Polish Vodka?
Posted by: u5227470736789439 on 13 March 2006
Dear Friends,
How would you describe the taste of Polish Vodka?
At 44 I have never tasted Vodka of any origin before, but today I was given a bottle of Pan Tadeusz, which is one of the classics of its type from Poland according to my friend and work collegue who just returnrned from a holiday with his familly. A very nice gift and a very nice drink. I only put an inch into a very small glass, but it tastes like nothing I have tried before, the strongest of which was of course Aquavit.
The point is I have no idea how to describe the taste, but it is smooth, which has surprised me. I expected firewater, to be honest!
All the best from Fredrik
How would you describe the taste of Polish Vodka?
At 44 I have never tasted Vodka of any origin before, but today I was given a bottle of Pan Tadeusz, which is one of the classics of its type from Poland according to my friend and work collegue who just returnrned from a holiday with his familly. A very nice gift and a very nice drink. I only put an inch into a very small glass, but it tastes like nothing I have tried before, the strongest of which was of course Aquavit.
The point is I have no idea how to describe the taste, but it is smooth, which has surprised me. I expected firewater, to be honest!
All the best from Fredrik
Posted on: 12 July 2008 by pe-zulu
quote:Originally posted by GFFJ:
Sorry to smile, but even though I almost killed myself falling down the stairs after half a litre of Wyborowa [one litre shared between me and a mate] in half an hour, I have never had a headache from it!
You would, if your head had hit the ground.
Posted on: 12 July 2008 by pe-zulu
quote:Originally posted by munch:It did, he was asleep so did not noticequote:Originally posted by pe-zulu:quote:Originally posted by GFFJ:
Sorry to smile, but even though I almost killed myself falling down the stairs after half a litre of Wyborowa [one litre shared between me and a mate] in half an hour, I have never had a headache from it!
You would, if your head had hit the ground.
Ooh, so this is what is meant by falling asleep?
Posted on: 12 July 2008 by pe-zulu
quote:Originally posted by pe-zulu:quote:Originally posted by GFFJ:
Sorry to smile, but even though I almost killed myself falling down the stairs after half a litre of Wyborowa [one litre shared between me and a mate] in half an hour, I have never had a headache from it!
You would, if your head had hit the ground.
Better to hit the hay, though, when you fall asleep.
Posted on: 12 July 2008 by u5227470736789439
Dear Poul,
I went up to the bathroom and someone was already in there, so I went to sleep on the top stairs, which turn in a spiral to the right! I rolled over in my sleep and started the fall all the way down! My head smashed a wooden shoe rack at the bottom leaving a nice permanent scar on the right of my forehead, as well as a black eye and several big lumpy bruises on the back of my scull as well!
I went to the barber for a haircut next day, and he asked how I had survived what looked to him a severe assault!
I told the tail and the whole shop erupted in laughter!
No headache either. But blood came from both nostrils!!! Great evening!
I was on a proper Polish Party last night as well! A Leaving Party for one ex-colleague at my old work. Far too much beer and very good company in a town centre bar last nigh. Home about 01:30 hours!
ATB from George
I went up to the bathroom and someone was already in there, so I went to sleep on the top stairs, which turn in a spiral to the right! I rolled over in my sleep and started the fall all the way down! My head smashed a wooden shoe rack at the bottom leaving a nice permanent scar on the right of my forehead, as well as a black eye and several big lumpy bruises on the back of my scull as well!
I went to the barber for a haircut next day, and he asked how I had survived what looked to him a severe assault!
I told the tail and the whole shop erupted in laughter!
No headache either. But blood came from both nostrils!!! Great evening!
I was on a proper Polish Party last night as well! A Leaving Party for one ex-colleague at my old work. Far too much beer and very good company in a town centre bar last nigh. Home about 01:30 hours!
ATB from George
Posted on: 13 July 2008 by u5227470736789439
A proper bouger of a party at home tonight! My posts - once I have drained the last drop from the Polish Vodka bottle [two shots max] and had a good strong cofee - will be characteristically kind and and polite, if trenchant. Look out the weeds who don't care to stretch themselves for civil liberties!
