Density of vodka and alcoholic drinks. How many degrees are in vodka - the strength of vodka. The specific gravity of vodka is the standard how to determine
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Recalculate, find out volumetric weight: physical properties. | Quantities. | Amount of kg in 1 liter, kg/liter. | For calculations, reference data was used from: | Now you can find out how much it weighs using a tool such as: | Measurement error. | - |
How many kg does 1 liter of vodka weigh in a liter jar? | We use reference data on density and specific gravity, calculating using the formula to obtain the volumetric weight. | 0.953 | Directory of physical properties, GOST, TU. | Liter jar. | up to 5% | - |
Quite often in practice we come across situations when we need to find out what the weight of 1 liter of vodka is. Typically, such information is used to convert mass to other volumes, for those containers whose displacement is known in advance: cans (0.5, 1, 2, 3 l), bottles (250 mm, 0.5 ml, 0.75, 1, 1.5, 2, 5 l), glasses (200 ml, 250 ml), canisters (5, 10, 15, 20, 25 l), flasks (0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 0.8, 1 l) buckets (3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12, 15, 18, 20, 25, 30 l), flasks and cans (3, 5, 10, 22, 25, 30, 40, 45, 50, 51, 200 l), barrels (30, 50, 60, 65, 75, 127, 160, 200, 205, 227, 900 l), tanks, cylinders, tanks (0.8 m3, 25.2, 26, 28.9, 30.24, 32.68, 32.7, 38.5, 38.7, 40, 44.54, 44.8, 46 , 46.11, 46.86, 50, 54, 54.4, 54.07, 55.2, 61, 61.17, 62.39, 63.7, 65.2, 73, 73.1, 73.17, 75.5, 62.36, 88.6 m3, 99.2, 101 .57, 140, 159, 161.5 m3). In principle, even pots and kettles can be estimated by weight if you know how much one liter of vodka weighs. For household use and some independent work, the question may be asked differently, when they ask not the weight of 1 liter of vodka, but how much a liter jar (jar) weighs. Usually people are interested in how many grams or kilograms are in a liter jar. Finding such data: how much it weighs on the Internet is not as easy as it seems. The fact is that the generally accepted format for presenting material in any reference books, tables, technical specifications and GOSTs boils down to giving only the density and specific gravity of vodka. In this case, the specified units of measurement are one m3, cubic meter, cubic meter or cubic meter. Less often 1 cm3. And we are interested in how much a liter volume weighs. Which leads to the need for an additional conversion of cubic meters (m3) into liters. This is inconvenient, although it is possible to correctly convert the cubes into the number of liters yourself. Using the ratio: 1 m3 = 1000 l. For the convenience of site visitors, we independently made recalculations and indicated how much one liter of vodka weighs in table 1. Knowing the weight of 1 liter of vodka, you not only determine the mass of a liter jar, but you can also easily calculate how much any other container for which you know weighs displacement At the same time, you need to understand the undesirability and impossibility of accurate estimates made on the basis of such recalculations for large containers with a significant displacement volume. The fact is that with such calculation methods a large error arises, acceptable only in the sense of an approximate estimate of mass. Therefore, professionals use special tables that indicate how much, for example, a road or rail tank or a barrel weighs. On the other hand, for applied and domestic purposes, for home conditions, the calculation method based on liter volume is quite suitable and can be used in practice. In cases where we need more accurate data, for example: during laboratory research, for conducting examinations, for debugging the production process, setting up equipment, and so on. It is better to determine the weight of 1 liter of vodka experimentally, by weighing on precise scales, using a special technique, rather than using reference, theoretical, tabular average data on density and its specific gravity.
The main characteristics of the average consumer of an alcoholic drink is strength. We are talking about the same degree or percentage shown on the label. However, in addition to this parameter, any alcoholic drink also has such a characteristic as density, on which the speed of intoxication directly depends, and, accordingly, the state of the body the next day.
How to measure?
The density of any alcoholic drink can be measured with a device called a hydrometer. A type of hydrometer is an alcoholometer, the purpose of which is to measure the proportion of ethyl alcohol in a liquid that does not contain other impurities. Otherwise, the presence of additives can distort the measurement result due to the influence of impurities on the density of the liquid. Thus, the strength of a drink is also measured based on its density. Therefore, if you lower an alcohol meter into ordinary water, it will still show a certain value of its strength.
Externally, the hydrometer is an oblong glass float. There is a measurement scale inside.
To ensure measurement accuracy and reduce the likelihood of error, the device must be wiped with a dry cloth to remove grease and dirt. The temperature of the measured liquid should be brought to 20 degrees. If the device is damaged at the slightest level, the measurements will be incorrect. Therefore, before the procedure, it is necessary to carefully inspect the device for cracks, scratches, and chips. Then the hydrometer is immersed in the liquid, ensuring it floats freely. The value is read on a scale.
Vodka density
The density of any aqueous-alcoholic liquid, including vodka, has an average value between water and alcohol. Having found out the density of vodka using a hydrometer, you can draw conclusions about the proportion of alcohol content in the solution, i.e. its strength. To do this, just use the alcohol meter table and compare the result with already known values. We also owe this data to Mendeleev.
It should be noted that different names of vodka have different densities of the drink. Thus, the density of vodka 40 degrees (Finland) is 951 kg/m3. The average density of vodka of 40 degree strength is 940 kg/m 3 .
Alcoholic puff cocktails
Bright multi-colored cocktails are obtained not thanks to the magic of the bartender, but precisely due to the different densities of alcoholic drinks. To create a multi-layered masterpiece, it is necessary to place less dense drinks at the top of the cocktail, and denser ones at the bottom. As a rule, the sweeter the drink, the greater its density, the heavier it is. To create a cocktail from even layers that do not mix with each other, the difference in density must be at least 10 kg/m3.
For an aesthetically pleasing and neat result, even clear drinks (such as vodka) should be poured without spilling over the walls of the glass. It is better to use an inverted spoon for these purposes, this will ensure that each layer flows evenly. When cooking, it is important to consider the ability of liquids to change density depending on temperature. So, the warmer the drink, the lower its density. Knowing these subtleties of preparation, you can easily please your guests with an unusual serving of drinks.
Vodka is an original Russian drink that has ruined more than one generation of brilliant minds. Its chemical composition is dominated by ethyl alcohol, which gradually destroys internal organs and the nervous system. But this does not prevent the alcoholic drink from enjoying enormous popularity among the masses and remaining at the peak of its popularity for several centuries.
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It’s worth noting right away that Russian vodka is not the strongest alcoholic drink; Scotch whiskey with a strength of 88.8 percent is ahead of its density. But this does not underestimate the position of ethyl alcohol, which is especially widespread and in demand in the domestic market.
Features of an alcoholic drink
The word “vodka” first appeared in slang in 1533, and since that time it has not changed its content or meaning. Today, in the Russian Federation, 55% of the total population are regular buyers of this strong drink. The higher the strength, the better; Moreover, only the Slavic nation does not dilute this alcoholic product before consumption. Representatives of other nationalities drink cocktails with added alcohol, but in no case consume it in concentrated form.
Since today “bitter” is not only an occasional alcoholic drink, but also a “swill” for every day, the Russian Federation has created a number of requirements for its quality in order to avoid large-scale alcohol intoxication of the population. It is unknown how much a person can drink, but the consequences for his health can be most irreversible when consuming a low-quality product of dubious production.
