Popular Alcoholic Beverages in Russia with Special Reference to Quality and Toxicity
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Avens Publishing Group Inviting Innovations Open Access Review Article J Addiction Prevention November 2017 Vol.:5, Issue:2 © All rights are reserved by Jargin. Journal of Popular Alcoholic Beverages in Addiction & Russia with Special Reference Prevention Sergei V. Jargin* to Quality and Toxicity Department of Pathology, People’s Friendship University of Russia, Russian Federation, University of Russia, Russia *Address for Correspondence Keywords: Alcohol drinking; Alcohol toxicity; Alcohol policies; Wine; Sergei V. Jargin, Department of Pathology, People’s Friendship University Russia of Russia, Russian Federation, University of Russia, Clementovski per 6-82, 115184 Moscow, Russia, Tel: +7 495 9516788; E-mail: [email protected] Abstract Alcohol consumption in Russia is usually associated with vodka. Submission: 21 October, 2017 Accepted: 15 November, 2017 During the anti-alcohol campaign (1985-1989), many factories Published: 24 November, 2017 producing vodka from grain or potatoes were dismantled. During the © 2017 Jargin SV. This is an open access article distributed 1990s, technical alcohol (synthetic or cellulosic), finding no demand Copyright: under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits from the stagnating industry, was used for production of vodka, wine unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided imitations, beer and other beverages. Synthetic alcohol imported the original work is properly cited. from other countries was used for the same purposes. Apart from vodka, wines fortified by addition of distilled alcohol were abundantly consumed in the former Soviet Union. Especially in the period between beginning of the AAC, when vodka price doubled, but inexpensive the two anti-alcohol campaigns (1972-1985), the part taken by wines were still available for some time, even though their quality fortified wines was considerable. Some cheapest fortified wines were worsened and there were long queues at retail outlets. The increase poor quality, causing deeper intoxications than vodka. However, Prices in rubles of alcoholic beverages in the former SU during the many inexpensive wines made from grapes or fruit by fermentation Table 1: 1970s (own data). with addition of distilled alcohol were acceptable quality. Technically correct production turned out to be expensive after the transition to Price Alcohol per 100 the market economy. Many popular wines disappeared around 1990; Typical Bottle Volume Category concentration by ml of some of their names have further been used for low quality products. examples price (liters) volume (%) pure However, an improvement tendency of sold beverages has been alcohol noticed approximately since the last decade. Portwein 72, Bile Mitsne, Cheapest FW <1.80 0.8 ~18 <1.25 cheapest Introduction vermouth Inexpensive The aim of this review was to draw attention to certain aspects FW, Portwein Kavkaz 2.13 0.75 18 1.58 of alcohol consumption in Russia: consequences of the anti-alcohol acceptable campaign (AAC) (1985-1989), toxicity of some legally sold alcoholic quality Acceptable to beverages, offences against alcohol-dependent people. Governmental Portwein Iveria 2.3 0.75 18 1.7 good quality alcohol policies, consumption dynamics and significance of alcohol Quality FW Crimean 3.2 0.75 ~18 2.37 for the public health have been overviewed previously [1,2]. (marochnoe) Portwein Furthermore, this review tries to analyze the question, why the Cheapest Vodka 3.5 0.5 40 1.75 massive consumption of fortified wines (FW) in the former Soviet vodka Cheapest Union (SU) is not readily perceptible from the literature and mass Three stars 8 0.5 40 4 media. Apparently, there are two reasons. First, some cheapest FW cognac Cheap beer Zhigulevskoe 0.25 0.5 ~3.5 ~1.43 were more toxic than vodka. It is obviously easier to add poor-quality alcohol to red or brownish fluids with different tastes and flavors, Notes: Ruble was not convertible during the 1970s. The bottle deposit price 0.12 rubles is to be added to the prices from the Table 1. The prices are given for than to the rather standard product such as vodka. Second, FW Moscow; outside the Capital, somewhat cheaper FW could be found. During the were, in general, natural products: they were made from grapes or 1980s prior to the AAC, the price of a 0.5 liter vodka bottle increased gradually fruit by fermentation with addition of distilled alcohol. Many FW from 3.5 to 6 rubles. Before 1970, a 0.5 liter bottle of the cheapest cognac cost were acceptable quality. Obviously, their production in a technically 4 rubles. correct manner turned out to be expensive after the transition to the Table 2: Wine production in the former SU per annum (m dal) [3,4,7,8]. market economy. The prime cost of FW, manufactured from grapes Types of wine/years 1966 1970 1975 1984 or fruit, was higher than that of vodka, but many of them were sold at Grape 119 250 277 367 lower prices per unit of pure alcohol (Table 1). Fruit-and-berry 25.8 38.7 114 108 Dynamics of wine consumption Champagne-type 4.5 6.9 10.4 19.9 Notes: Fruit-and-berry wines were mostly fortified. Many inexpensive wines of FW with alcohol concentration 16-19 % by volume were Port, Vermouth and undeterminable types were statistically counted as grape massively produced and sold in the former SU (Table 2) till the wines [4,5]. Citation: Jargin SV. Popular Alcoholic Beverages in Russia with Special Reference to Quality and Toxicity. J Addiction Prevention. 2017;5(2): 6. Citation: Jargin SV. Popular Alcoholic Beverages in Russia with Special Reference to Quality and Toxicity. J Addiction Prevention. 2017;5(2): 6. ISSN: 2330-2178 in wine production prior to the AAC occurred in accordance with wines with added alcohol made from grapes (or from fruit in case the policy aimed at partial replacement of vodka by wine and beer; of fruit wine) were named liqueur wines, while those fortified with especially, quality (marochnoe) wine was promoted. The quality was grain or potato alcohol, which has been usual practice in Russia, were supervised by authorities [3,4]. However, substandard wines were classified as “vinnyi napitok - wine beverage”. In regard to the latter also sold at that time and there was a deterioration tendency. Some term the law has been changed again in 2015: wines fortified with cheapest wines e.g. notorious Solntsedar, produced supposedly from grain alcohol were renamed as “special liqueur wines” [10]. In the Algerian materials [5], as well as some Algerian (according to labels) author’s opinion, this is a misnomer because liqueur presupposes red dry wines, were noticed to provoke vomiting. In the late 1970s sweetness, while not all FW are sweet. The term “FW” seems to be these wines disappeared from the Soviet market. In the period 1980- optimal [11]. Properly purified distilled alcohol of grain origin was 1985 prior to the onset of AAC, the quality decline was acknowledged reported to have lower concentrations of non-ethanol substances by the literature; flavoring additives and sugar were used increasingly than that of grape origin [12,13], which might be of importance if to disguise faults [6,7]. However, production continued growing higher doses are regularly consumed. Probably for that reason, (Table 2). domestic FW were often preferred by Russian drinkers. Companies The quality of sparkling wines was noticed to be worsening; “Soviet with female participation often preferred sweet (fortified up to 14- Champagne” often smelled yeast. High-yield low quality sorts of grapes 16 %) or sparkling wines, which were inexpensive and often good were increasingly used for wine production. Hygienic requirements quality. Especially in the period between the two AACs (1972-1985), were often disregarded; there was no regular microbiological control. the part taken by FW was considerable, being comparable with that Some yeast cultures used for the fermentation were not sufficiently of vodka. Wines were not regularly available in remote areas of North pure. Temperature regimes of fermentation were not always adhered and Siberia, but consumers welcomed wine shipments. to. Acidity of many wines was high [8], which was noticed also by Imitations of foreign wines and spirits consumers. In the author’s opinion, quality decrease in the early 1980s was tolerated by authorities planning to replace inexpensive natural Imitation of foreign wines in the former SU has long traditions. wines by sweetish stained-and-flavored imitations. The new products Numerous old labels, for example, of Madeira (spelled Madera)] have often been given popular names e.g. Portwein 72, which from the year 1954 or Pinot Gris from 1962, produced in Crimea, used to be acceptable quality. The notorious Portwein 777 (Figure are shown in the book [14]. During the Soviet time, imitations of 1) appeared in the 1980s being bad-quality from the beginning. many internationally known wines and spirits were manufactured: Portwein 777 is often mentioned by the media as “bormotukha” Port, Jerez (Sherry), Tocai (Tokay), Champaign, Kagor (Cahors), (poor quality FW) apparently with the goal to generally discredit Cognac and some liqueurs such as Chartreuse and Benedictine. Gin popular FW destined to disappear from the market. The number 777 and whiskey were produced as well. Port, Madera and Vermouth is meaningless; but earlier numbered varieties (Portwein 13, 33, 72) were especially popular. Many imitations were natural products had been developed by winemakers and were recognizable. As for the manufactured more or less on the basis of original methods. Some fruit-and-berry wines, after the onset of the AAC their production sorts of Champagne, Port, Madeira, Sherry and Cognac were good was planned to be abandoned [9], which indeed happened according quality; several generations enjoyed them, when importation from to our observations. Today, natural fruit-and-berry FW is produced the West was scarce or inexistent. Thanks to this practice, many in Belorussia.