George.
PS: Possibly some sanctionable photos tomorrowow: ever seen a puss smokimg!
George
George.
PS: Possibly some sanctionable photos tomorrowow: ever seen a puss smokimg!
George
Posted on: 30 July 2008 by u5227470736789439
Something musical from Poland:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2SlAeFNMiE&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wonw4HInUhQ&NR=1
Chopin's First Piano Concerto - First Movement - film in two parts from the Chopin Competition in 2005.
Seems like the Polish have a way with this music similar to the way the English play Elgar, or the Norwegians, Greig. Something in the blood, in the mentality, that is indefinable.
ATB from George
PS: The whole performance is there and is more than worth listening to. Marvelous!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2SlAeFNMiE&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wonw4HInUhQ&NR=1
Chopin's First Piano Concerto - First Movement - film in two parts from the Chopin Competition in 2005.
Seems like the Polish have a way with this music similar to the way the English play Elgar, or the Norwegians, Greig. Something in the blood, in the mentality, that is indefinable.
ATB from George
PS: The whole performance is there and is more than worth listening to. Marvelous!
Posted on: 11 August 2008 by u5227470736789439
I had a computer failure on Saturday. I have borrowed the most miniature of laptops, and cannot deal with it, but I am still alive.
I went to two concerts last week in Worcester Cathedral in the Three Choirs Festival, and had a member of the Hereford contingent staying with me the whole week.
And on Saturday I went to a very fine Polish Birthday Party! Then came home at about 1:30 am and cooked my friend splendid supper, so last week was fun altogether!
George
PS: I can't actually read the screen on the tin computer, so I hope that was not full of spelling mistakes.
I went to two concerts last week in Worcester Cathedral in the Three Choirs Festival, and had a member of the Hereford contingent staying with me the whole week.
And on Saturday I went to a very fine Polish Birthday Party! Then came home at about 1:30 am and cooked my friend splendid supper, so last week was fun altogether!
George
PS: I can't actually read the screen on the tin computer, so I hope that was not full of spelling mistakes.
Posted on: 11 August 2008 by nicnaim
quote:Originally posted by GFFJ:
PS: I can't actually read the screen on the tin computer, so I hope that was not full of spelling mistakes.
George,
Why change the habits of a lifetime?
Regards
Nic
Posted on: 20 August 2008 by u5227470736789439
Dear All,
Twelve months on from the best party I have ever been to or expect to go to, I remember my trip to Poland [17-24 August 2007] as a hugely happy time.
I did not post at the time, but day one starteed very early and I had the old Volvo parked safely in compound by Birmingham [BHX] soon enoungh for my best Polish friend Pawel Wilczak [vilchack] and I to be in the airport and checked in by just gone 6 am. Two houra to kill saw four pints of lager each down before ever checking through control! Pawel was supposed to drive his parents car from Krakow to Jaslo, but for obvious reasons did not!
At Jaslo we met two more mutual friends and by mid-night we had arrved at Ciche with one of them [Pawel's lady-friend], which is a beautiful small village not more than 20 km from Zakopane in time for the Wedding of two more of our friends next day! Naturally [much] more beer was consumed after the dreadful drive up into the mountains of southern Poland [very close to Slovakia] in what was such heavy rain that even with the windscreen wipers on flagt out, we still could not see the edge of the road sometimes.
This time draught Tyskie, which was very revitalising.
Next day - Wedding. Then party till 6 am. Then at about four pm, BBQ. Then Second Day Of Party, till 7:30 am next day! No comment! Some good pictures are there in this thread.
Monday [20th Aug] afternoon saw a rather blue drive back to Jaslo! And at 11 pm and attempt to catch the Warsaw bus. The PKS express bus [30 mph max] was full, so back to Pawel's house! So I finally stayed at my friend's parents house! Pawel, however, went to stay at his lady friend's! At 4 am he was back, and shaking me to catch the first Warsaw Express PKS. Oh great! I could have stayed where I was all day!!
