just with a different name: "Jegermeister." After the German taste, it was much sweeter, but still there was a note on the label, that the recipe was received from the Lithuanian monasteries. But when "Jegermeister" became famous in the rest of the world, the note, that the drink was being made according to the Lithuanian recipe, was not on the label any more. Anyway, there is still "Kreuter Mieke" in Germany. It is made out of herbs and it is used in the production of "Jegermeister." On the label of "Kreuter Mieke" there is a note that this is a mixture of 27 herbs after the original recipe of the old Lithuanian monastery.
Lithuania, in the meanwhile, produces a cheap bitter "trejos devynerios", of a doubtful origin, and approved in Moscow (!). And with this liqueur, beloved by alcoholocs (especially the one, that is produced by "Vilniaus Degtine"), Lithuania now can only prove the fact, that vodka factories (the ones that still exist from the times of the Soviet occupation) not only no longer know how to make the old good Lithuanian vodkas, but also continue to fulfill the instructions from Moscow (to discredit the national Lithuanian vodka-distilling). Remember, how the unique Caucasian, Crimean, and Moldavian vineyards were cut down under the command of Andropov, the secretary of the Russian communist central committee. This act not only destroyed the priceless flora recources of this region, but also in the main harmed the economics of these countries. The same is in Lithuania. The bureaucrats of the old vodka factories, most probably, are still under the control of Moscow, and carry out its economic policy: do not make the ancient Lithuanian vodka products of high quality, so that they coul not compete with the poor Russian, potato-grain alcohol vodkas "Moskovskaya" and "Stolychnaya." Just in the case of need to prove the image and production, Lithuanians "make" some "better", but certainly the worse drinks, such as "Gedimino", "KarvedZio", or "Bajoru",raise their prices, and once more show to the whole world, that the Republic of Lithuania can not make vodka any more, and its products are not worth being noticed.
Now in Lithuania only Alytus "Alita" could make "Trejos Devynerios." And it could be made according to the "Trejos Devynerios" recipe, which was included into "The List of the Patented Medicines, Allowed to Be Produced in Lithuania." This list was announced in 1931 in the publication "The Pharmacy News." This recipe was recreated by Kaunas’s pharmacists. According to the recipe, those 27 herbs should be poured over with the rye vodka (60% of alcohol), and kept in the hornbeam barrels for three years, three months, and three weeks... Those, who do not keep these instructions, should get the heaviest fines for the discreditation of the name of the ancient Lithuanian vodka "Trejos Devynerios." And those,who speculate in this name and carry out the genocide of the nation (turning people into alcoholics), must be punished also. The Lithuanian nation was creating and perfecting "Trejos Devynerios" for hundreds of years. This was the process for people to be healthier and more active, but not for getting drunk and degrading. At least for one thousand years Lithuanians used "Trejos Devynerios as a medicine. But during the years of Soviet occupation (50 years), when the Soviet bootlickers were carrying out the commands of the bolsheviks (to turn Lithuanians into alcoholics), "Trejos Devynerios" has become a poison...
Lithuanians are the only ones in the world, who all know how to distil vodka
In 1511, The Grand Duke of Lithuania Zygimantas the Senior allowed the merchants of Vilnius to buy and sell as much grain as they want freely, because a lot of grain was being used in the production of vodka, beer, and "gira" (a sour drink). Even the Guild of the Malters of Vilnius was found. This guild sprouted, dried, ground the grain coarsely, and sold it to everyone who wanted to make vodka and beer. This was legal, because during the period of the Grand Principality of Lithuania every inhabitant of Lithuania had a right to make mead or beer, to distil vodka for their own needs... The governmental monopoly was established by the Russian occupants after the third division of Zecpospolita according to the decree of Jekaterina II. This decree is valid up to now.
