Aqua regia: what does it consist of? Vodka: composition. Chemical composition and nutritional value of vodka

Vodka can be called the most popular drink at every feast and holiday. It consists of which is purified from impurities, diluted with water. Vodka, which must contain 40 percent alcohol, may contain additives. Usually these are fruits, berries, spices and other ingredients. A high degree of purification allows us to make a product that, unlike its analogues, does not cause a hangover. But this is only vodka, the composition of which can truly be called high-quality.

A little history

There is no exact date of origin of this drink. But the approximate time of birth can be considered the 14th-15th centuries. This happened on the territory of the Russian state. Therefore, all claims of other countries are invalid. In 1982, international arbitration recognized this drink as originally Russian. In the 14th century, Genoese ambassadors brought wine alcohol to Russia. It was the basis of all known high-strength drinks. And in Russia, a drink was obtained based on wine alcohol, which was called “vodka”.

In the mid-15th century, grain harvests reached unprecedented heights. The export of grape wines from Byzantium ceased. It's time for a change in the spirits industry. As history testifies and legends say, around 1430 a monk from Chudov created a recipe for real Russian vodka. For this he had all the capabilities: knowledge and equipment. Well, Mendeleev introduced the concept and designation on the bottle - 40% vol. He did not own the invention of vodka. He made it of high quality and obtained a patent.

Properties of good vodka

Not all vodka that can be found on the shelves can be called high quality. It all depends on the manufacturer and the ingredients used. What characteristics should a quality product have? Firstly, it is a subtle, unique aroma. A good product does not have a strong odor. Secondly, it has a mild taste. The composition of vodka and its production must meet all modern requirements. The quality of the product is also indicated by its packaging. The cork and cap must fit tightly to the bottle, and the stamps with the bottling date must be clearly legible. There should be no sediment at the bottom of the bottle.

The correct composition of vodka allows you to make the purest, clear drink. Cloudy contents of the bottle indicate the use of low-quality water or the presence of impurities. The label must contain information about the manufacturer, his contact details and a code consisting of 7-10 digits. There must be information about certification and production license.

When determining quality, the components used for production are very important. The composition of vodka, without going into the basics of chemistry, is water and alcohol. Three types of alcohol are usually used. The first type is made from potatoes or grain and has the highest degree of purification. Next come the extra and luxury varieties, made from selected grains. The last two types are considered the best.

Water quality also plays a big role. Good manufacturers pre-clean it from salts and impurities. If the packaging contains information about silver purification, this indicates the quality of the water. If the label says “purified with milk,” then this refers more to the final product.

Alcohol purification degree

Good quality alcohol is made from a mixture of potatoes and grains or from each ingredient separately. Molasses, sugar beets and raw sugar are also used for this. There is a scale for the degree of purity of alcohol. The first grade product has 96 percent strength. The highest purification provides an indicator of 96.2% percent. The best types of alcohol - extra and luxury - have, respectively, 96.5 and 69.3 percent. There is also a distinction between medical and anhydrous alcohol.

Water purification

Vodka must contain water. But this is not an ordinary liquid from a tap, but a special one, purified from impurities. In order for water to be ideal for the production of vodka, salts must be removed from it. This procedure will make it softer. Sometimes it is necessary to completely purify water of all elements. After this, it is saturated with microelements. This technology is also used for the production of drinking and mineral water. Therefore, information about purification with silver indicates the enrichment of water with ions of this metal.

Supplements

Many manufacturers introduce additional components or additives into Russian vodka. This happens for various reasons. Firstly, this is the desire to highlight your product and make it unusual. Competition in the alcoholic beverages market is serious and all methods are used in the fight for consumers. Secondly, many additional ingredients cleanse the vodka, making its taste softer. This improves the quality of the product. Well, the last factor, but not the most pleasant, is attempts to hide the shortcomings of vodka, its poor taste and quality.

Therefore, whether or not to focus on these indicators is a personal matter for everyone. The main components that are used as additives are citric acid, honey, milk powder, sugar, baking soda, acetic acid and potassium permanganate. Some manufacturers use sodium acetate and sodium bicarbonate. The choice of additive depends on the type of vodka or brand. Honey is often used. It is added to vodka, diluted with pure water. This component makes the product softer.

Classification of vodka

Depending on the number of “turns”, vodka is divided into four categories. These are 40, 45, 50 and 56 percent. Experts in the production of alcoholic beverages divide it into four more classes: economy, standard, premium and superpremium. The last two classes are elite drinks. They are of excellent quality and higher cost.

For their preparation, only the best types of alcohol and carefully purified water are used. When assessing the quality of vodka, two categories of indicators are used. The first is organoleptic factors, which include smell, transparency and taste. The second group is analytical indicators. Here laboratory tests are carried out and alkalinity, the presence of impurities and the percentage of alcohol content are determined.

Tsar's vodka: history

The description of aqua regia first appeared in the 14th century. Hydrochloric acid was not yet known to people. The method of obtaining the drink involved the distillation of a mixture of alum, ammonia and saltpeter. The second method, mixing nitric and hydrochloric acid, was described in 1597 by the alchemist Andreas Libavia. Thanks to aqua regia, it was possible to make many discoveries in alchemy, and there was an increase in knowledge about chemical reactions and substances.

Properties of aqua regia

What is aqua regia? The composition of acids in this drink gives it certain properties. Aqua regia is a mixture of two acids, nitric and hydrochloric, in a ratio of one to three. This is one of the strongest oxidizing agents. This quality is manifested thanks to nitrosyl chloride. Freshly prepared “vodka” is colorless.

After a short time it acquires an orange tint. A distinctive feature of this liquid is the strong smell of chlorine and this mixture is prepared immediately before use. Aqua regia, the composition of acids of which we discussed above, loses its oxidizing properties over time and decomposes.

Uses of aqua regia

Where is this drink used? Aqua regia, whose composition differs from the use of conventional alcoholic beverages, is used in laboratories as a reagent. It is used to clean laboratory glassware from organic substances. It is also used for the analysis of noble metals, the production of metal chlorides, and in others, the composition of aqua regia allows the dissolution of low-active metals, platinum, gold and palladium, even at room temperature. Gold dissolves in aqua regia at a rate of 10 µm/min. Etching ruthenium requires the presence of oxygen. These two components result in hexachlororuthenic acid. Silver cannot be dissolved in aqua regia. This is explained by the formation of a silver chloride film on the surface. Metals such as titanium, tantalum, zirconium, chromium, niobium and hafnium are also resistant to acids.

Aqua regia, the composition of which we have considered, is not used for oral administration!

Balm Bolotov

Many people are interested in information about It is known that a mixture of concentrated acids - nitric and hydrochloric - is aqua regia. The composition according to Bolotov is a weaker solution. The balm, which is prepared in pharmacies, corresponds to 3 percent. Therefore, it does not have a destructive effect on the human stomach and is taken orally. What effect does this remedy have on the human body?

Sulfuric acid dissolves connective tissue by converting sugar into mucopolysaccharides. In other words, it dissolves old cells and improves digestion. Nitric acid improves the functioning of the adrenal glands and increases adrenaline levels. There is also an improvement in cell nutrition, where Bolotov’s Balsam plays an important role; it promotes the formation of vitamins and amino acids in the body and restores protein molecules. It has a beneficial effect on all processes occurring in the body and prevents inflammation. The balm performs several functions. Firstly, it is an increase in the number of new cells. Secondly, it is a reduction in the body’s slagging, that is, the transformation of toxins into salts and their removal from the body. The third is the fight against microbes and restoration of organs.

"Russian standard"

Founded in 1998, the spirits company is the largest producer in this area. Vodka "Russian Standard" is a drink that is produced in several variants at a plant in St. Petersburg. Today the line consists of several types: “Empire”, “Original”, “Platinum” and “Russian Standard Gold”. All varieties have characteristics and unique properties characteristic of this species. This product can truly be called the best. Russian Standard vodka contains only high-quality ingredients. The production technology meets all modern requirements. For production, the best varieties of wheat grown in the Black Earth Region are taken, and water is taken from an underground source, which is connected to Lake Ladoga. This is a soft, pleasant-tasting drink worthy of aristocrats.

Vodka "Beluga"

"Beluga" is a premium vodka. This drink can be called one of the best on our shelves. Beluga vodka, the composition of which can be called ideal, contains natural honey, milk thistle extract and oatmeal. It is made from the best luxury alcohol and water from artesian springs. This drink is bottled in bottles made in France. Each specimen is decorated with a fish emblem and sealed with an airtight, environmentally friendly stopper.

When giving preference to strong alcoholic drinks, choose only high-quality products. And remember that excessive consumption of vodka leads to irreversible consequences.

Material from Wikipedia - the free encyclopedia

The name has no relation to alcoholic beverages and comes from the obsolete meaning of the word "vodka" and the mixture's unique ability to dissolve gold.