In more detail, what is the strength of an alcoholic drink, it all depends on the chemical composition of this alcoholic drink. On average, alcohol contains 40-56%, the rest is water followed by filtration. To make the taste pleasant and soft, you need a small amount of citric acid, honey, glucose, milk powder and fruit, depending on the chosen recipe. Due to such factors, the alcohol concentration noticeably decreases, but the high quality of vodka does not decrease at all if the technology is followed.
The optimal strength is 40 degrees. It is in these proportions that this alcoholic drink is sold. This is an ideal indicator that does not burn the gastric mucosa and eliminates alcohol intoxication of the body. But the clinical outcome, in any case, depends entirely on how much a person drinks - a liter or more in one feast.
The density of a strong alcoholic drink depends on the quality of the alcohol that is used for its direct production. First grade ethyl alcohol has a strength of 96%, with higher purification the figure reaches 96.2%, and for the luxury class 96.3%. There is a separate type of medical alcohol, which is less commonly added to alcoholic products.
Main settings
Determining the standard for what strength an alcoholic drink should be is very problematic. It all depends on the quality of the alcoholic drink and whether it belongs to the following classification: “Extra”, “Super”, “Alpha”, “Lux”. However, there is a minimum requirement - the strength of the selected drink should not be lower than 37.5 degrees, otherwise such a drink can hardly be called vodka.
Vodka has different weights, which depend on the composition and name of the alcoholic drink. Below is a conditional classification of the mass of a particular alcoholic product and its density:
- “Bombay Sapphire”, 700 ml – a transparent drink, the concentration of which is 940 kg/m3;
- “GreyGoose”, 500 ml – clear alcohol concentration 940 kg/m3;
- “Gin”, 40-43 degrees – transparent liquid, concentration 943 kg/m3;
- “Finlandia” is a transparent liquid, the concentration of which is 951 kg/m3;
- “Rice vodka” – the strength barely reaches 25%, the concentration is low.
For some, such indicators have absolutely no meaning, but for true gourmets this is the determining criterion for assessing quality. Depending on the given indicators, the degree of alcohol intoxication and the characteristics of hangover syndrome in the morning occur. You can drink a liter of one type without affecting your health, but a liter of another type can be a lethal dose for an alcoholic.
According to calculations, 1 liter of vodka weighs 953 grams, and the strength varies between 40-56 degrees. This weight is reduced depending on the container into which the alcoholic drink is poured. For example, the mass of half a liter of alcohol is already 476.5 grams. The indicated weight does not affect the strength of the finished drink, which is traditionally 40-56 degrees.
The standard for ethyl alcohol is considered to be 40 percent by volume, and this standard has become generally accepted since 1866. Low degrees no longer characterize vodka as a pure product, but rather we are talking about alcoholic cocktails and drinks, and all their various varieties. Each drink weighs differently, but container manufacturers are accustomed to pouring liquid into standard containers, the weight of which is 500 ml, 700 ml, 1 liter.
Method of preparation and features of its composition
The alcoholic drink contains more than half ethyl alcohol, while activated carbon is added for cleaning and pre-filtered water. It is generally accepted that 100 ml of aqueous-alcoholic solution contains 20 degrees by volume, which is quite enough to prepare a high-quality alcoholic drink.
Today, different methods of alcohol distillation are known, for example, black silicon, silver ions, and laser radiation are involved. Such new technologies only increase, not the degree, but the consumer capabilities of the finished product. If you prepare the drink correctly, even a liter of vodka will be easy to drink without a morning hangover, and it doesn’t matter at all how many degrees the alcohol strength is.
Externally, “bitter” is a transparent liquid that does not have a dark sediment and excludes the addition of impurities and dubious flavorings. Determining the external quality of an alcoholic drink is very problematic, so you need to carefully read the markings on the label. This is how the following components of the chemical and physical composition are standardized:
- proportion of ethyl alcohol;
- the presence of aldehydes and fusel vapors;
- alkalinity;
- ester concentration.
Before putting vodka on sale, it is necessary to obtain a quality certificate, which in modern society is quite a troublesome task. If the chemical composition and design match, vodka is bottled in glass containers of 350 ml, 500 ml, 700 ml, 1 liter. The weight of the finished drink can be calculated from the standard ratio: 1 liter = 953 grams. From here, using basic mathematical calculations, one can conclude how much the purchase weighs, and how much ethyl alcohol enters the stomach during the next feast.
Rules for identifying counterfeits
Since it is very difficult to prepare alcoholic products that clearly comply with generally accepted standards, many “craftsmen” actively sell illegally strong alcoholic drinks of low quality. It’s one thing if the buyer consciously takes such a risk, and quite another when the swill is passed off as an elite drink at high prices. In order not to lose out, it is important to know not only the weight of the purchased liquid, but also other, no less important quality indicators.
A high-quality strong alcoholic drink always burns
The main quality assessment criteria are as follows:
- Appearance. When buying strong alcoholic drinks, it is important to pay attention not only to its weight, but also to its appearance, which also tells the buyer a lot. The liquid must be transparent; the presence of cloudy color and sediment in a high-quality drink is impossible. Therefore, if such characteristics are present, you urgently need to return the purchase still sealed and not doubt its low grade.
- Smell. If the external appearance of the liquid does not raise any additional questions, you are allowed to open the bottle. It is very important to pour the first glass and do a little experiment. You just need to sniff the liquid. The presence of the smell of denatured alcohol eloquently indicates the quality of the product, while the aroma of acetone gives rise to disturbing thoughts about purchasing questionable alcoholic products.
- Weight. The amount of alcoholic liquid must fully correspond to the capacity of the glass container. The difference, as a rule, is visible to the naked eye, so if such a defect is present, you don’t even have to open the bottle, but take it back to the store and demand consumer protection. It is possible that the alcohol was bottled “underground”, and drinking it is dangerous for your health and your life. You can also weigh the liquid, but to do this you need to know what the container weight is, since it is this that needs to be subtracted from the value obtained on the scales.
- Cold check. Not only experienced alcoholics know about this testing method; the average person also has access to this useful information. If an unopened bottle is placed in the refrigerator and allowed to freeze, then scorched alcohol is distinguished by the appearance of crystals in the liquid. This indicates the presence of questionable impurities and a large amount of water. A high-quality and certified product does not freeze, and the alcohol liquid only cools.
- Setting fire. A high-quality alcoholic drink always burns; a low-quality one may not even ignite. This is how strong alcoholic drinks are tested in bars and restaurants, so why not carry out a similar experiment in the comfort of your home. If the liquid flares up like gasoline, then this indicates that its chemical composition contains a large amount of impurities, flammable substances that are dangerous to the health of the drinker.
It is better to purchase alcoholic drinks in certified stores that have a license to trade
And in general, it is recommended to purchase alcoholic beverages only in certified stores that have the right to sell alcohol. As a rule, in such establishments there is strict quality control, testing of products from different suppliers, and a guarantee for the product sold. Such products are somewhat more expensive, but the buyer buys clear confidence in his health the next morning after the mass celebration. Otherwise, you may end up in a hospital bed or not wake up at all, dying in your sleep from alcohol intoxication. So it’s better to overpay for quality, especially since the low price should already alert you. It is important to remember what the process of making alcoholic beverages is and deliberately not underestimate its cost to soothe your soul before purchasing.
It is important to always remember that any strong alcoholic drink, even of the highest quality, is definitely harmful to health, especially if consumed systematically. A person must know when to stop, otherwise you can die from an elite alcoholic drink.
As practice shows, as you get used to ethyl alcohol, the strength level increases noticeably, and the quality of the drink itself rapidly decreases. Even medical alcohol diluted with unfiltered water is used. It is advisable to avoid such dubious experiments, especially since your own health and the health of caring people may suffer from them.