From all of the European countries, only in Lithuania almost every family, that lives in the country (about 60% of the whole population), always could and still can distil vodka at home both: for their own needs, and for the earnings. This was not influenced neither by the inconstant governments, nor by the repressive czar assistants and militiamen’s activities, nor by the very friendly policemen. The neighboring Slavic nations (Lithuanians are the Indoeuropeans - the Balts), Russians, Ukrainians, Polish, Belorussians could not distil vodka out of grain. They made a sour drink from bread, yeast, and sugar (earlier - honey). When this drink oversoured, they got a Slavic strong drink, called "brashka" (from the Slavic word, meaning "to turn sour"). This "brashka" could contain up to 15% of alcohol (this depended on the amount of sugar in it). Yes, the inhabitants of the Soviet region Svyriai in Belorussia can make a homemade vodka, but they are not Slavs but yotvings - a tribe of Southern Balts. And in Soviet times, when Russians were russifying all the occupied territories, these people became not even Belorussians, but Russians. (Will ever the Lithuanian bolsheviks A.Snieckus and J.Paleckis be correspondingly punished for selling the part of Lithuania to Belorussia in 1940, and turning the Lithuanians into Russians?)
The best homemade vodka from grain is being distilled in Lowlands in Plunge district, and from rye - in Dzukija, in Varenos district and around Labanor. Officially the homemade vodka "Samane" is being produced by Alytus "Alita." This company is the only one in the world which does this.
If only Lithuanians had more of the self-respect, dignity, were prouder of their works, and produced drinks, they could surprise the whole world with this strong drink, which is already thousands of years old... Just think with what an aplomb nowadays Lithuanians drink the mexican tequila, and they do not mind that this is the most disgusting strong drink in the world, with the taste of soap, which must be killed with salt and lemon, and which can not be even compared with the noble, aromatic, refined, homemade vodka. But tequila is from abroad, and for a lowly educated Lithuanian even a foreign sh... smells like a rose...
"Starka" - is a thousand years older and a much better drink than whiskey
"Starka" is a special festal vodka, which was being made on the day of the birth of the first son. Already in the 15th century the foreigners, who were visiting Lithuania and describing its life, noticed the fact that: when the midwife announced the birth of the son, men started distilling vodka. Later they poured that vodka into the oak barrel, which was later coated with the hot beeswax and dug into the ground. The barrel was being dug up, and the liquid tasted on the wedding day of that son, that means, at least 30 years later. The name of this vodka is purely Lithuanian. It comes from the old Lithuanian word "starkus" (a stork), and this is connected with the widely spread story, that the new baby is being brought by the stork. And up to now countrymen are asking not for "Starka", but for "Starkine" (Lithuanian vodka) at the shop.
Though Russians are trying to explain that "starka" has come from the Russian word "staraya" (meaning "the old one"), so... the name of the vodka would be "Staraya", because, since the Russians learned to distil the potato-grain vodka (after opening "Smirnoff" vodka factory), all Russian vodkas still have their original names: "Listovka", "Dovgan", "Spotykach", "Yerofeych", "Staromoskovskaya"; in Soviet times - "Moskovskaya", "Stolychnaya", "Russkaya", "Kubanskaya", "Sibirskaya." From vodka Lithuanians also make various bitters, liqueuers, balsams, infusions. But Russians can make only "nalivki"- infusions, that what is simple and does not require great experience and skills. Besides, looking from the linguistic side, the word "starka" has no semantic meaning in Russian.
In medieval ages, when the trade was developing, vodka has become one of the main exported goods, because at that time neither Western, nor Eastern nations knew how to make grain vodka. For example, in the trade with Russians, vodka was the main object of exchange until the 18th century. In 1550 Mykolas Lietuvis wrote a book "The Tatar, Lithuanian, and Muskovites Customs", which was dedicated to the Grand Duke of Lithuania Zygimantas Augustas. But this book was published in Basel in 1615. Mykolas Lietuvis wrote that the Tatars do not use any strong drinks. "Lithuanians eat expensive meals brought from the foreign countries, nad drink many sorts of wine. There aren’t as many other enterprises in Lithuanian cities as breweries and distilleries. People take these drinks when they go to war or to pray. Meanwhile, the Tatar, who only takes a sip of wine, gets eighty trashings and has to pay a fine of eighty coins. There is not a single inn in Moscow. If at least one drop of wine is found in the house, the house is being razed, the properties taken away, the family and the neighbours trashed, and the host himself put into prison for the life time. The neighbours are involved into this because they are suspected of knowing about this hodeous crime, and also they are thought to be infected with this fault." At the beginning of the 16th century Mykolas Lietuvis wrote about the Lithuanian drinking customs in such a way: "Our drunkards are being killed not by the government, but by the lack of self-control itself or the fights, raised by the drunk folk, where the arms are used very often. The day begins with vodka. "Wine,wine!" can be heard of those who are still in bed."
So this is how everything has turned. And everything was caused by that mad, German woman Jekaterina, the Russian empress. She established the Schnapps trade monopoly in Russia coverting for the money.This is the best example, showing how to make the subordinates drunk, and turn them into the drunkards in front of the whole world forever.
In the medieval ages, Lithuanian merchants poured vodka into the oak barrels. And during the long travels by wagons or water transport, in the sunwarmth and splashing all the time vodka took the colour that was peculiar to "Starka." The merchants knew how long the real "Starka" is being matured. They also knew that their customers did not catch much on vodkas, so they did not drag on and used this outer advantage, and started selling vodka, that was exported to Russia, as a real "Starka."
The merchants exported a lot of vodka to Russia in exchange to the furs, potash, pitch, honey, wax, salt. Even the Grand Duke of Lithuania Zygimantas the Senior realized, that the good business can not be disturbed. So in 1542 he vorbade the gathering of the road tax in Bistrica and Nemencine customs posts for vodka, that was exported from Lithuania by the waterways.
Unfortunately, now in Lithuania "Starka" is made according to the recipe approved in Moscow, and this is only a disgusting Mockery of the real "Starka." And such "drinks" are being made by "Vilniaus Degtine" and Kaunas "Stumbras." ( By the way, these are the state joint-stock companies!) But the Lithuanians, who have already drunk away their mind, and also the hired directors of the state factories, do not have headaches for this. The directors and the technologists of these factories do not trouble themselves by having a look at the books (published in Seinai in 1907, and in Kaunas in 1930) and read a little about the technologies of the ancient Lithuanian strong drinks.
Just look, what is happening now in Poland. There is a war on, because of the privatization of the vodka factories (there are 31 of them)... Already now the rates of the Polish "Wiborova", potato schnapps "Shopen", and "Zubrovka" (copied from the Lithuanian "Stumbrine") are being raised up to the sky everywhere abroad. Everyone in Lithuania knows the "quality" of the Polish vodkas, especially the potato one. And there isn’t a countryman in silute district or even in Suvalkija (which is along the border with Poland), who would agree to spoil one’s good name by distilling vodka from the rotten potatos, because the potato vodka, even the very clean one, has the smell of the bottom...
Russians could not make vodka in the old times
According to the old common Russian "vodka" means "water", just with a slight negative meaning. In America the Indians called whiskey "the fire water..." Even Smirnoff, after building the first vodka factory in the 19th century, did not dare to call his vodka after an ugly word, used by the simple folk. So on the lables of his products he wrote the more acceptable name to the aristocracy and the Russian intelligents - "Bieloye Vino" (White wine). Later he started distilling "Stolovoye Vino" (Table wine). By the way, that "white wine" was being produced out of potato and grain alcohol, according to the technology invented by D.Mendeleyev, and this drink could not be even compared to the vodkas, made in Lithuania.
Nowadays, the names of the first Smornoff vodkas were remembered in order to increase the demand of vodkas. So alredy now in Moscow and in Petrograd it is possible to buy "beloye vino" and "stolovoye vino..."
After the Great October Socialist Revolution the "cooks" started to rule the country. The merchant and hussar champagne drinking from the early morning, and eating "hazel-hens with pine-apples" was very soon driven away. Instead of this there was a new custom: eating wet bread in glassfuls... And those, who did not die from the starvation, did not croak in the concentration camps during 70 years of the "cook" ruling, became the eternal worshippers of vodka, especially when they could get some onion or sour cabbages as a snack.
The name "vodka" became popular in the world in the 70 - 80’s of the previous century, when Russians started exporting "Stolychnaya Vodka" and "Moskovskaya Vodka" to the West, and when the Smirnoff descendants started competing with them. Smirnoff started producing a new product - "Smirnoff Vodka." Vodka became so popular that nowadays "vodkas" are being made by everyone, even by those nations, that had neither drunk, nor made such drinks ever.
Lithuanians themselves dishonour the high quality of their own vodkas on purpose
Lithuanians, having the advantage over all the countries of the world and the inborn ability, now with all their strength are trying to dishonour, humiliate, and show to the rest of the world, that Lithuanian vodka will never be able to compete with the weak German Schnapps, Polish potato-soup, or Russian potato-grain vodka in the world market... But think yourself! What would a normal person choose: grain vodka "Starka" (which is being matured for 30 years) or a 5 years "old" whiskey; a real grain "Degtine" or a potato-grain "Smirnoff"; "Trejos Devynerios" or a sweetish "Jegermeister"; noble "Samane" or disgusting "Tequila"; ancient "Krupnikas" or glycerine Finnish liqueurs? And there is so much more products from Lithuanian vodka, that do not have and will never have equal competitors... And now, who will deny the fact, that this is being done without the blessiing and commands of the authorities? Who will deny the fact, that for the discreditation of Lithuanian vodka somebody gets millions of dollars every year?
Lithuanians do not know anymore how to drink vodka
We, peasant-like submissive Lithuanians, having lost our dignity and honour, gurgle the smuggled "pilstukas" (the mixture of the illegal alcohol and water), which is tolerated by the government that we ourselves have elected. The same government (having resigned the experience of the Lithuanian kings, and having taken over the monopoly, useful for the treasury of the Russian occupants) does not allow to its other citizens to produce vodka, sell it, and make Lithuania famous in the world... And the same state officials can not drink vodka in the way that it was drunk by the noblemen. They drink vodka in the way they were taught by the "great drunkard brothers": they take almost half of the glass of vodka (which is as warm as the air in the room), gulp almost all of this, and then, having swallowed such a nasty thing, thay make faces and twich at the table for quite a long time, reminding rather monkeys than civilized people.
But You could try drinking vodka in the way that it was drunk by the nobles in the old times. At first You should cool down vodka very well (this is not a problem nowadays when there is a refrigerator in evey home). Cool vodka until it is as marshy as an oil, pour some of it into the tiny cup, which sould be also cooled down. Lift the cup, feel the aroma, that is spread by vodka because of the warmth of Your hand. Now, take a tiny sip and let Your tongue feel it, allow vodka mix with the saliva, and only then swallow. Follow the sip that warms up Your body, wait a little until it disperses. Then take the second tiny sip, follow the same instructions, just now You will feel how vodka reaches your toes. After the third sip, vodka will reach Your head, sharpen Your mind, loosen the tongue... And this is enough. Stop now. You will experience the great pleasure, You will never get drunk, never be ugly to others, it will be better for Your health, and You yourself will feel much more pleasantly, while drinking vodka in such a noble way...
If in some restaurant, cafe or pub You will be offered a not cooled vodka in a not cooled cup, leave this place in a rush, because there You can meet only the total ignoramuses and gawks, who not only do not know how to serve vodka, but also instead of pork they can cook some dead cat or rat...
The escalated historical and geographical illiteracy of H.de Balsak
We, submissive Lithuanians, do not say anything to anyone. But when we find the rumour, that vodka for the first time was made in 17th century, maybe in Poland, maybe in Russia, in some Viatka Fort, we gigle with the spitful modesty. This rumour was spread by H.de Balsak. We could forgive the great writer for his historical and geographical illiteracy because, most probably, he was told about this while visiting E.Hanska in Peterburg, and having drunk some vodka. But this nonsence is being passed from generation to generation in Western Europe, and the fact that Russia, the Grand Principality of Lithuania, and Poland were piled together (as if Viatka was somewhere near Krondschtadt or maybe near Krakow) can not be forgotten.
The most omportant thing is that this nonsence is not being denied by anyone because, in the present war between Russia and Poland for the vodka markets, this absurd information is the main argument, proving that Russians started making vodka "one hundred years earlier" than Polish.
But at that time Viatka was uder the control of the Kazan Khanate. This means that the Tatars must have been the first to start distilling vodka, but they are not even allowed to drink strong drinks. So how could they start making vodka, if they do not make it at all?
The history shows that Lithuanians were the first in the world, who knew how to distil vodka
The income of the Lithuanian bishops consisted not only from the taxes and tributes, but also from the beer and mead manufacturing, vodka distilling, and inns, that were in the domains of the dioceses. Every inn that was in the domain of the diocese had to pay a three score of small coins (called "grasis") a year. In 1501, the Grand Duke of Lithuania Alexander gave land, springs, and four inns to the Dominicans, when they were establishing in Vilnius.
On the july 22nd, 1511, the magistracy of Vilnius applied to the Grand Duke of Lithuania. Zygimantas the Senior for the intercession, so that the Capitula of the city did not throw curses in the arguments over the distilling and the consumption of vodka. And being the real Lithuanians, after 50 years (in 1560) of the cheerful squabbles and quarrels made a contract between the Vilnius’s Kings castle, the magistracy of the city, and the bishops for the following matters: 1) to live in harmony; 2) put out the hearths and close the inns at seven o’clock in the evening; 3) do not go to church being drunk; 4) do not make noise at night, and so on...
We can guess, how much of strong drinks was "used" in the medieval ages from some numbers. In 1611-1614, the guilds of the handicraftsmen of Vilnius kept 7523 barrels of mead for their feasts. Do not forget that this is only the amount of mead! Let’s try to calculate how much of this strong drink (20-30%) the throatless handicraftsmen could gulp down, if there were 200 liters of mead in one barrel... The expression "as drunk as an artisan" has come from those times...
Lithuanian mead is not only the most archaic strong drink in the world
Nowadays the only factory in the world "Lietuviskas midus" ("Lithuanian mead"), which is in a small Lithuanian town Stakliskes, produces mead of various kinds, according to the recipies that are thausands of years old. Also here the especially strong and aromatic mead bitters (balsams) "Zalgiris" (70%), "Nemunas" (60%), "Suktinis" (50%), seasoned with herbs, are being made. These drinks are not only the most archaic drinks of the unique peculiarity in the whole world, they are peculiar only to Lithuania, and exactly they could make Lithuania even more famous than basketball.
Mead is a not strong, up to 20%, drink with the ideal taste and aroma of honey. The most archaic drink that surprizes and fascinates the most famous tasters of the world.
You can say anything, but the Stakliskes folk neither know how to advertize themselves, nor can they boast, nor can they organize good tastings. At the same time "Anyksciu vynas", produces fortified wine (?!), and desperately turns the countrymen into the anonymous alcoholics. Instead of closing the factory and bringing it to court, because of the neglection of the alcohol advertising restrictions and the carrying of the genocide of the nation, the State officials allow the factory to advertise where it wants and how it wants... Maybe it would be better to poison the whole Lithuanian nation ( and also two next generations ), so that then we could have the absolute abstinents?
