POLUGAR

Having discovered a recipe in a 19th century text, Boris Rodionov, a vodka expert, academic and writer, has endeavoured since 2010 to reintroduce ‘Polugar’, a forgotten category of vodka. Deeply rooted in Russian culture, this traditional vodka was distilled domestically and consumed by moujiks (serfs) all over the country; produced by a single distillation in a copper still, it disappeared when the Russian Empire introduced a monopoly on vodka production in 1895. Boris Rodionov and his son Alexey have created a modern version of this rye-based spirit, also known as ‘bread wine’, using authentic production methods and traditional recipes.