It only remains to add that the weight, strength and density of alcohol can be determined by every average person; simply pick up the bottle and carefully study the contents of the label. This important information will help you avoid problems in the future, allowing you to abuse only high-quality alcoholic products. In general, it’s better not to drink at all – your body will be healthier.
Many people, especially those living in Russia, have encountered such a drink as vodka, and of course, most wondered how many degrees of alcohol it contains. Here the answer is simple, you might think - 40 degrees and no more and no less, but as experts from one of the largest online magazines about alcoholic beverages “SamogonMan”, we will tell you in all seriousness: the alcohol ratio can vary from 40 to 56 degrees, depending on place of production and taste preferences.
Note! Vodka belongs to the category of highly alcoholic drinks and its abuse can lead to alcoholism!
In the article you will find answers to all your questions about the degree measure of vodka, why exactly 40 is a number that is so deeply ingrained in people’s minds, and also a lot of interesting things. Information has been collected from all over the Internet, which significantly saves your time searching for an answer to such an important question.
How many degrees is there in vodka? Revolutions, degrees and GOST
What ingredients does vodka consist of?
- One of the most important components is alcohol, which is obtained by processing wheat grains or other cereals, as well as potatoes.
- The crushed mixture of raw materials is boiled, after which yeast is added, which promotes fermentation. Then this entire mass is placed in a special apparatus for further processing. This produces purified alcohol
- But it is very difficult to obtain a 100% alcohol solution, or rather impossible, since impurities will still be present (albeit in small quantities).
Next, a certain amount of water is added to the resulting substance and repeated purification is carried out using activated carbon. To make vodka aromatic and more pleasant to taste, a small amount of citric acid, glucose, honey, orange, lemon and other fruit zest, milk powder and much more are also added, depending on the recipe.
Different manufacturers have their own technology, and the choice of water will be different for each. You can use distilled or boiled, but alcohol does not dissolve well in them. Tap water may contain a large amount of salts, causing the vodka to be whitish rather than clear.
To achieve soft water, it is pumped through sand filters and treated with cation exchange resin and other devices. It is prohibited to use cloudy water with foreign odor or taste.
How many degrees of alcohol in vodka
As you know, alcohol is one of the necessary components contained in this alcoholic drink. When buying vodka, we often pay attention to the degrees, which are indicated on the label in the form of a number and with a small circle next to it (at the top). How many degrees is there in vodka? Traditional vodka has a strength of 40°–45°. This is the best option among those that were previously proposed. A 40-degree alcoholic drink does not burn your stomach.
Some manufacturers began to indicate the strength of an alcoholic drink as a percentage. Therefore, when calculating the weight as a percentage, indicate the number of degrees (for example, 40°), and when calculating the volume, the percentage ratio (for example, “strength 16-18% vol.” or “alcohol 18% vol.”).
How to get 40-proof vodka? To do this, you need to mix 90-proof alcohol in an amount of 100 ml with 130 ml of water. The resulting ratio is: 1 part alcohol to 1.3 water. Optional ingredients, such as glucose, have almost no effect on the strength of the drink.
What alcohol is used to make vodka?
Alcohol is a liquid that has flammable properties. In 100% of the total volume, ethanol is 96.6%, which is why it is called ethyl. Rectified (which has been re-run to remove impurities from the alcohol) ethyl alcohol is mixed with water to make this product.
The quality of ethyl alcohol depends on how purified it is: first grade - 96%, highest purification - 96.2%, luxury - 96.3%, and extra reaches 96.5%. There is also medical alcohol.
Quality standards (GOST)
- How many degrees is there in vodka? The standards provide for the production of vodka using five types of purified (rectified) alcohol: “Highly Purified”, “Lux”, “Extra”, “Alpha” and “Super”. The last two of the above are the highest quality alcohols.
- Their production was established not so long ago, but has already found its application in the production of elite vodka drinks (“Premium” class). "Lux", "Alpha" and "Super" are made exclusively from grains.
- When producing “Extra” and “Highly Purified” alcohols, it is possible to use other raw materials, for example, potatoes or beet sugar. Some medical-related businesses may use rubbing alcohol. The finished vodka product should not contain furfural.
There is no time limit for storing alcohol. But it is necessary to comply with the conditions. Vodka drinks must be produced strictly in accordance with the requirements of standards, instructions, and in accordance with sanitary standards. How many degrees is there in vodka? The strength of the drink must be at least 37.5%. The amount of toxic substances and radionuclides must not exceed the permissible level. Only purified alcohol can be used.
Application of vodka drinks
You don’t need to drink this drink if you don’t want to spoil the taste. But if this option does not suit you, then you can take a glass of plain water. Under no circumstances should you drink vodka from plastic (disposable) cups, since when making dishes for one-time use, substances are used that are harmful to health, but contribute to the strength of the item. A glass filled with an alcoholic drink releases poisons that will accumulate and negatively affect your body.
Rice vodka (sake): degrees
- Rice vodka - how many degrees are there in this unusual drink? Rice vodka, or sake, is a Japanese vodka. In production, large rice containing a large amount of starch is used.
- But it is still not entirely appropriate to call this drink vodka, since there is no distillation process during preparation, but it must be present when preparing such a product.
- That is why it is also called rice wine, the technology of which is based on fermentation rather than fermentation. Sake is also equated to beer, rum, liqueur, and even compared to weak moonshine.
How many degrees are there in sake - rice vodka? Sake is distinguished by its lightness and low alcohol content compared to other types of vodka drinks. Its strength ranges from 14.5% to 20%, sometimes reaching 25% (depending on the type of sake and its aging). If the rice vodka is just prepared, then its strength will be no more than 15%. Aging helps increase the strength to 20% or more, but in the birthplace of sake - Japan - they often dilute it to get no more than 16 degrees. This is what the vodka/sake ratio looks like: 40° to 16°, which is why this drink cannot be called vodka .
Degrees of aqua regia
Aqua regia - how many degrees is there in this drink? And is she so “royal”? The pretentious name of this substance does not at all mean that only aristocrats can afford to use it. This liquid is intended for completely different purposes.
Aqua regia is a mixture of hydrochloric acid and nitric acid (volume ratio 3 to 1). It has a yellowish color and a pronounced odor of chlorine and nitrogen. This substance is one of the most powerful oxidizing agents and can dissolve any metals, including gold and platinum. But such properties of aqua regia disappear if the substance is left uncovered for a long time (the chlorine has evaporated).
How many degrees is there in American vodka?
The ingredients in this product will be the same as in similar products produced in different countries. When making vodka, most American producers of alcoholic beverages achieve soft water through boiling and distillation.
How many degrees of alcohol are in the vodka that Americans drink? America's strong alcoholic drinks, including vodka, are famous for their variety and high quality. The strength of American vodka is quite high. The following brands are especially popular: “44° North Latitude”, “Smirnoff” (50°), “Wolfschmidt”, “Black Eagle” and many others.
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What strength does vodka have, what percentage of alcohol does it contain?
The most popular alcoholic drink, vodka, has a high strength. This product quickly entered the lives of many people and became firmly entrenched in it. Nevertheless, some to this day cannot figure out the strength of a clear alcoholic drink.
What is vodka? This is not a simple mixture of ethyl alcohol and water, as is commonly believed in everyday life. In addition to these two essential ingredients, the pleasure drink often includes other components.
How is the strength of a hop drink measured?
Vodka may contain:
- lemon acid;
- sugar;
- extract from various plants and natural flavors such as pine cones, birch buds, etc.;
- powdered milk;
- vinegar.
