6 minute read
Stolichnaya Premium Vodka
The distillery was completed in 2009 at a cost of USD $100 million.
STOLICHNAYA® PREMIUM VODKA, FONDLY KNOWN AS STOLI, IS RENOWNED AS ONE OF THE WORLD’S LEADING VODKA BRANDS, USING THE HIGHEST QUALITY INGREDIENTS AND FINEST DISTILLATION AND FILTRATION PROCESSES.
Advertisement
PRODUCED IN STATE-OF-THE-ART facilities in Riga, the spirit is four times distilled and four times filtered from rich grain under the highest quality standards, preserving a centuries-old production method unique to Stolichnaya. The result is a superior taste unlike any other, unparalleled in smoothness and character. It is this marriage of vision, artistry and craft that makes Stolichnaya the world’s most original vodka, enjoyed by the world’s most original people.
As the original state vodka of Russia, Stolichnaya defined the nation’s vodka quality standards in the 20th Century. A true pioneer among premium vodkas, Stoli’s pedigree of innovation has revolutionised spirits and cocktail culture time and time again.
With the very first line of premium flavoured vodkas, Stolichnaya changed the face of vodka forever in 1962 with the release of Pepper, and Honey and Herb being the first commercially produced flavoured vodkas in the world.
Today, Stolichnaya continues to lead the flavour revolution with a level of innovation, quality and craftsmanship in a class all of its own with the launch of Salted Karamel, Chocolat Kokonut and Chocolat Razberi. Hugely popular overseas, these sought after awardwinning, indulgence flavours have just arrived in Australia, in 2015. Stolichnaya Indulgence flavoured vodkas can be enjoyed ice cold neat, simply with soda water or used to create delicious cocktails.
Look at any trends or advances in vodka and you will find Stolichnaya at the centre; Stolichnaya was the first vodka to introduce flavours, the first to develop a premium, a super premium and more recently an ultra luxury vodka with elit by Stolichnaya. Stolichnaya was even the first vodka in space!
Until 2009 the spirit used to make Stolichnaya was made at four distilleries around the town of Tambov, 400 miles south-east of Moscow in the middle of the Black Earth region. The four distilleries were Novolyadinsky (founded 1802), Volkovsky (1878), Khlystovsky (1890) and Sosnovsky (1900).
In 2009, production at these four distilleries was replaced with the new purpose built state-of-the-art Talvis Distillery, just outside Tambov. This facility not only allows the production of better quality grain neutral spirit (GNS), but technological improvements have enabled the production of four times as much alcohol by one-third of the number of people using one-third as much energy.
The expert distillers and other staff who run the new distillery were drawn from the city’s old distilleries, and they set about using their experience and the new ultra-modern distillery to set new
standards in vodka production. Known as Alpha spirit, this is now the highest quality spirit recognised by the Russian authorities. As part of this quest to make a purer spirit the grains used to make Alpha spirit were changed to 100 per cent Russian winter wheat.
Stolichnaya® vodka production involves six stages: 1. Winter and spring wheat is farmed in
Russia’s fertile black soil region. 2. Then, at the ultra-modern Talvis
Distillery in Tambov, the grain is brewed to create a beer which distillers call mash. 3. Afterwards, the mash is distilled and rectified (purified) into a neutral spirit of 96.3 per cent alc./vol. 4. This rectified spirit is sent by tanker train from Tambov to Latvijas Balzams in Latvia where it is blended with specially treated artesian well water. 5. The vodka is then filtered four times - through quartz sand, Russian birch wood charcoal and then through fine cloth. 6. Finally, Stolichnaya vodka is bottled at the Latvijas Balzams in Latvia.
Distillation takes place in five column stills, but Stolichnaya is described as being just “three times distilled” due to one of those columns (the 4th column) being solely used to separate valuable chemicals in the heads and tails for sale, while the last (fifth) column only removes methanol. Hence, the 4th and 5th columns are described as being “additional purification columns”, rather than distillation columns.
The goal is to retain a subtle wheat flavour whilst rejecting volatile ‘heads’ and oily ‘tails’ to produce the highest quality Alpha spirit. This is achieved by taking a “narrow cut” from the heart of the run, discarding more (Stolichnaya claim up to four times more than some other vodkas) of the heads and tails. All spirit that evaporates before 67.2˚C and after 79.0˚C is discarded as heads and tails, producing a base spirit that exceeds standards laid down by the Russian government.
For the first time since the brand’s inception in 1938, Stolichnaya Premium vodka revealed a completely new primary packaging design in 2015. This exciting new form from Stolichnaya highlights contemporary and premium cues whilst remaining true to the brand’s iconic and longstanding heritage.
The new design is an evolution of the original, but with significant upgraded features including a taller and more elegant bottle, an anti-slip embossing on the neck that improves both pouring and control for bartenders, a state of the art capsule with anti-counterfeit and antirefill technology, a revised front and back label, highlighting Stolichnaya’s use of Certified Alpha Grade spirit - the highest quality level a spirit can reach and a new, ‘craft’ label texture, refined medals and a beautiful, bold upgrade of the main STOLICHNAYA logo. ❧
Built in 1900 by order of the Tsar, Latvijas Balsams in the Baltic city of Riga, Latvia is a magnificent cathedral to vodka
STOLICHNAYA PREMIUM VODKA
Appearance: Crystal clear in colour
Aroma: Marshmallow, mineral and mild fruit peel aromas
Flavour: A soft supply entry leads to a smooth, medium bodied palate with pastry frosting, talc and citrus rind flavours. Finished with a clean lightly sweet, sugar dust, wet straw balanced pepper fade
Tasting notes
Appearance: Golden
Aroma: English toffee notes, balanced with a light saltiness that draws out the caramel
Flavour: A creamy-silky textured mouth-feel, with a finish that is rich and warm with lingering caramelized sugar for a taste that is completely delicious Appearance: Crystal clear in colour
Aroma: Delicate, sweet aroma
Flavour: Cream corn and butterscotch, not sweet with a clean crisp finish STOLICHNAYA GINGER BEER
Appearance: Clear gold
Aroma: A refreshing hit of ginger
Flavour: A bold taste, made with natural ginger extract and pure cane sugar. Expertly blended to complement the smooth and robust flavor of vodka, rum, or other spirit
Signature serves
BLOODY MARY
Glass: Highball glass
Ingredients: 60ml Stolichnaya Premium Vodka 120ml Tomato juice 15ml Fresh lemon juice 15ml Freshly grated horseradish Dash Worcestershire sauce Dash Tabasco sauce Salt and pepper to taste
Garnish: Olives, celery branch and lemon
Method: Add all ingredients into an ice filled highball glass and garnish CLOUDED KARAMEL
Glass: Tall Stolichnaya glass
Ingredients: 45ml Stolichnaya Salted Karamel 45ml Apple juice
Garnish: Apple slice
Method: Build over ice AGAINST THE GRAIN MARTINI
Glass: Martini glass
Ingredients: 90ml Stolichnaya Gluten Free Splash of Dry Vermouth
Garnish: Olive
Method: Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a martini glass and garnish with an olive THE PERFECT MOSCOW MULE
Glass: Stoli Copper Cup
Ingredients: 60ml Stolichnaya Premium Vodka 90ml Stoli Ginger Beer
Garnish: Fresh lime wedge
Method: Build ingredients into a copper cup filled with ice. Stir and garnish with a fresh lime wedge
