Starka - History

History

Starka was known in Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth at least since 15th century and by 17th century became one of the favourite drinks of the Gentry and an integral part of Sarmatist culture. The tradition had it that at child's birth, the father of the house poured large amounts of home-made spirit (approximately 75% strong) into an empty oak barrel, previously used to store wine (usually imported from Hungary at that time and hence called Węgrzyn, or Hungarian). The barrel was then sealed with beeswax and dug into sandy ground, only to be dug out at the child's wedding. The name itself stems from this process of aging and in 15th century Polish 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) slightly simplified the production process and adopted it to the needs of mass production by the Lwów-based Baczewski company. After the end of World War I, 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 when Lithuania was inside the Soviet Union, starka production there was not stopped and was produced in "Vilniaus degtine" 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.

Currently, Polmos Szczecin is the only company in Poland to produce Starka, and they offer it in all age classes, from 10 to 50 years old. All Starkas produced by Polmos Szczecin contain 50% alcohol by volume. There is also a 10-year-old Starka that is 80 proof (40%). The oldest Starkas offered by Polmos date back to 1947. There is also a number of other companies (most notably in Lithuania, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Russia and Latvia) that produce vodkas styled after the starka (produced mostly from a mixture of rectified spirit and herbal tinctures).