Nine hours later I arrived at the PKS staion in Jerusalem Street in Warsaw, and found my way [on busses] to Frank's flat to fetch what would soon be Munch's LP12. Spent the night, and watched the workers building new flats at night in the middle of a massive thunder storm! Next day at 11 am I caught the non-stop Krakow PKP Express train [very fast] from Warsaw Central Station, and got the case ending wrong for Krakow. Should have been, "Jeden billet do Krakowa, prosce," and not ... do Krakow, ... I was surpised that I had the nerve to ask in Polish at all, but was rapidly getting better!
Two days and nights in Krakow, all on my tod, staying in a hotel which in term time is a University Hall, was immense fun. Found a nice little bar that sold excellent cheap Polish food, and even finer cheap Zywiecs on draught, and the bottles of it only give a hin how nice this is.
I did write about my time in Krakow last year on this Thread, but altogether it was a wonderful and unrepeatably fine experience!
Polish Weddings are so grand, and I found that the deeper I was out of my depth with completely unknown Polish, the kinder they seemed to be.
On getting back to BHX, with the LP twelve in tow, I drove straight to Peter at Cymbiosis, and left the Linn in his tender care, feeling shall we say, content, and not quite as physicall well as I had eight days earlier!
Great times. Great times.
ATB from George
PS: No Dragon Boating thius year. Insufficient sponsorship could be raised, but the financial situation, so it was cancelled. We had one of onl three teams companies were prepared to pay the fee for, which would have gone to charity. Shame, but a sign of the times, I suspect.
Twelve months on from the best party I have ever been to or expect to go to, I remember my trip to Poland [17-24 August 2007] as a hugely happy time.
I did not post at the time, but day one starteed very early and I had the old Volvo parked safely in compound by Birmingham [BHX] soon enoungh for my best Polish friend Pawel Wilczak [vilchack] and I to be in the airport and checked in by just gone 6 am. Two houra to kill saw four pints of lager each down before ever checking through control! Pawel was supposed to drive his parents car from Krakow to Jaslo, but for obvious reasons did not!
At Jaslo we met two more mutual friends and by mid-night we had arrved at Ciche with one of them [Pawel's lady-friend], which is a beautiful small village not more than 20 km from Zakopane in time for the Wedding of two more of our friends next day! Naturally [much] more beer was consumed after the dreadful drive up into the mountains of southern Poland [very close to Slovakia] in what was such heavy rain that even with the windscreen wipers on flagt out, we still could not see the edge of the road sometimes.
This time draught Tyskie, which was very revitalising.
Next day - Wedding. Then party till 6 am. Then at about four pm, BBQ. Then Second Day Of Party, till 7:30 am next day! No comment! Some good pictures are there in this thread.
Monday [20th Aug] afternoon saw a rather blue drive back to Jaslo! And at 11 pm and attempt to catch the Warsaw bus. The PKS express bus [30 mph max] was full, so back to Pawel's house! So I finally stayed at my friend's parents house! Pawel, however, went to stay at his lady friend's! At 4 am he was back, and shaking me to catch the first Warsaw Express PKS. Oh great! I could have stayed where I was all day!!
Nine hours later I arrived at the PKS staion in Jerusalem Street in Warsaw, and found my way [on busses] to Frank's flat to fetch what would soon be Munch's LP12. Spent the night, and watched the workers building new flats at night in the middle of a massive thunder storm! Next day at 11 am I caught the non-stop Krakow PKP Express train [very fast] from Warsaw Central Station, and got the case ending wrong for Krakow. Should have been, "Jeden billet do Krakowa, prosce," and not ... do Krakow, ... I was surpised that I had the nerve to ask in Polish at all, but was rapidly getting better!
Two days and nights in Krakow, all on my tod, staying in a hotel which in term time is a University Hall, was immense fun. Found a nice little bar that sold excellent cheap Polish food, and even finer cheap Zywiecs on draught, and the bottles of it only give a hin how nice this is.