These additives do not affect how much alcohol will be in the finished product. Honey and sugar mainly act as seasonings required to give the drink a mild taste.
The set and required proportion of additional ingredients are determined by the manufacturer. Often the type and name of vodka depends on this. Thus, on store shelves you can find vodka called “special”, “selected”, “crystal”, etc. But, no matter what additives the manufacturer experiments with, the main components of “white” are rectified food alcohol and water. Their ratio, or rather the way of visualizing this ratio, sometimes confuses some citizens: the first bottle says 40°, the second 40%, and the third 40% vol. Which is better?
Production of Russian vodka to the masses
The production of Russian vodka to the masses first began in the fifteenth century. At that time, the technology for producing food ethanol from grain raw materials was very different from the methods that are used now. The principles were the same, but the main difference lay in the imperfection of the technological processes. The resulting product had a low degree of purification from foreign impurities. The most popular filtration method at that time was charcoal purification, which helped remove fusel oils, but did not affect how many percent of alcohol remained in the alcohol.
The culture of drinking strong alcoholic beverages was also radically different. Before 1885, there was no retail trade in alcohol at all. Alcohol was bottled and sold in whole glasses - containers with a volume of about a quarter of a liter. Therefore, the strength of “belenkaya” was indicated by parts of the volume. That is, of the total volume of liquid, 40% was occupied by alcohol.
Mendeleev's discovery
After 1885, new trends came to Russia from the West, and among them was the retail sale of wine and products containing ethyl alcohol. At the same time, in 1895, D.I. Mendeleev scientifically proved that in order to create a mixture of water and ethanol that is optimal in terms of properties and characteristics, one must use not a measure of volume, but a measure of mass. Therefore, out of one hundred percent of the total mass of the liquid, 40 percent should be alcohol. Since then, in the USSR it was customary to designate alcohol strength in degrees.
The different ways of indicating the strength of alcoholic drinks ultimately forces different buyers to ask the same question: “How much alcohol is in one bottle of vodka?”
Percents or degrees
What is the most correct designation for the strength of alcoholic beverages? In degrees or percentage? After a scientific study conducted by D.I. Mendeleev, a clear rule was introduced in Russia and the USSR stating that how much alcohol is in an alcoholic beverage should be determined based on the weight fraction of the substance. And to make it clearer for people, the degree of strength was expressed by a degree (a small circle placed at the top, to the right of the number), which by its very appearance made it clear that when diluting pure (96.6 °) alcohol with water, precisely units of mass were involved.
Thus, until the 70s, the following strength designations could be found on Russian-made alcohol containers:
- 45° - the strongest vodka, rarely found on sale;
- 40° – the most common “white”;
- 35°, 30° – low strength vodka;
- 20, 14 or less degrees – other alcoholic drinks, including beer, wine, gin, etc.
- that anyone can cook.
Percent sign
What's with the percent sign? How can we explain its appearance on bottles of alcohol sold in Russia now? Expressing the ethanol content in strong drinks using a percentage is a Western trend that has come to us.
- It should be emphasized that this method is somewhat incorrect, since nowhere is it indicated on what this percentage is calculated - from mass or volume.
- And how many ordinary people were thus misled? A lot of. After all, of all the consumers of alcoholic beverages, only a few truly understand degrees and percentages.
Recently, to clarify the situation, the index “about” is placed next to the % sign, if necessary. That is, now “forty degree water”, obtained by mixing the volume fractions of water and alcohol, is designated 40% vol. Foreign manufacturers decided to do the same and stick stickers with the inscription 40% Vol on bottles of strong alcohol. It must be admitted that this form of recording is no longer misleading, since the additional prefix “about” or “Vol” makes it clear that when making vodka, the optimal ratio of alcohol and water was achieved by measuring the required volumes.
Old way
- To the question “How many degrees are there in regular vodka?” many will give the answer - 40. Is this correct or not? Correct, if you use the traditional system, where each “degree” is equal to a hundredth part of pure 100% alcohol.
- And it is wrong, if we take into account the old Western European system, in which 0.005715 of the total volume of pure food ethanol is taken as a “degree” of strength.
- Therefore, you can show how much alcohol is in a drink through the conventional system (40% vol.) or through the outdated one (70° Br. Proof).
Designating the strength of alcohol-containing drinks and substances using Proof degrees is a rather outdated technique that was popular in Western Europe. Nevertheless, now you can still find bottles of alcoholic liquid on sale, the main characteristic of which is calculated in the old, “inflated” way. There are also specimens with a double designation, for example, 40% by volume (70° Br. Proof). Here you can notice that the old wording is located next to the new one and is enclosed in brackets.
Why are the degrees “inflated” in the old system?
There are two explanations for this:
- Foreign manufacturers simply do not take into account contraction, or otherwise the compression of alcohol.
- According to foreign producers, wine and vodka products, or more precisely how much ethanol they contain, should be assessed not by the blend, but by the characteristics and components included in this blend.
Equally, the method of indicating the concentration of ethyl alcohol in a drink does not decide anything and does not affect how much alcohol the finished product will have. Achieving the optimal ratio of alcohol and water so that the molecules of both substances completely diffuse with each other is quite difficult. Even the most famous and expensive brand of vodka is far from perfect at the molecular level. Various manufacturers of “fire water” strive to bring the composition of their product closer to the ideal. But this is not easy to do, otherwise, when combining half a liter of water with the same volume of pure alcohol, you would get a liter of vodka.
Vodka is a strong alcoholic drink that has earned popular recognition. It is customary to consume it on holidays, big celebrations, and in a circle of noisy, cheerful company. Entertainment goes well and is gently accepted by the body if you have something to snack on after each drink.
Great for this purpose:
- salted pickled mushrooms;
- salted herring with onions;
- smoked meats and other meat dishes;
- boiled potatoes.
What goes with it?
In general, “belenkaya” goes well with many dishes, both first and second. There are no clear recommendations here, because each person has individual taste. How much alcohol is in the typical vodka that we are so accustomed to drinking? There are several answers to this question: 40°, 40%, 40% vol, 70° Br. Proof. It’s probably not worth worrying too much about degrees and percentages, or discussing which formulation is more accurate, since they all display approximately the same value. In addition, there is no need to think about the strength of alcohol while sitting at the festive table.
In any case, you should always remember that vodka is a good product if consumed in moderation.
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Features of Russian vodka
According to statistics, about 55% of the entire population of Russia periodically drink this original Russian drink. The higher the degree of vodka, the better it is. In Russia, it is customary to drink vodka in its pure form, while in other countries cocktails with vodka, the degree of which is an order of magnitude lower, are preferred.
It's no secret that unscrupulous producers of strong alcoholic drinks use a surrogate instead of pure alcohol, so you can find a lot of counterfeits on store shelves, and how many underground counters are there? Fortunately, quite recently, requirements for the quality of the drink were established in order to prevent real poison from being released into the market.
Drink strength
Speaking about the strength of the transparent liquid, it can range from 40 to 56 degrees, it all depends on the chemical composition. The degree of the drink is determined by the percentage of ethyl alcohol content, everything else is filtered water. To improve the taste, fruits, milk, honey, etc. are added to the drink. All components must be listed in the composition.
Alcohol with an ethyl alcohol content of 40% is considered safe for humans. This is the amount that does not burn the gastric mucosa and helps to avoid intoxication of the body. But we should not forget that a person’s condition directly depends on the amount of drinking; you cannot compare one glass and one liter, the effect will be significantly different.
