Marskin ryyppy (lit. ''The Marshal's drink/shot''; sv, Marskens snaps) is a strong
alcohol
Alcohol most commonly refers to:
* Alcohol (chemistry), an organic compound in which a hydroxyl group is bound to a carbon atom
* Alcohol (drug), an intoxicant found in alcoholic drinks
Alcohol may also refer to:
Chemicals
* Ethanol, one of sev ...
ic
drink
A drink or beverage is a liquid intended for human consumption. In addition to their basic function of satisfying thirst, drinks play important roles in human culture. Common types of drinks include plain drinking water, milk, juice, smoothies a ...
of
Finnish
Finnish may refer to:
* Something or someone from, or related to Finland
* Culture of Finland
* Finnish people or Finns, the primary ethnic group in Finland
* Finnish language, the national language of the Finnish people
* Finnish cuisine
See also ...
origin, served as a
snaps
Snaps ( ) is a Danish and Swedish word for a small shot of a strong alcoholic beverage taken during the course of a meal. A ritual that is associated with drinking snaps is a tradition in Scandinavia, especially in Denmark and Sweden, where it ...
. The drink is named after
Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim
Baron Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim (, ; 4 June 1867 – 27 January 1951) was a Finnish military leader and statesman. He served as the military leader of the Whites in the Finnish Civil War of 1918, as Regent of Finland (1918–1919), as comma ...
, the
Marshal of Finland
In Finnish Defence Forces Field Marshal ( fi, sotamarsalkka, lit=War Marshal, sv, fältmarskalk) is officially not an active military rank but an honorary rank that can be bestowed upon 'especially distinguished generals'. So far the only hold ...
. According to all sources it is important that the glass where the drink is served is poured as full as possible (to the point where
surface tension
Surface tension is the tendency of liquid surfaces at rest to shrink into the minimum surface area possible. Surface tension is what allows objects with a higher density than water such as razor blades and insects (e.g. water striders) to f ...
keeps some of the drink in the glass); the glass is then to be emptied without spilling.
[Marskin ryyppy](_blank)
at The Mannerheim internet project. Accessed on 26 July 2020. This practice is said to originate in the
Chevalier Guard
The Chevalier Guard Regiment (russian: Кавалергардский полк, Kavalergardskiy polk) was a Russian heavy cavalry guard regiment, created in 1800 by the reformation of the Chevalier Guard corps, itself created in 1764 by Catheri ...
, where Mannerheim once served, in which every man was entitled to one shot of vodka per day. Through this practice everyone was assured an equal (and maximum) amount. Marskin ryyppy must also be served ice-cold.
Origin
![Karhuviina (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/42/Karhuviina_%28cropped%29.jpg)
The drink was originally created by Mannerheim's
adjutant
Adjutant is a military appointment given to an officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of human resources in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed forces as a non-commission ...
Ragnar Grönvall after the Marshal asked him to do something about the horrible flavour of the low quality
vodka
Vodka ( pl, wódka , russian: водка , sv, vodka ) is a clear distilled alcoholic beverage. Different varieties originated in Poland, Russia, and Sweden. Vodka is composed mainly of water and ethanol but sometimes with traces of impuritie ...
available during the
Continuation War
The Continuation War, also known as the Second Soviet-Finnish War, was a conflict fought by Finland and Nazi Germany against the Soviet Union from 1941 to 1944, as part of World War II.; sv, fortsättningskriget; german: Fortsetzungskrieg. A ...
in the early 1940s. The goal was to mask the taste of cheap vodka by adding a dash of more expensive ingredients into the mix.
Ingredients
The ingredients of the mixture have been up for debate for almost 50 years, and the original ingredients are not even available anymore. According to some sources the drink is to be made of:
* ''The Mannerheim internet project'': 1 liter (1 L) of Rajamäki brand
akvavit
''Akvavit'' or ''aquavit'' (; also ''akevitt'' in Norwegian; ''aquavit'' in English) is a distilled spirit that is principally produced in Scandinavia, where it has been produced since the 15th century. ''Akvavit'' is distilled from grain or potat ...
, 2 cL dry
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
vermouth
Vermouth (, ) is an aromatized fortified wine, flavoured with various botanicals (roots, barks, flowers, seeds, herbs, and spices) and sometimes colored. The modern versions of the beverage were first produced in the mid- to late 18th centur ...
and 1 cL
gin
Gin () is a distilled alcoholic drink that derives its flavour from juniper berries (''Juniperus communis'').
Gin originated as a medicinal liquor made by monks and alchemists across Europe, particularly in southern Italy, Flanders and the Ne ...
.
*
Alko
Alko Inc is the national alcoholic beverage retailing monopoly in Finland. It is the only store in the country which retails beer over 5.5% ABV, wine (except in vineyards) and spirits. Alcoholic beverages are also sold in licensed restaurants a ...
's ''Etiketti'' magazine: 500 mL Extra brand akvavit, 500 mL Pöytäviina brand
brännvin
Brännvin is a Swedish liquor distilled from potatoes, grain, or (formerly) wood cellulose. It can be plain and colourless, or flavoured with herbs and spices. Beverages labelled ''brännvin'' are usually plain and have an alcohol content between ...
, 20 mL Noilly Prat vermouth and 10 mL gin.
* Taru Stenvall's book ''Marski ja hänen hovinsa'' (The Marshal and his noble court) of 1955: 1 liter Rajamäki brand akvavit, 20 mL vermouth and 20 mL gin. (In the first two editions of the book a somewhat absurd amount of 10 mL of akvavit was printed.)
* ''Juomanlaskija'' magazine (5/2000): 500 mL dry, unflavoured alcohol, 20 mL sweet vermouth and 10 mL gin.
Trademark
The rights to the trademark ''Marskin ryyppy'' belonged to Mikkelin Klubi for a long time. In the year 1995 they rented the rights to produce ''Marskin ryyppy'' to a British company
Allied Domecq
Allied Domecq PLC was an international company, headquartered in Bristol, United Kingdom, that operated spirits, wine, and quick service restaurant businesses. It was once a FTSE 100 Index constituent but has been acquired by Pernod Ricard. They ...
, for whom the drink was made by
Lignell & Piispanen
Lignell & Piispanen (L&P) is a Finnish company from Kuopio, manufacturing alcoholic beverages. Its parent company Oy Gust. Ranin was founded in 1852 and the trademark and products of Lignell & Piispanen were merged into it in 1932.
History
In 1783 ...
in
Kuopio
Kuopio (, ) is a Finnish city and municipality located in the region of Northern Savonia. It has a population of , which makes it the most populous municipality in Finland. Along with Joensuu, Kuopio is one of the major urban, economic, and cult ...
, Finland. In November 2005 Mikkelin Klubi announced that they had sold the trademark to an international beverage producer
Pernod Ricard
Pernod Ricard () is a French company best known for its anise-flavoured pastis apéritifs Pernod Anise and Ricard Pastis (often referred to simply as ''Pernod'' or ''Ricard''). The world’s second-largest wine and spirits seller, it also produ ...
. The exact amount for the purchase was not made public, but it was said to be "millions of old Finnish marks".
[Länsi-Savo, 24.11.2005]
Literature
* Uola, Mikko: ''Marskin ryyppy: marsalkkamme juomakulttuuria chevalier-kaartista ylipäällikön ruokapöytään.'' Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura, 2002. {{ISBN, 951-746-385-5
References
Finnish alcoholic drinks
Shooters (drinks)
Cultural depictions of Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim