Piolunówka
Encyclopedia
Piołunówka is a very bitter alcoholic infusion (so-called Polish "nalewka
") made by macerating
wormwood
in alcohol. Its name comes from piołun, which means wormwood in Polish
. It is becoming popular due to the recent absinthe
revival but has been well known before absinthe. It differs from absinthe because it is macerated and rarely distilled (see the recipe below), whereas absinthe is additionally distilled. Piołunówka is not simply an amateur's version of absinthe
but can be perceived as its predecessor. For centuries wormwood-based elixirs have been used as digestive aids and disease preventatives.
than absinthe because it is not distilled. Many people produce it today to try and feel the 'absinthe effect' because of its higher thujone levels although it is now known thujone plays little to no role in these purported effects.
piołunówka requires knowledge, experience and patience and nowadays the one closest to the genuine one is made only by one particular company (Nalewki-i-inne, link below).
Anyone who would like to make Piołunówka should follow these steps:
Piołunówka is NOT absinthe, so aniseed and herbs are never used in it. (as we can clearly see in Jan Cieślak's famous book or "Gorzałka" by Jan Rogala, not counting the works of A.Piątkowski (Kraków,1808) or J.N.Kurowski (Warszawa, 1829). The Polish
have their own aniseed- flavored liqueurs, these are Dubelt Annis (45%) and Kontuszówka (56%). All the aforementioned ones are drank after dinner for better gout.
In Poland, nalewkas are usually served chilled in 50ml glasses.
Nalewka
Nalewka is a traditional Polish category of alcoholic beverage. Similar to medicinal tinctures, it is usually 40 to 45% strong , and is made by maceration of various ingredients in alcohol, usually vodka or spirit. Among the ingredients often used are fruits, herbs, spice, sugar or molasses...
") made by macerating
Maceration (wine)
Maceration is the winemaking process where the phenolic materials of the grape— tannins, coloring agents and flavor compounds— are leached from the grape skins, seeds and stems into the must. Maceration is the process by which the red wine receives its red color, since 99% of all grape juice is...
wormwood
Artemisia (plant)
Artemisia is a large, diverse genus of plants with between 200 to 400 species belonging to the daisy family Asteraceae. It comprises hardy herbs and shrubs known for their volatile oils. They grow in temperate climates of the Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere, usually in dry or semi-dry...
in alcohol. Its name comes from piołun, which means wormwood in Polish
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
. It is becoming popular due to the recent absinthe
Absinthe
Absinthe is historically described as a distilled, highly alcoholic beverage. It is an anise-flavoured spirit derived from herbs, including the flowers and leaves of the herb Artemisia absinthium, commonly referred to as "grande wormwood", together with green anise and sweet fennel...
revival but has been well known before absinthe. It differs from absinthe because it is macerated and rarely distilled (see the recipe below), whereas absinthe is additionally distilled. Piołunówka is not simply an amateur's version of absinthe
Absinthe
Absinthe is historically described as a distilled, highly alcoholic beverage. It is an anise-flavoured spirit derived from herbs, including the flowers and leaves of the herb Artemisia absinthium, commonly referred to as "grande wormwood", together with green anise and sweet fennel...
but can be perceived as its predecessor. For centuries wormwood-based elixirs have been used as digestive aids and disease preventatives.
Thujone
Piołunowka has much higher levels of thujoneThujone
Thujone is a ketone and a monoterpene that occurs naturally in two diastereomeric forms: -α-thujone and -β-thujone. It has a menthol odor. Even though it is best known as a chemical compound in the spirit absinthe, recent tests show absinthe contains only small quantities of thujone, and may or may...
than absinthe because it is not distilled. Many people produce it today to try and feel the 'absinthe effect' because of its higher thujone levels although it is now known thujone plays little to no role in these purported effects.
Availability
Although piołunówka is very hard to find anywhere in the world, wormwood is available at any herb store but it does not always mean to be the best quality, though. As every Polish nalewkaNalewka
Nalewka is a traditional Polish category of alcoholic beverage. Similar to medicinal tinctures, it is usually 40 to 45% strong , and is made by maceration of various ingredients in alcohol, usually vodka or spirit. Among the ingredients often used are fruits, herbs, spice, sugar or molasses...
piołunówka requires knowledge, experience and patience and nowadays the one closest to the genuine one is made only by one particular company (Nalewki-i-inne, link below).
Recipes
The genuine recipe dates back to the 17th CE, as Piołunówka is the national Polish liqueur (mentioned already in Stanisław Falimierz' opus) and as such has been made in noble manors, if the recipes might have varied (the amount of wormwood, water, spirit and sugar). The last widely available piołunówka was distilled in Lwów by J.A.Baczewski distillery up to 1939. The modern version appeared with the same label released by Polmos in Stargard Gdański who discontinued the production in the 90's.Anyone who would like to make Piołunówka should follow these steps:
- for 500 ml of water boil 168g of sugar and add 7.91g of young wormwood (mainly flowertops). When cooled, add to it 500ml of Polish rectified spirit (98% vol or 196 proof) and filter it. If you wish, you can add some water to the alcoholate and the distill it up to 50% (the traditional Piołunówka strength).
Piołunówka is NOT absinthe, so aniseed and herbs are never used in it. (as we can clearly see in Jan Cieślak's famous book or "Gorzałka" by Jan Rogala, not counting the works of A.Piątkowski (Kraków,1808) or J.N.Kurowski (Warszawa, 1829). The Polish
Poles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
have their own aniseed- flavored liqueurs, these are Dubelt Annis (45%) and Kontuszówka (56%). All the aforementioned ones are drank after dinner for better gout.
In Poland, nalewkas are usually served chilled in 50ml glasses.