I did write about my time in Krakow last year on this Thread, but altogether it was a wonderful and unrepeatably fine experience!
Polish Weddings are so grand, and I found that the deeper I was out of my depth with completely unknown Polish, the kinder they seemed to be.
On getting back to BHX, with the LP twelve in tow, I drove straight to Peter at Cymbiosis, and left the Linn in his tender care, feeling shall we say, content, and not quite as physicall well as I had eight days earlier!
Great times. Great times.
ATB from George
PS: No Dragon Boating thius year. Insufficient sponsorship could be raised, but the financial situation, so it was cancelled. We had one of onl three teams companies were prepared to pay the fee for, which would have gone to charity. Shame, but a sign of the times, I suspect.
Posted on: 20 August 2008 by Exiled Highlander
George
getting back to your original post of March 14 2006.....I have a friend bringing me back some Polish Vodka next week...I'll let you know how it tastes! :-)
Regards
Jim
getting back to your original post of March 14 2006.....I have a friend bringing me back some Polish Vodka next week...I'll let you know how it tastes! :-)
Regards
Jim
Posted on: 21 August 2008 by u5227470736789439
Dear Jim,
Get two glasses, a shot glass, and a tumbler.
Use the shot glass for the Vodka and the tumbler for some nice Apple juice. If it is nice Vodka is is a terrible idea to mix anything with it. Chase the shot with the apple juice!
Put the Vodka in the freezer for twenty four hours to get it to minus eighteen!
ATB from George
Get two glasses, a shot glass, and a tumbler.
Use the shot glass for the Vodka and the tumbler for some nice Apple juice. If it is nice Vodka is is a terrible idea to mix anything with it. Chase the shot with the apple juice!
Put the Vodka in the freezer for twenty four hours to get it to minus eighteen!
ATB from George
Posted on: 22 August 2008 by Exiled Highlander
George
George
Damn...my freezer is only at -17....it looks like I will have to upgrade it! Should I be looking at a new power supply for the motor or should I be looking at new door seals first, or should I just swap it out for a new one?
Sorry, it's Friday.....
Jim
George
quote:Put the Vodka in the freezer for twenty four hours to get it to minus eighteen!
Damn...my freezer is only at -17....it looks like I will have to upgrade it! Should I be looking at a new power supply for the motor or should I be looking at new door seals first, or should I just swap it out for a new one?
Sorry, it's Friday.....
Jim
Posted on: 22 August 2008 by u5227470736789439
Dear Jim,
Get the new Powerline mains cable. The freezer is bound to be performing so well after that that the Vodka could not possibly be nicer. In fact do not hestate. You actaully need the Powerline, or else you will alway worry how much better the Vodka might have tasted, and the waste of your taste bud potential!
Sorry! Its also Friday here!!!
All the best from George
Get the new Powerline mains cable. The freezer is bound to be performing so well after that that the Vodka could not possibly be nicer. In fact do not hestate. You actaully need the Powerline, or else you will alway worry how much better the Vodka might have tasted, and the waste of your taste bud potential!
Sorry! Its also Friday here!!!
All the best from George
Posted on: 22 August 2008 by Exiled Highlander
George
I had forgotten about the Powerline but it appears from all the other posts lately that a MacBook and a DAC is what the freezer needs as they seem to be able to cure world hunger.
Cheers
Jim
I had forgotten about the Powerline but it appears from all the other posts lately that a MacBook and a DAC is what the freezer needs as they seem to be able to cure world hunger.
Cheers
Jim
Posted on: 23 August 2008 by u5227470736789439
Goodness, the strong variant!
Two of those and you are under the table, but the pleasure is in doing it!
Currently enjoing some merely 5.2 pro-cent Lech! As pictured in the glass! Four of those do the trick! Bach sounding wonderfull as well, in an unusual pose as accompniment to posting! Frank just Skyped, so the Bach must end, and me ring him back!
ATB from George
Two of those and you are under the table, but the pleasure is in doing it!
Currently enjoing some merely 5.2 pro-cent Lech! As pictured in the glass! Four of those do the trick! Bach sounding wonderfull as well, in an unusual pose as accompniment to posting! Frank just Skyped, so the Bach must end, and me ring him back!
ATB from George
Posted on: 23 August 2008 by Exiled Highlander
In the absence of anything Polish I had to survive on 16 year old Aberlour single malt...it's a hard life...
JIm
JIm
Posted on: 24 August 2008 by u5227470736789439
Dear Jim,
When I used to go to Norway to my grandparents, and then in 2000 and 2002 to see my aunt in Oslo [and still going up to the mountains near Geilo at Skudalen] I always would take a bottle of Scotch.
For my grandfather this always had to be Johnnie Walker, but for my aunt I used to take one that was I was introduced to by my one friend who played first bass in the Covent Garden Orchestra! Singletons. A nice single malt which is very smooth, and my aunt really enjoyed it!
We would make one 0.7 litre bottle last a fortnight!
ATB from George
When I used to go to Norway to my grandparents, and then in 2000 and 2002 to see my aunt in Oslo [and still going up to the mountains near Geilo at Skudalen] I always would take a bottle of Scotch.
For my grandfather this always had to be Johnnie Walker, but for my aunt I used to take one that was I was introduced to by my one friend who played first bass in the Covent Garden Orchestra! Singletons. A nice single malt which is very smooth, and my aunt really enjoyed it!
We would make one 0.7 litre bottle last a fortnight!
ATB from George
Posted on: 27 August 2008 by Rockingdoc
Just back from a cycle tour of north-east Poland. Had no vodka at all 
Posted on: 27 August 2008 by Rockingdoc
Ah yes. Had a blast at Headcorn this Sunday too.
Posted on: 27 August 2008 by u5227470736789439
Dear Doc,
Where did ou go in Poland? Please tell me where and how you enjoyed it! Even perhaps post some photos on this thread if you like!
I am surprised that you missed the chance to sample if only one Polish Vodka, but perhaps some of the beer?
All the best from George
Where did ou go in Poland? Please tell me where and how you enjoyed it! Even perhaps post some photos on this thread if you like!
I am surprised that you missed the chance to sample if only one Polish Vodka, but perhaps some of the beer?
All the best from George
Posted on: 29 August 2008 by u5227470736789439
My best Polish friend is in Poland for a week with his lady, flying from Bristol to Rzeszow [more or less a soft "G" as J in Jeshuff], and arrived two hours late at a result of an unscheduled stop at Stanstead, where a man who threatened to blow the aircraft up was arrested by Police. After a delay [presumably while the hold was checked and the man's luggage removed] the flight carried on. He was an Englishman.
This has not been reported on the news, and I am simply relieved that it only came to little more than a big scare and a little lateness.
Better than indefinite lateness in my view. Though I have heard and read reports of this sort of thing in the news, I have never had a first hand report from a friend before ...
I shall be collecting the two of them again from Bristol next week, God willing.
ATB from George
This has not been reported on the news, and I am simply relieved that it only came to little more than a big scare and a little lateness.
Better than indefinite lateness in my view. Though I have heard and read reports of this sort of thing in the news, I have never had a first hand report from a friend before ...
I shall be collecting the two of them again from Bristol next week, God willing.
ATB from George
Posted on: 04 September 2008 by u5227470736789439
All home safe and sound, but the plane was so late that no party occured in spite of everything being in place.
We shall meet up tomoorrow and have a laugh!
This is a first, in postponing a Polish party but everone was bush-wacked, and so much so that I doubted the wisdom of driving, but all was fine. As ever the old Volvo simply trolls along at 70 mph like an old Singer sewing machine, uncomplaining, almost silent, and comfortable, and if not pushed over 70 surprisingly good on fuel.
So goodnight to y'all! George
We shall meet up tomoorrow and have a laugh!
