Yorsh

Ingredients

The drink

• 400 mllager beer, cold
• 50 mlvodka, cold

To serve

• a large beer glass
• a shot glass
• salted snacks, alongside

Directions

1. Yorsh is vodka dropped into beer and drunk quickly.
2. It is named after the ruffe, a small spiny river fish.
3. The fish is bristly and awkward, which is the joke.
4. It became a working-class drink in the Soviet period.
5. It is notorious for how fast it takes effect.
6. It belongs to the same family as the boilermaker.
7. Similar mixes exist in most beer-drinking countries.
8. An honest note comes before the method.
9. This drink exists to produce drunkenness quickly.
10. That is its purpose and its reputation.
11. Mixing spirits with beer speeds up absorption.
12. The carbonation moves alcohol into the blood faster.
13. The beer also disguises how much vodka is in the glass.
14. One yorsh is roughly three units in a few mouthfuls.
15. It is recorded here as a documented drinking custom.
16. Anyone drinking it should know what it does.
17. Choosing the beer is a matter of habit.
18. A plain pale lager is what is normally used.
19. It should be cold and freshly opened.
20. Strong or heavily hopped beer is not the tradition.
21. The point is a neutral base for the vodka.
22. Choosing the vodka is equally unfussy.
23. Ordinary vodka is what this drink is made with.
24. Good vodka is entirely wasted in it.
25. It should be cold, straight from the freezer.
26. Making the drink takes seconds.
27. Pour the beer into a large glass.
28. Leave a good gap at the very top.
29. The beer will foam sharply when the vodka goes in.
30. Fill a shot glass with cold vodka.
31. Lower the shot glass into the beer.
32. Some people drop it in and let it sink.
33. Others simply pour the vodka straight in.
34. Dropping the glass is more theatrical.
35. It also risks chipping the beer glass.
36. Pouring is the safer and more common method.
37. Serving it is always immediate.
38. The drink is meant to be finished quickly.
39. It goes flat and tastes unpleasant if it stands.
40. It is drunk in one long draught in most company.
41. Salted fish or pickles are eaten alongside.
42. Black bread and salo are the traditional accompaniment.
43. Eating properly alongside it matters a great deal.
44. Drinking it on an empty stomach is a bad idea.
45. It is not a drink for anyone driving anywhere.
46. It is not a drink for a long evening either.

Technique

• The ruffe, yorsh in Russian, is a small spiny freshwater fish, and the drink takes its name from the fish’s bristly awkwardness.
• The same drink appears in many countries under names like boilermaker, submarino and depth charge.

Substitutions

• Any pale lager and any plain vodka will make it, and no substitution improves it.
• A non-alcoholic version does not exist in any meaningful sense.

Variations

• Some drinkers use less vodka for a lighter version.
• Others drop the shot glass in whole rather than pouring.
• Related drinks in other countries substitute whisky or tequila for the vodka.

History

A Soviet-era working-class mix named after the ruffe fish, notorious for its speed of effect.

Frequently asked questions

What is Yorsh?

Yorsh is a cocktail from Russia: vodka dropped into beer and drunk fast, harshly strong. A Soviet-era working-class mix named after the ruffe fish, notorious for its speed of effect.

How long does Yorsh take to make?

Yorsh takes 1 minute of preparation and none of cooking. The recipe makes 1 glass. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Yorsh?

Yes, within limits. Any pale lager and any plain vodka will make it, and no substitution improves it. A non-alcoholic version does not exist in any meaningful sense.