Shtof (German Stof) – originally a volume measure for measuring alcoholic beverages, and then a vessel in which wine or vodka was stored. Literally translated, it means “big mug”, and this surprisingly coincides with a similar measure that existed in Russia. Curiously, even volumes coincide with jewelry accuracy – 1.23 liters.
How to measure
A damask is equal to 1/10 of a bucket, while the damask itself contains 10 cups. It is easy to calculate that there are about 12.5 liters in a bucket (mostly vodka), and a cup is the classic “one hundred grams” (with a little more). However, there was also an alternative counting system, in which the shtof was equal to 1/8 of a bucket and was ~1.5 liters.
Like dishes
Over time, the name of the measure of volume was transferred to the most common vessel for vodka, and four-sided bottles of green glass with a short neck, clogged with a cork, began to be called shtofs. Visually, this product looked a bit like Soviet rubber heating pads (although who knows, what if the coincidence is not accidental?).
Due to a little confusion with the measures, there were both ten and octal damask bottles, and in addition to damask bottles, there were also half-damask and damask bottles (most often the last bottle contained ~ 300 ml of vodka, but this is not a fixed volume that could freely “walk” in any side).
History of vodka bottles
How did the Russian “mug” give way to the German “damask”? Foreign glassblowers are to blame for everything, bringing new art to Russia, and with it the lexicon. To illustrate the popularity of this measure (and packaging), suffice it to say that at the beginning of the 2.5th century, more than XNUMX million shtofs were produced in Russia – the same number as all other types of bottles combined.
With the development of glass production, festive and gift shtofs made of crystal, ceramics, and porcelain began to appear. Products were decorated with paintings and engravings, from a simple “peasant” damask, an exquisite carafe for storing expensive drinks “budded”. However, the quadrangular shape remained unchanged, only the materials and finishes changed.
An interesting fact: half-forgotten bottles had a significant impact on the design of today’s vodka boxes. Surely you have noticed that there are 20 “nests” in the loading container, and the box turns out to be asymmetrical: 4×5 bottles. This is terribly inconvenient: empty containers are difficult to store, they take up more space and are less ergonomic. Why, then, are they made that way? It’s simple: before, vodka was supplied not in “half-liters”, but in half bottles, and the standard batch was a bucket (20 half bottles). Since then, both volumes and vessels have changed, but the tradition has remained.
Another interesting detail: the octagon damask was less popular than the 0.76 damask, but even it did not pass tangentially in our history. An octagonal half-damask equals XNUMX liters – exactly as much as is contained in a modern bottle of sparkling wine.
Shtoffs for vodka today
Nowadays, damask is no longer considered an indispensable attribute of a feast – rather, it is a curious souvenir with a historical flair, a good and status gift for a boss or other respected person. Of course, manufacturers have not followed either the form or the volume for a long time: there are “damasks” on the market in the form of architectural structures, ships, and even copies of world-famous works of art. The design can also be very different: from artistic inlay to images of the national flag or other recognizable symbols.
Only the name remains, which can be interpreted as a beautiful (original) vodka bottle.