Russian Vodka
March 31, 2004 7:02 PM   Subscribe

And Here's A Bottle Of Vodka For The Translator: The English may be hilariously garbled but its flavour is definitely strong and the author, V.V. Pokhlebkin, is vodka's leading historian, although he's quite severe and nationalistic: no vodka without (certain) food(s); no cocktails; no foreign muck. If you can't find his book, this is the next best thing. ( Additional advice for businessmen here.)
posted by MiguelCardoso (4 comments total)
 
With proper vodka snack a person always remains the mister of position, can always completely control himself and receive only stimulating aesthetic effect from vodka drinking, instead of rough intoxication.

This is priceless. Bring me a drink with knocking-down qualities! My hovercraft is full of eels! Go to send for!
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 7:38 PM on March 31, 2004


And what is a proper vodka snack, you ask? Conveniently, they tell us this, too:

As an ideal snack to vodka it is necessary to name boiled potato with pickled (with a crunch) cucumbers.

During many centuries in Russia there was an ideal set of the refined snack, of the first and second dishes harmoniously combined with vodka. Let me name only some from them:

an ear . . . rasstegay with sterlet . . . a pig with buckwheat cereal . . . russian meat-jelly . . . pancakes.


Perhaps I will suggest these excellent choices at the DC MeFi meet-up tonight!
posted by onlyconnect at 11:06 PM on March 31, 2004


I see Publishers Weekly strays from their usual bland recommendation here: "'This text was never intended for publication,' Pokhlebkin solemnly warns us in his foreword. It is pretty much downhill from there..." Best to stick with the website, I think.

*ponders whether to ask wife to make rasstegay with sterlet or a pig with buckwheat cereal... or perhaps just an ear?*
posted by languagehat at 11:58 AM on April 1, 2004


A good zakuski spread can be really good, actually. Ice-cold vodka with lots of pickled vegetables and smoked fish ... mmmm.

mister of position ... instead of rough intoxication

Yeah, right. Last time I was a guest in someone's home in St. Petersburg the generosity was unparalleled -- I had a wonderful meal, a wonderful time, but the host got completely shitfaced. We toasted every few minutes, but I quickly learned to pretend to take a sip, or just drink a tiny drop, instead of draining the glass. Viktor would immediately refill his glass ... and actually put a drop back in mine. After dinner he insisted on walking us to the subway, but couldn't actually walk. I thought his wife was going to kill him.
posted by chuq at 1:38 PM on April 1, 2004


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