History of research and use

In Russia

In Russia it was called royal vodka (M. V. Lomonosov, 1742), royal vodka (M. Parpua, 1796), saltpeter-hydrochloric acid (V. V. Petrov, 1801), nitric-hydrochloric acid (G . I. Hess, 1831); other names are also known. The word “vodka” originally appeared in the Russian language around the 13th-14th centuries as a diminutive of the word “water” and had this main meaning until the middle of the 19th century. The word “vodka” acquired the meaning of “alcoholic drink” somewhere between the 14th and 19th centuries, initially as a dialect, and only at the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th century began to mean the only “strong alcoholic drink”.

Properties

Dissolving platinum in aqua regia

It is a yellow-orange liquid with a strong odor of chlorine and nitrogen dioxide. Freshly prepared aqua regia is colorless, but quickly turns orange.

The interaction of HCl and HNO 3 produces a complex mixture of highly active products, including associates, nitrogen dioxide, chlorine and nitrosyl chloride (nitrosyl chloride). The presence of nitrosyl chloride NOCl and chlorine in a strongly acidic environment among the reaction products makes aqua regia one of the strongest oxidizing agents. The mixture is prepared immediately before its use: during storage it decomposes with the formation of gaseous products (the formation of nitrogen dioxide and nitrosyl chloride gives the aqua regia its color).

2 N O + O 2 ⟶ 2 N O 2 (\displaystyle (\mathsf (2NO+O_(2)\longrightarrow 2NO_(2))))

It is a mixture of acids of high concentration, and therefore a strong poison. The effect of this mixture on the human body is scary to even imagine - after all, aqua regia is capable of dissolving metals! It usually consists of one part hydrochloric acid (HCl) and three parts nitric acid (HNO3). It is also permissible to add sulfuric acid (H2SO4) there. Aqua regia looks like a yellow liquid, which emits a far from pleasant smell of chlorine and nitrogen oxides.

Aqua regia is remarkable in that it dissolves almost all metals, even such as gold and platinum, but the metals do not dissolve in any of the acids that make up its composition. Active substances capable of dissolving metals are created from a mixture of acids during complex chemical reactions. However, there are metals that aqua regia cannot handle: rhodium, iridium and tantalum. PTFE and some plastics also do not dissolve in aqua regia.

History of creation and names

Alchemists learned to prepare aqua regia even before it was discovered. In those days, to make this composition, they used distillation of a mixture of saltpeter, alum and copper sulfate, also adding there.

Using aqua regia

It is important to remember that aqua regia retains its properties only if it contains chlorine, which, if the vessel with the substance is left open, will quickly evaporate. When storing aqua regia for a long time, the chlorine also gradually disappears, and the liquid stops dissolving metals.

Royal vodka that you can drink

There is a cocktail of the same name, which can be prepared according to the following recipe:

60 ml regular vodka;
- 10 ml of white dessert vermouth;
- 10 ml orange tincture;
- 10 ml pepper tincture;
- ice in .

Mix all the ingredients and serve in a glass with ice, but this composition, of course, will no longer dissolve the gold.

Aqua regia is a mixture of hydrochloric and nitric acids. It has a strong oxidizing ability, so it can even dissolve gold. Hence its name - since this acid corrodes the “king of metals” - gold, then the name was also “royal”.

You will need

• Nitric acid;
• Hydrochloric acid;
• Glass test tube for mixing acids with markings;
• Glass rod.

Instructions

Since it is best to avoid using additional containers to measure the required amount of liquid, it is better to immediately add the acids to one test tube. The more you pour acid from one container to another, the greater the chance of spilling it.

Accordingly, you need to first pour the required amount of hydrochloric acid into the test tube, since to make it you need more volume than nitric acid, and when mixing dangerous ones, it is recommended to add less to more to avoid acid splashes and reduce the risk of burns.

The name has no relation to alcoholic beverages and comes from the obsolete meaning of the word "vodka" and the mixture's unique ability to dissolve gold.

History of research and use

In Russia

In Russia it was called royal vodka (M. V. Lomonosov, 1742), royal vodka (M. Parpua, 1796), saltpeter-hydrochloric acid (V. V. Petrov, 1801), nitric-hydrochloric acid (G . I. Hess, 1831); other names are also known. The word “vodka” originally appeared in the Russian language around the 13th-14th centuries as a diminutive of the word “water” and had this main meaning until the middle of the 19th century. The word “vodka” acquired the meaning of “alcoholic drink” somewhere between the 14th and 19th centuries, initially as a dialect, and only at the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th century began to mean the only “strong alcoholic drink”.

Properties

It is a yellow-orange liquid with a strong odor of chlorine and nitrogen dioxide. Freshly prepared aqua regia is colorless, but quickly turns orange.

