- Jabol
Jabol (pron. IPA-pl| ['jabɔl] ) is a
slang name for a large family of cheap Polish spirits made of apples.Overview
With prices of around 2 USD (3-4 złote) for 0.75l bottle, jabol is very popular in Poland among lower-income residents and teenagers as well as the homeless.Fact|date=October 2007 These
alcoholic drinks , while bottled to appear like wines, do not have much in common with real wines and have a taste similar to a blend ofcordial liquors andvodka .Fact|date=October 2007Jabols come in various names and fruit flavors, yet there are three things all these beverages have in common - cheap price, poor quality, and relatively high volume of alcohol (ranged 8%-18%).Fact|date=October 2007
Although those
quasi -wine s come in various flavours, it is important to mention that all of them are made fromapple s of poor quality averaging $0.02 per kg in market purchase price.Fact|date=October 2007 Moreover, the producers often cheat when estimating the volume of alcohol for marketing purposes.Fact|date=October 2007It is said that whole Polish sugar industry is still functioning because of the customer preference of drinking sweet drinks.Fact|date=October 2007Packaging
Jabol is sometimes distributed in carton packages (similar to milk or juice cartons), plastic bottles or in specially-prepared plastic bags.Fact|date=October 2007 The purpose of these solutions is for being unnoticed while drinking it and lowering the costs of production.Fact|date=October 2007
It is the only
wine that comes withsell by date marked on the label.Fact|date=October 2007History
Jabol is produced by several companies and has been enjoyed by generations of Polish drinkers. Jabol is especially popular in Polish punk culture. It is commonly said in Poland that Jabol contained allegedly dangerous
sulfur dioxide . But contrary to that opinion, sulfur dioxide is used even with expensive grape wines.Cultural references
* "
Pieniądze to nie wszystko " –comedy film byJuliusz Machulski from2000
* "Jabol punk", "Jabolowe ofiary" ("Jabol victims") – songs byKSU from album "Pod prąd".
* "Tanie Wino" ("Cheap wine") – song byHaratacze
* "SO2" – song byZielone Żabki (sulfur dioxide reference)
*Acid Drinkers – polish thrash metal band. The name is a reference to the drink.
* "Autobiografia" – one of the most popular songs by Perfect.
* "Arizona" – documentary byEwa Borzęcka from1997 , showing life in poor polish villageExternal links
* [http://www.tomex.kom.pl/index.php?page=galeria&galeria=wina&start=0 More pictures of Jabol bottles]
* [http://www.winka.net Polish site about Jabol]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
