It can be traced back to Polish nobility, who consumed the drink as part of family traditions during the 1400s. Russian Ukrainian, Your email address will not be published. Polish people are not immune to hangovers, but they have their trusted cures for it nonetheless. When, after the outbreak of WWI, there was the widespread rushing of the samogon. Polish variety of cheers is "Na Zdrowie," which means - drink (to) someone's health, to drink a toast to someone, wishing him good health. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. We drink vodka in kieliszki - short glasses. Poles drank an average of 5 litres of vodka a year in 2016, according to Association of Employers of Polish Spirits Industry. This article is also available in: Whether you are traveling to Poland for Christmas or spending the season with your Polish friends or family, there are certain facts you might wish to know about the Polish Christmas traditions. The oberek originated in the villages of Mazowsze in central Poland; it is danced by couples to instrumental music in triple meter. Generally speaking, through our troublesome history, our enemies often used alcohol as a way of fightinig. At the end of the Middle Ages, the custom of drinking vodka as a jumping beverage emerged in Eastern Europe. Since the end of the 18th century, with the formation of cafes and pastry shops, there has been an evolution in gastronomy. The Lublin region dominates, especially when it comes to the production of hops, which supplies almost 90% of this raw material. Unfortunately, it was a product that did not gain the sympathy of the upper classes, because it was considered a drink of the poor. You can find them at various types of food fairs, regional festivals, and small, atmospheric gastronomic establishments that contrast them with popular foreign drinks. The Reception. cheers)! Mid Pitny (Mead) Literally translated as a "drinking honey", this Polish alcoholic drink is made of the fermented honey and water. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. The most considerable demands on beer styles are placed on people between the ages of 26-29. While your party vodka has an average of 80-90 proof, bimber comes with proofs as high as 180. On the contrary, in the 1990s, the average Pole consumed about 30 liters. More than half a thousand years ago, mulled wine was considered a great product that warms up and is an excellent means of prevention against demons and evil spirits. During the party there are many toast for the newlyweds and everybody have to take shots of vodka. Home alcohol production is also connected with the beginnings of the free market in Poland in the 1990s. Only then were many toasts supplemented with alcohol made available. Pczki are Polish-style doughnuts normally filled with rose or raspberry jam. In the following years, this percentage decreased but never disappeared. The culture of Poland is influenced by the position of the country at the confluence of various regions of Europe with their distinct cultures. What is Polish vodka made from? To help every new polish resident with that vital aspect of social life, we prepared a little handbook about tradition and history of drinking alcohol in Poland. Cydr (Cider) Poland is the largest apple producer in the EU. Also known as Bison Grass Vodka, it contains a bison grass blade in every bottle. From celebrating a name's day to bride-carrying, there are some quirky Polish traditionsthat might surprise you. The beer revolution is taking place before our very eyes. Later on, beer is already a regular feature on the pages of our history, because it was one of the major branches of the industry at that time and generated colossal income. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. But to satisfy your taste buds to the fullest, you should ideally pair your foods with some beverages. This is a driving force for the Polish economy, as the vast majority of hops and brewing varieties of cereals come from domestic crops. The most beloved Polish koledy include "Gdy sie Chrystus rodzi "(When . On the other hand, Poles themselves began to look for new species and flavours, significantly enriching the drinking culture. Whether youre addicted to tea or something pretty potent, here is a list of the best traditional Polish drinks that you should try while visiting Poland. Polish food, drink and culinary tradition. In 1981 alone, the Police recorded 1435 cases of illegal distillation, and a year later, there were 10 times more of them. And some mostly the ones living in big cities only drink vodka when they really have to meaning when their families require that. What can we say? On this day, all over Poland, people eat their favourite sweet and sugary snacks. The most potent is Poltorak, characterized by a long maturation process somewhere 5-10 years. Wdka ( also: czysta, gorzaka ) When you buy 0.5 l you can call it powka, if 0.7 - simply zero siedem but if you get a tiny 100 ml bottle it's called mapeczka (little monkey). With time, they started to introduce pop drinks into their menus. With over a thousand years of history, this slightly forgotten drink of fermented honey and water makes a pleasantly surprising comeback. See our Polish Traditions Drinking Glasses and tip in style. This changed only at the end of the 18th century. Nalewka, Polish liqueur made with spices, herbs and fruits usually contains 40-45% of alcohol but according to many Polish people, nalewka tastes much better than vodka. The act of drinking alcohol itself has different functions in every social layer and is an essential economic and political factor where it can be used as a tool. Although the Polish champagne market is still quite small, it is overgrowing. We love our lavish weddings, weekend barbecues, birthday AND name day celebrations, and, lest we forget, all those family gatherings. These drinks could be treated as medicinal drinks because they were made in a different way than today and resembled more the production of moonshine, whisky or grappa. The contrast between sweetness and salt is a fantastic experience. For almost the entire period of socialism in Poland, vodka despite its low quality was the most popular alcohol. . Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The day after a heavy night of drinking can be a torture to both your mind and body. Beer lovers dont have to be jealous since producers created a hopped mead with a characteristic bitterness and exciting aroma. When we hear about beer, the first thing that comes to mind is the Czech Republic and Germany. z o.o. Now we are going to present some data of the alcohol consumption in Poland: The average consumption of alcohol in general (beer, wine, spirits and others) in Poland is: 19.8 litres per year for men. Taken in reasonable amounts, they can strengthen and refreshment and also allow you to enjoy the delicious taste. Be careful with transferring your own countrys habits! Of course the easiest way of preventing this nasty feeling is not going overboard with drinking in Poland. Its production was monopolized by the state, and it was used by everyone and practically everywhere. You can drink all you want, and theres no hangover. With 3 million tonnes of apples grown every year, Poland produces as many apples as Spain produces grapes. Lets take a look! Mulled wine is a drink with a long and rich tradition. A massive amount of spirit was brought to Poland free of duty and taxes. In the area of table wines, year on year, preferences are systematically shifting from sweet to semi-dry and dry wines. It is made from a rye base and bison grass picked at the height of summer. , Id like to thank you for the efforts you have put in writing this blog. From the historical point of view, in former Poland wine was difficult to reach and expensive, and only the elites drank it. often with a touch of comedy added, along with the singing of carols. What Are The Most Popular Polish Christmas Carols? Who knows! Coming to Poland not to party but to work? Lack of consent to the processing of data prevents us from sending you our newsletter. Our projects & services:Agencja employer brandingSystem rekrutacyjny ATSOferty pracy w finansach. Poles drink wine mainly at home with friends and family. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. During the socialist period, when the states spirits monopoly was restored, alcohol sales already accounted for 15% of state budget revenues. The Lublin region dominates, especially when it comes to the production of hops, which supplies almost 90% of this raw material. Cafes were public places where both rich and poor people had access. Poland still has a lot of Polish-owned distilleries producing this type of alcohol, but actually the most popular brands known worldwide are now owned by big international companies. Why? In turn, when choosing alcohol for snacks, it is worth to follow several rules. Invariably, for years, the end of the year has been a time of harvest on the sparkling wine market. If you operate a vehicle in Poland, you cannot have more than 0.02% of alcohol in your blood. While we associate whiskey with a Scottish gentleman in a checkered flat cap, cognac with an elegant French mustache, vodka is best suited to a noble kontusz. 5.8 litres per year for women. These days, the generation of our parents or grandparents would still prefer to make a toast with vodka, whether its their name day (the most communist holiday you can get! document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Polski Daily is a platform for students of Polish Language. I mean, here in Poland we do drink relatively a lot of strong alcohol. Bryndza. But before you give it a go, it would be wise to contact your physician. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. In 1782, the Baczewski family opened the first industrial distillery in the world in Lviv. We also practice that on our Krakow Food Tour. This potent alcohol is moving around the tables, usually on significant events such as weddings or baptisms. Potato vodka has a more neutral flavour profile than rye or wheat vodka. Feel free however to spend a night out in a cosy pub or a loud club - there are so many to choose from! Many Poles love a strong bowl of Barszcz czerwony on a cold winter day, served up with a dollop of smietana (sour cream) on top and with their favourite bread on the side. If you want to say I drink to your health, say: " Pije za Twoje Zdrowie." It was only in 1405 that the word vodka was used for the first time in court documents. Whether it is drinking pickled cucumber juice, tomato juice or kefir (a kind of heavy yoghurt), there is no guarantee this will help your expat body. Poles also cultivate a rather silly, but still popular tradition of killing their hangover with a shot of vodka the day after. Nevertheless, Poland has seen a steady increase in alcohol consumption over the years, while the general trend is in reverse. Copyright 2022 POT The Privacy & Cookies Policy. Your email address will not be published. At Polish wedding party this kind of alcohol you can find on each table. For centuries, Poland and Russia have been competing over which of these countries is the home of vodka. The salt will be sprinkled on the bread for the bride and groom to eat. Beer has always been brewed on Polish soil. He writes mainly about travel, with special focus on Poland. Interestingly, alcohol was used as a medicine until the 20th century. And the most important one when the whole society is drunk or hungover, theyre not going to organise an uprising nor fight back. Most unique traditions in Poland. Welcoming with Bread and Salt is also tradition for greeting important guests in Poland. Breathtaking Polish vineyards, award-winning organic farms, spectacular fine-dining countryside restaurants, breweries, distilleries and unspoiled nature all that awaits you in Poland. Vodka, regarded as a traditional drink in Poland, remained one of the most popular alcoholic drinks in Poland, accounting for 30.7% of sales in 2014 - but it is struggling to maintain this market share. For example, a chokeberry tincture with honey, full of vitamins and microelements, is recommended. A neutral taste is more desirable when making cocktails. What can party animals enjoy in Poland and which cities are the best for a night out after a long working day. On the first day of spring, Polish celebrate the departure (or demise) of winter by the 'Drowning (and sometimes burning) of Marzanna'. Definitely, less frequently, they buy dessert wines and vermouths as well as sparkling wines and champagnes. 