The interaction of HCl and HNO 3 produces a complex mixture of highly active products, including associates, nitrogen dioxide, chlorine and nitrosyl chloride (nitrosyl chloride). The presence of nitrosyl chloride NOCl and chlorine in a strongly acidic environment among the reaction products makes aqua regia one of the strongest oxidizing agents. The mixture is prepared immediately before its use: during storage it decomposes with the formation of gaseous products (the formation of nitrogen dioxide and nitrosyl chloride gives the aqua regia its color).

The effectiveness of aqua regia as an oxidizing agent is largely due to the reduction in the oxidation potential of metals due to the formation of chloride complexes. Complexation in a strongly acidic oxidizing environment makes it possible to dissolve even such low-active metals as gold, platinum and palladium already at room temperature:

Dissolution rate (

Tsarskaya is a Russian premium vodka produced in St. Petersburg at the PG Ladoga enterprise. Tsarskaya vodka is sold in 50 countries and 100 thousand points of sale in the Russian Federation. The drink is made from grain ethyl alcohol “Lux” and treated drinking water. The composition contains linden blossom infusion and natural linden honey. The creation of the brand is timed to coincide with the 300th anniversary of the founding of St. Petersburg by Peter the Great (1703). The line includes drinks of various sizes (from 50 ml to liter). Tsarskaya vodka has been awarded a number of prestigious awards (United Vodka-2005, PRODEXPO-2005 and 2007).

Production Features

The soft taste of the drink is ensured by unique double filtration technologies - silver and birch charcoal. The preservation of the original taste is guaranteed by a bottle cast from original cosmetic glass.

Water taken from Lake Ladoga in the vicinity of St. Petersburg is mixed with luxury alcohol. After this, multi-stage purification and enrichment of the drink with healing linden components begins.

Types and classifications

The Ladoga plant produces Tsarskaya Original vodka in 50-1000 ml bottles. In addition, the line includes the following varieties of vodka:

• “Tsarskaya Gold” (regular and in a gift box);
• “Tsarskaya Gold” (packaging plus souvenir stacks);
• “Tsarskaya Original” (gift set);
• bitters (Currant, Raspberry, Cranberry, Citron, Grapefruit).

Drink cost

Prices for Tsarskaya Original vodka range from 95-1400 rubles per bottle. Here are some examples:

• “Tsarskaya” (50 ml) - 90-100 rubles;
• “Tsarskaya” (375 ml) - 400-420;
• “Tsarskaya” (500 ml) - 530-560;
• “Tsarskaya” (700 ml) - 700-730;
• “Tsarskaya” (1 liter) - 980-1000;
• “Tsarskaya Original” (gift box) - 920-1000;
• “Tsarskaya Gold” (regular and gift) - 680-750;
• “Tsarskaya Original” (gift set, three bottles included) - 1360-1400.

How to distinguish counterfeit

The drink is bottled in round bottles with a concave bottom, decorated with embossed inscriptions. On the front label there is a portrait of Emperor Peter the Great. Make sure the quality of the printing and that the sticker is glued evenly. Turn the bottle over and look carefully at the back label. An excerpt from the poem “The Bronze Horseman” by A. S. Pushkin was published there.

The inscription “Premium” is engraved on the side of the bottle. The neck is equipped with an additional label with a coat of arms and the inscription “ROYAL VODKA”. The neck is sealed with branded film. The inscription “ROYAL” is engraved around the circumference of the dispenser. The bottle is also equipped with a federal stamp.

Brand history

The Ladoga company appeared in St. Petersburg in 1995. This is a diversified holding that unites a number of domestic enterprises. The production of alcoholic beverages began in 1997. Tsarskaya Original vodka, belonging to the Premium segment, entered the market in 2003 in connection with the celebration of the tercentenary of St. Petersburg.

Ladoga's products have been repeatedly awarded with international awards. In total, the “Tsar’s Collection” has about 60 awards of various levels. Here is a list of prestigious events at which the holding’s drinks received medals:

• Prodexpo;
• The Vodka Masters;
• ANUGA;
• Superior Taste Award;
• SIAL;
• Spirit Competition;
• Vinexpo;
• Best Vodka Award.

The Ladoga Holding has repeatedly acted as a sponsor of significant public events (the Golden Feather award, the Kommersant, RBC and Sobaka.Ru campaigns). In addition, the holding collaborated with the Peterhof Museum, the Russian Museum and the Hermitage, and was involved in the reconstruction of the Summer Garden and the Konstantinovsky Palace. In 2015, bankruptcy proceedings for the holding were launched.