The quality of ethyl alcohol is the main indicator of the strength of white wine. In its pure form, alcohol has a strength of 96 degrees. After thorough cleaning, its strength becomes 96.2-96.3 degrees. It is ethyl alcohol that is considered the ideal component for the production of strong alcohol. It is possible to use rubbing alcohol, but this is extremely rare.
Vodka parameters
The standard for what the strength of vodka should be is quite difficult to determine. Much depends on what class the drink belongs to:
- Extra.
- Luxury
- Super.
- Alpha.
But one main requirement is applied to each of these classes: the strength of a given alcohol of any class should not be lower than 37.5 degrees. Otherwise, it will no longer be vodka, but a drink of dubious content.
Depending on the name, vodka has different densities. For example, Finlandia vodka with a strength of 40 degrees has a density of 951 kg/m3. The same Finland, but with a strength of 50.5 degrees will have a different density. Of course, most lovers of strong drinks do not pay attention to this indicator. But for those who care about their well-being, the density of the drink plays an important role. The degree and speed of intoxication, as well as the state of the body after the feast, depend on this.
Features of making vodka
As you know, the finished alcoholic drink contains more than half of ethyl alcohol, the rest is water and flavoring additives. Activated carbon can be added for cleaning.
Modern vodka producers use various methods of distilling ethyl alcohol. The most popular and effective methods include cleaning methods using silver ions, black silicon or laser irradiation. After this procedure, the strength of the drink remains unchanged, but the quality of the drink increases, which directly affects the level of a person’s morning hangover.
Externally, vodka is a transparent liquid without any sediment. In fact, many chemical elements can be found in vodka. The following components may affect the quality of the drink:
- Percentage of ethyl alcohol.
- The content of fusel vapors and aldehydes, which may be completely absent in high-quality vodka.
- Presence of alkali.
- Contents of broadcasts.
The containers into which the finished product is poured also have standard volumes. The most common are glass containers with a volume of 330, 500, 700, 1000 milliliters.
Good vodka – does it exist?
As you know, the cost of a transparent substance consists of its quality, strength and production technology. How many degrees should vodka have? The stronger the vodka, the better it is. The most popular is vodka with an ethyl alcohol content of 40 percent, although the strength can vary up to 56 degrees. Vodka Finlandia 101 has a strength of 50.5 degrees. This characterizes it as a high-quality elite drink.
Despite its considerable cost, Finland is in demand among gourmets who like to drink rather than get drunk. Finlandia 101 is made with the addition of the purest artesian water from a Finnish spring. This water does not require additional purification, which improves its taste. Despite its increased strength, Finlandia has a mild sweetish taste. Vodka is popular in many countries of the world and has many positive characteristics.
Finlandia 101 vodka is made from high-quality barley, which gives the drink a unique deep taste, complemented by high strength. It is Finlandia 101 brand vodka that is considered the best drink for creating cocktails or drinking neat with ice. Finland has a good reputation among lovers of strong alcohol, which it gained immediately after the appearance of the first batch in 1970.
Drink quality assessment
If the goal of your feast is to have a good and fun time, and wake up in the morning as if nothing had happened, then you must be confident in the quality of the drink you drink. There are the following criteria for evaluating strong alcohol:
![](https://i1.wp.com/samogonman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/vodka_gorit_1.jpg)
Quality drink
In order to be absolutely sure of the quality of a strong alcoholic drink, it is recommended to purchase it in a specialized store, where the quality of the products is strictly monitored. As a rule, such stores work only with trusted suppliers and can fully vouch for the quality of the drinks they sell. Everyone can guess how much such a drink will cost.
Of course, the cost of a white one in special stores will differ significantly from those where you can stumble upon a surrogate. But before buying vodka, decide for yourself what result you want to get. Producing good vodka is an expensive undertaking, which is why the final cost is quite high.
Drinking alcohol of any strength and density does not have the slightest positive effect on the human body. Rather, on the contrary, the nervous system is destroyed, the liver decomposes, and brain activity noticeably deteriorates. Even the most elite alcohol, produced to all necessary standards, can cause irreparable harm to health. No matter how much you drink, your body will still receive some of the poison. Excessive alcohol consumption has a negative impact on the entire human body, be it a cheap drink or a high-quality Finland.
Do not forget that frequent drinking of alcohol is highly addictive, which is quite difficult to get rid of.
stopalcolife.ru
Rules for identifying counterfeits
Since it is very difficult to prepare alcoholic products that clearly comply with generally accepted standards, many “craftsmen” actively sell illegally strong alcoholic drinks of low quality. It’s one thing if the buyer consciously takes such a risk, and quite another when the swill is passed off as an elite drink at high prices. In order not to lose out, it is important to know not only the weight of the purchased liquid, but also other, no less important quality indicators.
Appearance. When buying strong alcoholic drinks, it is important to pay attention not only to its weight, but also to its appearance, which also tells the buyer a lot. The liquid must be transparent; the presence of cloudy color and sediment in a high-quality drink is impossible. Therefore, if such characteristics are present, you urgently need to return the purchase still sealed and not doubt its low grade.
Main criteria for quality assessment
- Smell. If the external appearance of the liquid does not raise any additional questions, you are allowed to open the bottle. It is very important to pour the first glass and do a little experiment. You just need to sniff the liquid. The presence of the smell of denatured alcohol eloquently indicates the quality of the product, while the aroma of acetone gives rise to disturbing thoughts about purchasing questionable alcoholic products.
- Weight. The amount of alcoholic liquid must fully correspond to the capacity of the glass container. The difference, as a rule, is visible to the naked eye, so if such a defect is present, you don’t even have to open the bottle, but take it back to the store and demand consumer protection. It is possible that the alcohol was bottled “underground”, and drinking it is dangerous for your health and your life. You can also weigh the liquid, but to do this you need to know what the container weight is, since it is this that needs to be subtracted from the value obtained on the scales.
- Cold check. Not only experienced alcoholics know about this testing method; the average person also has access to this useful information. If an unopened bottle is placed in the refrigerator and allowed to freeze, then scorched alcohol is distinguished by the appearance of crystals in the liquid. This indicates the presence of questionable impurities and a large amount of water. A high-quality and certified product does not freeze, and the alcohol liquid only cools.
- Setting fire. A high-quality alcoholic drink always burns; a low-quality one may not even ignite. This is how strong alcoholic drinks are tested in bars and restaurants, so why not carry out a similar experiment in the comfort of your home. If the liquid flares up like gasoline, then this indicates that its chemical composition contains a large amount of impurities, flammable substances that are dangerous to the health of the drinker.
It is better to purchase alcoholic drinks in certified stores that have a license to trade
And in general, it is recommended to purchase alcoholic beverages only in certified stores that have the right to sell alcohol. As a rule, in such establishments there is strict quality control, testing of products from different suppliers, and a guarantee for the product sold. Such products are somewhat more expensive, but the buyer buys clear confidence in his health the next morning after the mass celebration. Otherwise, you may end up in a hospital bed or not wake up at all, dying in your sleep from alcohol intoxication. So it’s better to overpay for quality, especially since the low price should already alert you. It is important to remember what the process of making alcoholic beverages is and deliberately not underestimate its cost to soothe your soul before purchasing.
It is important to always remember that any strong alcoholic drink, even of the highest quality, is definitely harmful to health, especially if consumed systematically. A person must know when to stop, otherwise you can die from an elite alcoholic drink.
As practice shows, as you get used to ethyl alcohol, the strength level increases noticeably, and the quality of the drink itself rapidly decreases. Even medical alcohol diluted with unfiltered water is used. It is advisable to avoid such dubious experiments, especially since your own health and the health of caring people may suffer from them.
alkogolu.net
Why is vodka 40 degrees?