This is a first, in postponing a Polish party but everone was bush-wacked, and so much so that I doubted the wisdom of driving, but all was fine. As ever the old Volvo simply trolls along at 70 mph like an old Singer sewing machine, uncomplaining, almost silent, and comfortable, and if not pushed over 70 surprisingly good on fuel.
So goodnight to y'all! George
Posted on: 06 September 2008 by u5227470736789439
So here I am feeling just a little yellow!
First night was the ultimate "Mullet" Polish Party - apple juice without Vodka, and last night we made a pyramid of the empty beers for a laugh!
Hehehe! Just surfaced about an hour and a half ago!
Aaaaagh! George
First night was the ultimate "Mullet" Polish Party - apple juice without Vodka, and last night we made a pyramid of the empty beers for a laugh!
Hehehe! Just surfaced about an hour and a half ago!
Aaaaagh! George
Posted on: 06 September 2008 by u5227470736789439
PS: Just had Bigos [from Poland] for supper, so gradually feeling more normal again!
Posted on: 14 September 2008 by u5227470736789439
Busy weekend!
Friday after work, I helped set up a Polsat dish, which was not entirely immediately successful. Firstly firmly attaching it to a concrete I-beam with speciallly made [by me, using the cookers as a forge to bend the bar!] and then aiming at the Hotbird satellite it took an hour of aiming to in a rather random way to even find the direction! Then twenty minutes of messages passed through two rooms in relay to get locked on accurately: 100% on both signal strength meters ...
But with a dreadful sound in spite of a superb picture. I assumed the Polsat decoder was at fault though it had worked in another set-up, so on Saturday I returned with another known working model. The fault proved to be too short a connection of the core on the "F" connector on the decoder end of the co-axial cable. Now it is splendid.
Unfortunately the Friday evening ended in trying and also failing to complete a job application [not for me] and falling into incoherence over some rather enjoyable Polish beer! The Saturday saw the application nicely completed as well.
If that was part one, today I have moved to a new room in our house, which potentially should be better for the music, and much less cramped!
The laugh is that the Royds, as initial sited, were plummy and horrible in a way that is probably hard to imagine with such usually splendidly balanced speakers! I have good balance with them now, but no way can they remain where they are from a stand-point of acceptable space taken up! Four foot from the back wall!!
Aaagh, the problems of room accoustics! Not the least of the problems is that the tiny speakers are working the floor, so that will require my SBL floor isolators to be set under them to remove this interaction.
Some imagination is going to be called for to get this right!
ATB from George
Friday after work, I helped set up a Polsat dish, which was not entirely immediately successful. Firstly firmly attaching it to a concrete I-beam with speciallly made [by me, using the cookers as a forge to bend the bar!] and then aiming at the Hotbird satellite it took an hour of aiming to in a rather random way to even find the direction! Then twenty minutes of messages passed through two rooms in relay to get locked on accurately: 100% on both signal strength meters ...
But with a dreadful sound in spite of a superb picture. I assumed the Polsat decoder was at fault though it had worked in another set-up, so on Saturday I returned with another known working model. The fault proved to be too short a connection of the core on the "F" connector on the decoder end of the co-axial cable. Now it is splendid.
Unfortunately the Friday evening ended in trying and also failing to complete a job application [not for me] and falling into incoherence over some rather enjoyable Polish beer! The Saturday saw the application nicely completed as well.
If that was part one, today I have moved to a new room in our house, which potentially should be better for the music, and much less cramped!
The laugh is that the Royds, as initial sited, were plummy and horrible in a way that is probably hard to imagine with such usually splendidly balanced speakers! I have good balance with them now, but no way can they remain where they are from a stand-point of acceptable space taken up! Four foot from the back wall!!
Aaagh, the problems of room accoustics! Not the least of the problems is that the tiny speakers are working the floor, so that will require my SBL floor isolators to be set under them to remove this interaction.
Some imagination is going to be called for to get this right!
ATB from George