6 par. Your email address will not be published. In fact, to traditionalists, these practices are considered practically criminal. Vodka is by far the most popular drink associated with Slavic countries in general. After the church ceremony concludes, the wedding couple makes their way to their venue for the party where they are welcomed by their parents with bread and salt. It has calories, will help them survive. In fact, your creative writing abilities has motivated me to get my own site now , Your email address will not be published. According to the oldest chronicles, the first inns operated in Poland since the 11th century. The same research has shown that beer is the most popular drink among Poles, consumed by over half of the surveyed group. If you would like to taste something different with a rich flavor, then you should try out linden mead. Pierogi are traditionally eaten on Christmas Eve | Panther Media GmbH / Alamy Stock Photo French champagnes and champagnes of Polish origin benefit from it. Still one year after the war, the number of illegal distilleries reached 20,000. Moreover, all raw materials must come from the territory of Poland. The thing is it is not! I consent to using my computer / laptop / tablet / mobile phone and any other telecommunication equipment for the purpose of receiving Polish Tourist Organisation newsletters. Traditional Polish weddings, especially in rural areas, are occasions where the culture of zakski still reigns supreme. Mead is one of traditional Polish alcohols. Westend61/Getty Images. In the past Polish people used to drink a rather unusual beverage mead. Then in 1534, Stefan Falimierz in his herbarium About herbs and about their power mentioned 72 species of herbal vodkas, which in his book are recommended for various ailments. The minimal number of people who knew how to write at that time meant that only the most important, essential information was written down. In 2018 Poles broke a record for beer consumption, 100.5 liters per person. And a totally new trend thats getting super popular now is to drink alcohol free drinks! Bread and Salt Tradition. Bride and Groom and Their First Dance The party officially starts when the couple comes back from the church and steps to the podium to take their first dance. Potato is seen as the most traditional and historically accurate ingredient for creating vodka. Oberek, also known as obertas (common in the 19th century), is the most vivacious and acrobatic of the so-called five national dances (with polonaise, mazur, kujawiak, krakowiak). 39 per cent drink vodka, lets be honest, the national drink, and only 7.6 per cent choose wine. Factors influencing the change in the perception of alcohol include financial situation, state of the state economy, state policy, social background of consumers, place of consumption, way of drinking and gender. This potent alcohol is moving around the tables, usually on significant events such as weddings or baptisms. In fact it is forbidden by law and you can get a ticket for it. Last but not least, ubrwka is the best known Polish booze in the world: you can probably buy it wherever you live since it's available in 80 different countries. Majors of the present and the future. Oberek. They dont eat enough, they loose weight, theyre cold all the time. In fact, Polish mead, a honey wine was a traditional drink dating back also to the Middle Ages. a) of the General Data Protection Regulation from April 27th, 2016, I agree to the processing by the Polish Tourism Organization based in Warsaw, ul. Poles reach for table wines. Another popular alcoholic drink is the Polish mead which is a honey wine produced in the country since the Middle Ages. Its alcohol content ranges from 15 to 18% vol. 7. What alcoholic beverages do they drink and which ones are they famous for? Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. and it is fermented from mead wort. In Polish it is known as miod pitny, what means 'drinkable honey'. (844) 988-0030 20 Best Traditional Polish Foods You Should Try 1. Lets start strong. ubrwka is a Polish vodka flavored with bison grass (Hierochloe odorata), and each bottle contains a blade of bison grass. The Old Polish tradition claims that medium-dry and semi-sweet fruit liqueurs nalewka should be served with meat dishes, while sweet nalewka is a . These cookies do not store any personal information. In their opinion, we are in the region of booze and beer. We can even talk about a specific fashion for enjoying new wines, learning about other customs and tasting specialities from countries with a high culture of wine. For those who prefer to enjoy a sweet, fruity taste, the one made from strawberries may be the right choice. Emblems and Symnols of Poland; National and Folk Dances of Poland; Polish Culinary History and Traditions; . 