- To this question I was usually told that the scientist Mendeleev experimentally found out the optimality of diluting alcohol with water. 60% water and 40% alcohol. This is supposedly the optimal combination for drinking. I was always tormented by the question, why is this the optimal combination for drinking?
- Alcohol tastes better when it is diluted with water, then why not just mix it with jam - it will turn out even tastier. What does optimal mean? What is this optimality?
- But the people answering me all raised their fingers up and argued that Mendeleev was right, that he, Mendeleev, knew better, he was a scientist chemist, he somehow checked something and it turned out that vodka should be 40 degrees .
I lived with this nonsense, I lived, I very rarely drank vodka, but this question tormented me, as an inquisitive person. I didn't want to calm down. And it turns out that in Russia, and all over the world, people drink vodka at 40 degrees, and not 30 or 60, just because Mendeleev said so. Did you drink the wrong vodka before Mendeleev?
History of vodka
And now, reading the next book of my favorite culinary historian William Vasilyevich Pokhlebkin, “The History of Vodka,” I find that the question of forty-proof vodka is a rather old topic, and Mendeleev’s merit lies in something else, he simply scientifically substantiated what was discovered before him.
Alcohol purification
Here's the thing. Grain alcohol has quite a lot of bad impurities, namely some bad oils that are dissolved in it. After distillation of alcohol, it is actively cleaned of various elements harmful to humans.
- Purification of raw alcohol was one of the main hobbies of landowners in Russia for several centuries. After all, they distilled alcohol at home and made vodka at home too. Remember from the film “Ivan Vasilyevich Changes His Profession” Ivan the Terrible’s question: “Did the housekeeper make vodka?”
- Apparently, Ivan the Terrible’s housekeeper distilled alcohol from millet, and she also cleaned the alcohol from impurities and filled the impurities with various additives, or insisted on something. And the housekeeper diluted the alcohol with water to make it easier to drink. Remember this phrase: “clean as a tear.”
- This is a matter of good purification of alcohol. No matter what they did to make the alcohol pure, pure, and so that it would not smell disgusting, this also interfered with drinking, so that the taste would not be so repulsive.
Ideal proportion
So the landowners even competed among themselves to see who could come up with a stronger system for purifying alcohol. And then they treated each other. And if someone found some unusual solution, then they shared it with each other.
- So, it was precisely in these experiments with the purification of alcohol that it was possible to find out that almost complete purification of alcohol from impurities, from oils that are not even visible to the naked eye, they are so dissolved in alcohol, and so complete purification is only possible if you clean not pure alcohol, but diluted with water. And precisely in the proportion of 40% alcohol and 60% water.
- At such proportions, alcohol begins to release the most non-transferable oils when filtered through charcoal.
- If there is at least 1% more alcohol than water, the release slows down sharply and it will not be possible to completely purify the alcohol. And at 40% - purification leads to almost zero content of harmful oils in diluted alcohol and the alcohol will not smell and the unpleasant aftertaste will disappear.
Mendeleev's merit
Mendeleev's merit is that he was able to calculate exactly how much of these oils remains in alcohol after purifying it in a ratio of 40 to 60 with water.
Vodka, according to Pokhlebkin, should not smell and should not have taste, it should only burn. If there is a taste and smell in the vodka, it means that not all the oils have been removed. The high cost of vodka is not related to distillation, but to the purification of vodka.
So it turns out that if vodka smells like fusel or has an unpleasant aftertaste when drinking, it means the alcohol was poorly purified, and the proportion of 40 to 60 was maintained only to follow traditions. Vodka is 40 degrees because this is the only condition for the possibility of completely purifying vodka from fusel, this is the only condition for the purity of vodka.
7×7-journal.ru
Vodka strength
Speaking in the dry definitions of GOST, vodka is an alcoholic drink made from rectified alcohol and prepared water as the main components and several additional ingredients that determine taste. The strength depends on a certain ratio of the main components of the drink. Considering that rectified alcohol cannot be stronger than 96 degrees, the strength of the vodka obtained from it is necessarily lower than this value, and its quantitative expression depends on the percentage of water and other components in the resulting drink, ready for consumption. A prerequisite for preparing vodka is treating the resulting water-alcohol solution with special adsorbents that reduce the amount of harmful impurities.
According to GOST R 51355-99, the strength of vodka can be 40-45, 50 and 56% with or without the addition of flavoring additives.
GOST R 51355-99
Domestic and foreign producers have several designations for the strength of vodka, expressed in different units:
- Degrees, where the number of parts by weight of alcohol in the finished drink is taken as a basis.
- Percentage, when to determine the strength, the volumetric content of the ingredients is selected and the clarification “volume” is necessarily introduced. (the same “revolutions”), showing that it is the volumetric parts of alcohol and water that are taken into account.
The domestic designation of the strength of alcoholic beverages in degrees is recognized as the most accurate, taking into account the specific gravity of not only alcohol and water, but also all components of the finished drink. Taking into account that the specific gravity of 1 liter of finished vodka, 40% strength, is 953 grams, by simple calculations it can be established that such a drink contains 572 g of water and 381 g of grain ethyl alcohol.
If the strength is determined in volumetric units, then the same amount of vodka will contain only 318 g of alcohol and already 635 g of water, i.e. the real strength of such vodka will be, taking into account the contracting of alcohol, only 35°. The strength of a real drink may be even lower, since the degree of purification of alcohols is not taken into account when determining the volumetric part.
Why is vodka 40 degrees
There are many opinions, based on reliable facts and multiple legends, why vodka should have a strength of 40 degrees.
One should not believe the widespread belief that such a composition was invented by the great Russian scientist D.I. Mendeleev. Long before his birth, the strength of alcoholic drinks in Rus' was checked using simple annealing, when the alcohol contained in the solution was simply burned out of the total volume of the liquid. If exactly half of the original volume of the test drink remained, then it was called polugar and had a strength of approximately 38 degrees. Subsequently, the bureaucracy rounded this figure to 40° to simplify tax calculations.
Many “connoisseurs” of strong alcohol claim that the most pleasant taste sensations arise when drinking drinks with a strength of 45 degrees and that is why so many varieties of tequila, whiskey or cognac have such a strength. But it is worth noting that these are, in principle, different drinks, made not by mixing rectified alcohol and water, but by distilling the mash in a still, similar to the well-known moonshine. The taste and aroma of drinks of this kind depends on the type of raw materials, the degree of purification and the presence of flavoring additives.
D.I. Mendeleev, in his dissertation on the properties of water-alcohol solutions, found that when mixing alcohol and water in various proportions, a chemical reaction occurs in which the final volume of the resulting liquid will be less than the initial volume of the mixed ingredients. The scientist found that when mixing 1000 g of water and 850 g of alcohol, the same 40-proof vodka is obtained with a minimal decrease in the final volume of the resulting liquid.
This ratio of alcohol and water in vodka was adopted due to the least burning effect on the mucous membranes of the digestive tract and the acceptable effect of the aqueous-alcohol solution on the human cardiovascular and nervous system.
Is it only 40 degrees?
The fact that there are many varieties of alcohol distillates with a strength above 40 o does not raise the slightest doubt in anyone, but is there vodka with strength indicators different from this “magic” figure.
It was already mentioned a little earlier that vodka can be called alcoholic drinks with a strength of 40-45, 50 and 56 degrees, which is confirmed by the presence of a certain assortment of vodkas with strength levels other than 40 degrees.