The matter of the abstinent multiplying and the poisoning of the existing ones is being worked with very purposefully and essentially in the beer fronts. We can not affirm that all of those, who work in the Presidency, Seimas, Government, Ministry of Health Protection, Health and Hygiene Centres are ignoramuses. It would not be fair. There are some clever people in these institutions, who know what is the difference between beer and the oversoured barley, which, as already mentioned, in Russia could contain up to 15% of alcohol.
Lithuanian "Krupnikas" - the Most Noble Liqueur in Europe
This is the liqueur from honey and herbs, that was made by the monks of the Bernardines’ monastery, which was settled in Nesvyzius by M.K.Radvila Naslaitelis. The monks could see wine only on the tables of the dukes and the aristocracy.
In 1546, the wine cellars were built and equipped on Tiltu street in Vilnius. The wine supervisors had a home nearby. By the way, the costs of transportation (to bring wine from Hungary) made up to 65.3% of the wine’s price. The percentage was even higher, when the wine was brought from Avignon, or any other region of France, Southern German principalities, Italy - the Kingdom of Naples, Lombardy, Toscana, or the Pope’s wine-makeries. Much wine was brought by the Hanza merchants. This wine was mostly being bought by the wine supervisors of the Vilnius’s Royal Palace. So, it goes without saying, that wine was being drunk only by the rich. The Bernardine monks, who came from the Southern parts of the Europe, were especially fascinated by mead - a not very strong drink, having the taste and aroma of the natural honey. On the base of this drink Bernardines created "Krupnikas." For the first time, the guests officially were treated to "Krupnikas"in 1593, on the occasion of the building of the NesvyZius Radvilos’ palace. This date should be considered the official date of the origin of Krupnikas. Of course, this date can not be related neither with the disgusting, washed-out drink, that is being made by "Vilniaus Degtine", nor with the drink of Kaunas’s "Stumbras." The real recipe of Krupnikas, which was found by the Bernardines, is different (it is known to the author, just as the other recipes of the ancient Lithuanian drinks. The author would agree to teach the recipe only the Lithuanian Bernardines or the Kretinga Minorites (because they have the especially good conditions to make Krupnikas), but in no way he would teach the state or private companies).
The honey liqueur Krupnikas has soon become the favourite drink of the aristocracy, and especially ladies liked it. Krupnikas became most famous after 1920s, when the Lithuanian independence was declared, and when it became the most popular drink among the aristocrats of Kaunas. It was being served in the feasts of the highest rank and the governmental balls. At the Presidency and institutions, in the parsonages and estates Krupnikas was being served in the tiny, cut-glass decanters with the cups of the size of a timble. It was drunk together with the coffee. Very often the estates, parsonages, and even the wealthier homes were making Krupnikas according to their own recipe. Krupnikas was being made out of everything at that time: cherry and lemon, orange and tangerine, badyan (a kind of anise) and cardamon, wine and champagne, montpensieur and brown sugar, but (of course it’s a pity to belittle such a mass creation) these were only primitive imitations, that had nothing in common with the real Krupnikas.
By the way, almost at the same time the Polish started making their own "Krupnikas", but it was far from the real one. However, the Polish were so proud of it, that some illiterate Lithuanians even now think that Krupnikas was created by the Polish in 1930.
Just do not forget that Lithuanian Krupnikas is the only liqueur in the world, that is being warmed up before drinking. This is the way how it was drunk by the monks and the nobles (ask, if any Polish has ever heard about this). And only tasting krupnikas in this way, the originally marvellous, perfectly tuned honey, grain, alcohol and herbs taste, and unique aroma open. They remind of the impassible woods, meadow herbs with the buzz of bees and the fantastic legends and tales from our childhood...
Now, one more sip of Krupnikas and this is it, that is enough, because when it is too much, you can start talking nonsences... |