20 Polish slang words you wont find in coursebooks. Hops and barley are produced in several regions of Poland. You probably have heard of some stereotypes of Poles as heavy drinkers, but as a matter of fact we are not the heaviest of them in Europe! The production of alcohol was monopolized by the state and used by everyone and practically everywhere. All rights reserved. A peasant could buy a certain amount of alcohol only in an inn belonging to his master. Other areas are mainly Wielkopolska, Kujawy, Pomerania and Lower Silesia. Do Polish people party a lot? Sadly, at the beginning of the 1990s in Warsaw alone, as many as 55 carbonated water factories went bankrupt. From the end of the Middle Ages, propination coercion became obligatory. This bread and salt welcome has a symbolic purpose. We didnt have fancy colourful cocktails or western brands of beer. If youre planning on sipping vodka, look for these brands: Pan Tadeusz, Belvedere, Zoladkowa Gorzka, or Zubrowka. Both areas are well-connected with the rest of Europe and largely enjoyed by visitors. We wish to invite you to share your opinions about Poland. Those who do not like the spicy and herbal flavor can enjoy mead with the addition of fruit juices. Once you hunt down your favorite polish beer, sit down comfortably in your armchair, relax and sip it slowly while nibbling on your snacks. Beer-drinking pub culture is more or less the same all over the world, but do not forget that Polish people usually take vodka in shots, not in drinks, accompanied by a chaser in the form of some juice or soda. According to the World Health Organisation, Poles are still far behind their neighbours, Lithuanians and Czechs, in terms of alcohol consumption. No matter which one you go for, Poland is still the third largest beer producer in Europe, according to the Polish Ministry of Agriculture. A few reasons why it is worth studying in Poland, which you would not expect, Brian Panasiuk, an American-Polish student of philosophy Study in Poland, Internship the first step on a career ladder. Each country has its own traditions and drinking culture, deeply rooted in their identity and history. They are an inseparable element of our tradition and culture, and their recipes are passed on like other grandmas recipes. One of the most important holidays is that of Easter. Chaubiskiego 8, my personal data contained in the newsletter subscription form in order to receive travel information newsletter. In Polish tradition, the bread and salt at the reception are ritual food. Not only classical bitter hops are produced and delivered to breweries, but also hops, which give the beer a specific aroma. There are many variations of meads besides those based on honey only. I encourage you to try out this hidden treasure of Poland. Statistically, a Polish consumer drinks some 92 litres of beer a year, which places it a third behind Germany. And yet our candlesticks have great drinks, which win awards at international competitions, and several brands on the market certainly deserve attention. The weakest is czworniak, with a relatively short maturation process (a couple of months to one 1year) with less than 11 % alcohol by volume. 8. * I have familiarized myself with the information regarding the personal data processing. Pierogi is already plural in Polish (pierg is singular), but in the US people love to call it pierogis which makes no sense. Definitely not. Barszcz czerwony. Alcohol helps them feel warm. ), the birth of their grandchild or Christmas Eve. While your party vodka has an average of 80-90 proof, bimber comes with proofs as high as 180. The beverage with the most consumption in Poland is beer, with an average of: 17.3 litres per year for men. It was during his time that in the books of many Polish magnates we find orders confirming that champagne was present in Poland from the very beginning of its existence. A perfect glass of vodka should be ideally chilled, clear as a mountain stream, and drunk with passion. If the glasses are broken, it means they will leave together long and happy. The fist mention of bryndza in Poland dates back to 1527. Its alcoholic extracts of fruits, roots, flowers, or herbs (or mixtures of ingredients), typically 40-45 percent alcohol content. They are symbols of hospitality and conjugal harmony. An old-school way of serving vodka is with no beverage to follow, but a pickle to snack on instead a real blast from the past! Also, older generations of Poles tend to celebrate with vodka. Required fields are marked *. Hence the vast career of herring and pickled cucumber in the culture of drinking vodka. Like, for example, on their wedding. The crisis of the early 1980s, alcohol rationing and martial law resulted in a moonshine rally. Soon the last Polish king Stanislaw August Poniatowski was to sit on the throne. For example, during the II World War, when there wasnt enough food for people, the nazis would always keep the stores well suplied with vodka bottles. Do not try this at home. Considering the wide selection and properties of these traditional Polish drinks, it is worth trying several types of them. Our domestic fruit growers suddenly stayed with tons of unsold fruit, the primary recipient of which was Russia. If you are looking for something traditional yet surprising, mead is the alcohol to go. For a short period of martial law, Poles returned to the tradition of tiny factories, which were established wherever they could: on balconies, in forests, barns, etc. The beginning of alcohol abuse in Poland came in the 16th century, with the appearance of vodka. During the winter season, numerous mountain resorts, ski slopes, restaurants, and bars offer delicious mulled wine that is loved by tourists and locals alike. Rosolis and Nalewka Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. Champagne is a unique sparkling wine. However, the popularity of ros wines is growing the fastest. As for the texture, depending on how it is prepared, it can be either quite crumbly or soft and spreadable. WE'RE LOCALS We're Polish and live in Warsaw, Krakow and Gdansk Poland is a country full of unique traditions and customs, especially those rooted in the Catholic faith.
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