Strength 45°
Some of the elite varieties produced by domestic enterprises have a strength of 45 degrees. Most of the vodkas are branded “Sibirskaya”, some, especially the export versions of “Stolichnaya”, “Kizlyarskaya aged” and many other products of distilleries. 45 proof premium vodkas are made from luxury alcohols and contain additional softening or flavoring additives.
Vodka "Sibirskaya"
Particular attention in the process of their production is paid to the additional preparation of water obtained from special sources (read about the technology for making vodka). And if in the production of imported alcoholic drinks, in most cases, boiled or practically distilled water is used, then Russian vodkas are characterized by the use of especially soft natural water, which has a unique taste.
Strength 50°
Since the fifties of the twentieth century, limited quantities of Leningrad or Stolichnaya vodka with a strength of 50 - 55 o were produced in the Soviet Union, intended mainly for distribution in the network serving foreign tourists or in individual stores for a limited contingent of citizens (more about the production of vodka in the USSR).
Vodka Absolut
After the monopoly on the production of alcoholic beverages was lifted, private producers began to produce separate varieties of fifty-proof vodka made from high-quality alcohol and specially prepared soft water. Often, when producing vodka with a strength of 50 degrees, special flavoring additives were used to reduce the negative impact of high alcohol content on organoleptic characteristics.
Their foreign colleagues did not lag behind domestic manufacturers. Ukrainian vodka “Nemirov strong”, Swedish “Absolut” and “Finlandia” from the country of Suomi occupy a worthy place on festive tables. Despite the increased strength, drinking these drinks in small quantities does not cause any discomfort.
Strength 60° and 70°
Koskenkorva Vodka 60%
If you follow the standards exactly, then by definition there is no vodka stronger than 56 degrees. There are similar drinks - gin, whiskey, liqueurs, rum, but the technology for their production is more similar to the production of well-known moonshine, the strength of which after double or triple distillation can also reach 70 degrees.
Rasputin Vodka 70%
Absinthe is also a record holder among strong alcoholic drinks in the world, where the share of alcohol sometimes accounts for 75-85%. In its pure form, it is consumed by rare gourmets; most often, various cocktails are made based on absinthe.
The strongest vodka in the world
Since ancient times, Scotland has been considered the birthplace of the strongest alcoholic drinks. Nowhere else can you find beer with a strength of 41 degrees (more about the strength of beer) and the strongest strong whiskey, which is almost pure, about 92%, alcohol, aged in special oak barrels.
Pincer Shanghai Strength 88.8
Scottish Pincer Shanghai Strength, made from grain alcohol that has undergone multi-stage purification and flavored with thistle extract, has a strength of 88.8 o. The number 88.8 is no coincidence. The product is intended mainly for the Chinese market, and the number 8 is considered lucky in China. Despite its strength, the drink has a unique soft taste and is pleasant to drink thanks to a precisely selected recipe.
The softest vodka
Of all the variety of manufacturers and products, it is very difficult to select the softest one. Sometimes the products of famous brands are worse than the unknown product of a small distillery.
Softness is determined mainly by the quality and degree of purification of the alcohol. The quality of the activated carbon in the purification column plays a special role. The higher quality and “younger” the coal, the softer the taste passing through it during the production process.
How many degrees according to standard
Industrially produced vodka can have a strength according to domestic GOST from 40 to 56 degrees, and according to foreign requirements - no less than 37.5 degrees. Everything else, even if it refers to alcoholic beverages, has no right to be called vodka.
- The optimal ratio of alcohol and water is considered to be 1 to 1.176 mass units.
- At approximately this ratio, the density of the finished solution is about 950 kg/m3.
- And although the density is not indicated on the label, this indicator directly affects the speed of intoxication and the magnitude of the subsequent hangover.
Regardless of how many degrees there are in the drink you drink, you must always remember that any alcohol in large quantities will cause irreparable harm to your health and vodka, even the highest quality, is no exception to this rule.
http://luxgradus.ru/krepost-vodki.html
What percentage of alcohol?
Strength is the main characteristic of vodka. According to domestic GOST regulations, the strength of vodka is should not be less than 37.5%. As for exotic foreign varieties of vodka, the strength requirements may be completely different.
For example, the strength of Japanese rice vodka sake can be 14%, 20% and 25% - it all depends on the brand of vodka and its aging. Expensive varieties of sake are stronger, and budget brands of this vodka contain no more than 15% alcohol.
Why exactly 40 degrees?
In 1895, the Russian chemist D.I. Mendeleev established the most correct ratio of water and alcohol for the production of vodka, amounting to 40% of the mass of alcohol in the total mass of the drink.
Alcohol containing 40% ethyl alcohol is the safest for the human body. A mixture of alcohol and water in this ratio does not injure the gastric mucosa and is not toxic. Although, of course, a lot depends on the amount of alcohol taken.
Degrees or percentages
After the appearance of D.I. Mendeleev’s treatise, the designation of vodka strength began to mean the weight fraction of a substance (alcohol) in an aqueous solution of the drink. The degree of strength was indicated by a “degree” - a circle at the top to the right of the numerical value.
Today, following the internationally accepted methods of indicating strength, many manufacturers use “% vol.”, indicating the volume fraction of alcohol in alcohol. Previously, “%” was used for the designation, which was not entirely correct, since it was unclear whether volume or weight fractions were meant.
The additional prefix “about” (“Vol” on imported alcohol), which appeared not very long ago, indicates that the ratios are indicated in volumes.
What other kind of fortress is there?
American varieties of vodka are widely known throughout the world. Brands “Smirnoff”, “Black Eagle”, “44° North Latitude” and others have a strength, as a rule, not lower than 50°, and the taste of these drinks is distinguished by depth and excellent quality.
A few more examples of famous brands of vodka of different strengths:
- Vodka 45% vol. Domestic elite varieties of vodka “Sibirskaya”, export “Stolichnaya” and “Kizlyarskaya aged”. These brands are distinguished by the use of especially soft natural water.
- Vodka 50% vol. This category includes the Swedish Absolut vodka, the Ukrainian Nemirov Strong, and the Finnish Finlandia. Vodka of these brands, despite the increased strength, does not cause any unpleasant sensations.
How to measure the degree in vodka?
It is most convenient to determine the strength using alcohol meter, measuring the amount of ethyl alcohol in a solution. It will show the most accurate result when determining the strength of vodka, since foreign components present in wine, cognac or liqueur will affect the accuracy of the measurement (density reading).
The degree can also be determined by calculating the density. To do this, you need electronic scales, which are usually used to measure food in the kitchen. To determine the strength, you need to do the following procedures:
- Measure the weight of an empty container, for example a 500 ml bottle.
- Pour exactly 500 ml of vodka into it and weigh it again.
- Having determined the mass to volume ratio, determine the density in g/ml.
- Determine the density and composition of the water-alcohol mixture from a reference book or from the table below (the density will correspond to the alcohol content by volume).
Density table for aqueous solutions of ethyl alcohol at +15⁰С
There is also a way to determine the strength of vodka depending on the freezing temperature. The method is not very reliable, since the relationship is nonlinear, and the freezing temperature is not easy to accurately determine. Using reference tables for the alcohol content in a solution depending on the freezing point, you can approximately determine the strength of vodka.
By the way, many people ask how much a liter of vodka weighs in kilograms? So, the weight of one liter of vodka at a temperature of +20ºС is 0.953 kg(953 g).
https://kaksamogon.ru/vodka/skolko-gradusov.html
Vodka is one of the most popular alcoholic drinks, but to this day there is a huge amount of controversy about what the “correct” strength of vodka should be in order to ensure the most acceptable taste and minimize the harmful effects of the drink on the body. But no matter how many degrees it is, it still has a destructive effect on the body.
