Starka is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from

fermented Fermentation is a metabolic process that produces chemical changes in organic substrates through the action of enzymes. In biochemistry, it is narrowly defined as the extraction of energy from carbohydrates in the absence of oxygen. In food p ...

rye mash. Traditionally Starka is made from natural (up to 2

distillation Distillation, or classical distillation, is the process of separating the components or substances from a liquid mixture by using selective boiling and condensation, usually inside an apparatus known as a still. Dry distillation is the heat ...

s, no rectification) rye spirit and aged in oak barrels with small additions of linden-tree and apple-tree leaves. The methods of production are similar to those used in making

rye whisky Rye whiskey can refer to two different, but related, types of whiskey: * American rye whiskey, which is similar to bourbon whiskey, but must be distilled from at least 51 percent rye grain * Canadian whisky, which is often referred to as (and o ...

. Sold in various grades, the most notable difference between them is the length of the aging period, varying from 3 to over 50 years, and the natural colour which is obtained from the reaction between the alcohol and the oak barrel, not from the additives.

History

Starka was known in Poland and Lithuania at least since the 15th century, later in the

Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and, after 1791, as the Commonwealth of Poland, was a bi- confederal state, sometimes called a federation, of Poland and Lithuania ru ...

, and by the 17th century became one of the favourite drinks of the nobility of the Commonwealth and Sarmatist culture. Tradition had it that at a child's birth, the father of the house poured large amounts of home-made spirits (approximately 75 proof) into an empty

oak An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...

barrel, previously used to store wine (usually imported from

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the ...

at that time and hence called ''Węgrzyn'', or ''Hungarian''). The barrel was then sealed with

beeswax Beeswax (''cera alba'') is a natural wax produced by honey bees of the genus ''Apis''. The wax is formed into scales by eight wax-producing glands in the abdominal segments of worker bees, which discard it in or at the hive. The hive work ...

and buried, only to be dug out at the child's

wedding A wedding is a ceremony where two people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes. Most wedding ceremonies involve an exchange of marriage vo ...

. The name itself stems from this process of aging and in 15th century

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, w ...

meant both the vodka type and an old woman. Alternatively the name is derived from the Lithuanian word "Starkus", as production of Starka is associated with birth. In late 19th century various companies (mostly in Imperial Russia and

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

) slightly simplified the production process and adopted it to the needs of mass production by the Lwów-based

Baczewski Baczewski is a name of a Polish szlachta family, founders of the J. A. Baczewski vodka company. The factory, dating back to late 18th century, was based in Lwów (Lviv) and until 1939 was one of two most popular Polish export goods. The family ...

company. After the end of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, which put an end to foreign rule over former parts of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, starka remained one of the most popular spirits in both countries. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

when Lithuania was inside the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

, starka production there was not stopped and was produced in "Vilniaus degtinė" and "Stumbras" (Kaunas) factories. In Poland, all of the spirit producers were nationalized, but the production of starka continued, mostly as a high-priced

export good A trade route is a logistical network identified as a series of pathways and stoppages used for the commercial transport of cargo. The term can also be used to refer to trade over bodies of water. Allowing goods to reach distant markets, a sing ...

. Currently, Szczecińska Fabryka Wódek "Starka" (former ''

Polmos Szczecin Polmos (acronym for ''Polski Monopol Spirytusowy'', Polish Spirits Monopoly) was a Polish state-owned monopoly, controlling the Polish market for alcoholic beverages. Founded in the late 1920s, until World War II it was one of the leading vodka ...

'') is the only company to produce Starka in Poland, and they offer it in all age classes, from 3 to 50 years old but the oldest Starkas date back to 1947. All Starkas produced by Szczecińska Fabryka Wódek "Starka" contain 40% - 50% alcohol by volume.Starka: The Elixir of Poland’s Sarmatist Nobility
/ref> There is also a number of other companies (most notably in Lithuania,

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedo ...

Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbeki ...

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...

, Latvia and

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

) that produce vodkas styled after the starka (produced mostly from a mixture of

rectified spirit Rectified spirit, also known as neutral spirits, rectified alcohol or ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin, is highly concentrated ethanol that has been purified by means of repeated distillation in a process called rectification. In some countri ...

and herbal

tincture A tincture is typically an extract of plant or animal material dissolved in ethanol (ethyl alcohol). Solvent concentrations of 25–60% are common, but may run as high as 90%.Groot Handboek Geneeskrachtige Planten by Geert Verhelst In chemistr ...

s).

References

External links

Starka
one of the most respected manufacturers of Starka
Stumbras
producer of Starka-styled alcohol from Lithuania
Vilniaus Degtine
producer of Starka-styled alcohol from Lithuania
St. Louis Distillery
producer of Starka in USA
Duvall Distillery
Producer of American Starka (not quite old enough for marriage) Duvall Washington USA {{Vodkas Polish vodkas Lithuanian vodkas