In the article:
Vodka strength
Speaking in the dry definitions of GOST, vodka is an alcoholic drink made from rectified alcohol and prepared water as the main components and several additional ingredients that determine taste. The strength depends on a certain ratio of the main components of the drink. Considering that rectified alcohol cannot be stronger than 96 degrees, the strength of the vodka obtained from it is necessarily lower than this value, and its quantitative expression depends on the percentage of water and other components in the resulting drink, ready for consumption. A prerequisite for preparing vodka is treating the resulting water-alcohol solution with special adsorbents that reduce the amount of harmful impurities.
According to GOST R 51355-99, the strength of vodka can be 40-45, 50 and 56% with or without the addition of flavoring additives.
GOST R 51355-99
Domestic and foreign producers have several designations for the strength of vodka, expressed in different units:
- Degrees, where the number of parts by weight of alcohol in the finished drink is taken as a basis.
- Percentage, when to determine the strength, the volumetric content of the ingredients is selected and the clarification “volume” is necessarily introduced. (the same “revolutions”), showing that it is the volumetric parts of alcohol and water that are taken into account.
The domestic designation of the strength of alcoholic beverages in degrees is recognized as the most accurate, taking into account the specific gravity of not only alcohol and water, but also all components of the finished drink. Taking into account that the specific gravity of 1 liter of finished vodka, 40% strength, is 953 grams, by simple calculations it can be established that such a drink contains 572 g of water and 381 g of grain ethyl alcohol.
If the strength is determined in volumetric units, then the same amount of vodka will contain only 318 g of alcohol and already 635 g of water, i.e. the real strength of such vodka will be, taking into account the contracting of alcohol, only 35°. The strength of a real drink may be even lower, since the degree of purification of alcohols is not taken into account when determining the volumetric part.
Why is vodka 40 degrees
There are many opinions, based on reliable facts and multiple legends, why vodka should have a strength of 40 degrees.
One should not believe the widespread belief that such a composition was invented by the great Russian scientist D.I. Mendeleev. Long before his birth, the strength of alcoholic drinks in Rus' was checked using simple annealing, when the alcohol contained in the solution was simply burned out of the total volume of the liquid. If exactly half of the original volume of the test drink remained, then it was called polugar and had a strength of approximately 38 degrees. Subsequently, the bureaucracy rounded this figure to 40° to simplify tax calculations.
Many “connoisseurs” of strong alcohol claim that the most pleasant taste sensations arise when drinking drinks with a strength of 45 degrees and that is why so many varieties of tequila, whiskey or cognac have such a strength. But it is worth noting that these are, in principle, different drinks, made not by mixing rectified alcohol and water, but by distilling the mash in a still, similar to the well-known moonshine. The taste and aroma of drinks of this kind depends on the type of raw materials, the degree of purification and the presence of flavoring additives.
D.I. Mendeleev, in his dissertation on the properties of water-alcohol solutions, found that when mixing alcohol and water in various proportions, a chemical reaction occurs in which the final volume of the resulting liquid will be less than the initial volume of the mixed ingredients. The scientist found that when mixing 1000 g of water and 850 g of alcohol, the same 40-proof vodka is obtained with a minimal decrease in the final volume of the resulting liquid.
This ratio of alcohol and water in vodka was adopted due to the least burning effect on the mucous membranes of the digestive tract and the acceptable effect of the aqueous-alcohol solution on the human cardiovascular and nervous system.
Is it only 40 degrees?
The fact that there are many varieties of alcohol distillates with a strength above 40 o does not raise the slightest doubt in anyone, but is there vodka with strength indicators different from this “magic” figure.
It was already mentioned a little earlier that vodka can be called alcoholic drinks with a strength of 40-45, 50 and 56 degrees, which is confirmed by the presence of a certain assortment of vodkas with strength levels other than 40 degrees.
Strength 45°
Some of the elite varieties produced by domestic enterprises have a strength of 45 degrees. Most of the vodkas are branded “Sibirskaya”, some, especially the export versions of “Stolichnaya”, “Kizlyarskaya aged” and many other products of distilleries. 45 proof premium vodkas are made from luxury alcohols and contain additional softening or flavoring additives.
Vodka "Sibirskaya"
Particular attention in the process of their manufacture is paid to additional preparation of water obtained from special sources (read about). And if in the production of imported alcoholic drinks, in most cases, boiled or practically distilled water is used, then Russian vodkas are characterized by the use of especially soft natural water, which has a unique taste.
Strength 50°
Vodka Absolut
After the monopoly on the production of alcoholic beverages was lifted, private producers began to produce separate varieties of fifty-proof vodka made from high-quality alcohol and specially prepared soft water. Often, when producing vodka with a strength of 50 degrees, special flavoring additives were used to reduce the negative impact of high alcohol content on organoleptic characteristics.
Their foreign colleagues did not lag behind domestic manufacturers. Ukrainian vodka “Nemirov strong”, Swedish “Absolut” and “Finlandia” from the country of Suomi occupy a worthy place on festive tables. Despite the increased strength, drinking these drinks in small quantities does not cause any discomfort.
Strength 60° and 70°
Koskenkorva Vodka 60%
If you follow the standards exactly, then by definition there is no vodka stronger than 56 degrees. There are similar drinks - gin, whiskey, liqueurs, rum, but the technology for their production is more similar to the production of well-known moonshine, the strength of which after double or triple distillation can also reach 70 degrees.
Rasputin Vodka 70%
Absinthe is also a record holder among strong alcoholic drinks in the world, where the share of alcohol sometimes accounts for 75-85%. In its pure form, it is consumed by rare gourmets; most often, various cocktails are made based on absinthe.
The strongest vodka in the world
Since ancient times, Scotland has been considered the birthplace of the strongest alcoholic drinks. Nowhere else can you find beer with a strength of 41 degrees (more about) and the strongest strong whiskey, which is almost pure, about 92%, alcohol, aged in special oak barrels.
Pincer Shanghai Strength 88.8
Scottish Pincer Shanghai Strength, made from grain alcohol that has undergone multi-stage purification and flavored with thistle extract, has a strength of 88.8 o. The number 88.8 is no coincidence. The product is intended mainly for the Chinese market, and the number 8 is considered lucky in China. Despite its strength, the drink has a unique soft taste and is pleasant to drink thanks to a precisely selected recipe.
The softest vodka
Of all the variety of manufacturers and products, it is very difficult to select the softest one. Sometimes the products of famous brands are worse than the unknown product of a small distillery.
Softness is determined mainly by the quality and degree of purification of the alcohol. The quality of the activated carbon in the purification column plays a special role. The higher quality and “younger” the coal, the softer the taste passing through it during the production process.
How many degrees according to standard
Industrially produced vodka can have a strength according to domestic GOST from 40 to 56 degrees, and according to foreign requirements - no less than 37.5 degrees. Everything else, even if it refers to alcoholic beverages, has no right to be called vodka.
The optimal ratio of alcohol and water is considered to be 1 to 1.176 mass units. At approximately this ratio, the density of the finished solution is about 950 kg/m3. And although the density is not indicated on the label, this indicator directly affects the speed of intoxication and the magnitude of the subsequent hangover.
Regardless of how many degrees there are in the drink you drink, you must always remember that any alcohol in large quantities will cause irreparable harm to your health and vodka, even the highest quality, is no exception to this rule.