Tsarskaya is a Russian premium vodka produced in St. Petersburg at the PG Ladoga enterprise. Tsarskaya vodka is sold in 50 countries of the world and in 100 thousand points of sale in the Russian Federation. The drink is made from grain ethyl alcohol "Lux" and drinking corrected water. Linden blossom infusion and natural linden honey are added to the composition. The creation of the brand is timed to 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 liters). Tsarskaya vodka has received a number of prestigious awards (United Vodka-2005, PRODEXPO-2005 and 2007).

Features of production

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

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

Types and classifications

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

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

Drink cost

Prices for vodka "Tsarskaya Originalnaya" fluctuate between 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;
• "Tsar's Gold" (regular and gift) - 680-750;
• "Tsarskaya Original" (gift set, includes three bottles) - 1360-1400.

How to distinguish counterfeit

The drink is bottled in rounded bottles with a concave bottom, decorated with embossed inscriptions. The front label contains 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 take a close look at the back label. An excerpt from the poem "The Bronze Horseman" by Alexander Pushkin is published there.

The side of the bottle is engraved with the "Premium" inscription. The neck is equipped with an additional label with the emblem and the inscription "TSARSKAYA VODKA". The neck is sealed with a branded film. Along the circumference of the dispenser, the inscription "Tsarskaya" is engraved. The bottle also has a federal label.

Brand history

The Ladoga company appeared in St. Petersburg in 1995. This is a diversified holding that has united a number of domestic enterprises. The production of alcoholic beverages began in 1997. Vodka "Tsarskaya Originalnaya", belonging to the Premium segment, entered the market in 2003 in connection with the celebration of the three hundredth anniversary 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;
• BestVodkaAward.

The Ladoga holding has repeatedly acted as a sponsor of significant public events (the Golden Pen award, shares of Kommersant, RBC and Sobaka.Ru). In addition, the holding cooperated with the Peterhof State Museum-Reserve, the Russian Museum and the Hermitage, was engaged in the reconstruction of the Summer Garden and the Konstantinovsky Palace. In 2015, the bankruptcy procedure of the holding was launched.

Ordinary people who have nothing to do with chemistry do not always know what Tsarskaya vodka is. It is often confused with a regular alcoholic beverage. In fact, aqua regia is a mixture of concentrated acids that is used to dissolve any metals, including precious ones.

The aqua regia contains hydrochloric acid (one volume) and nitric acid (three volumes). Sulfuric acid is sometimes added. This solution has many recipes. In the Middle Ages, royal vodka was prepared by distilling a mixture of saltpeter, copper sulphate and alum with the addition of ammonia.

Today, the most popular recipe includes a combination of nitric and hydrochloric acids. The peculiarity of such a solution is that it doubles and triples its oxidizing properties.

Separately, none of the acids included in its composition can dissolve metals.

It is often used to dissolve rare earth and precious metals in the industry of aqua regia. The chemistry of such metals has its own specific features: the dissolution process is carried out in stages. First, nitric acid oxidizes hydrochloric acid.

During this reaction, chlorine and nitrosyl chloride are formed, which, in turn, can also platinum. The reaction produces tetrachloroauric acid, commonly known as "chlorine gold", from which metallic gold can be easily obtained.

The resulting acid, which contains gold, is readily soluble in water. Its crystals are light yellow.

The solution therefore turns yellowish. When heated, the composition decomposes with the release of hydrochloric acid and gold chloride, which has a reddish brown color.

With continued heating, all gold compounds decompose with the release of metallic gold. When platinum is dissolved in aqua regia, hydrochloric acid is obtained. When the solution is evaporated, it is released in the form of red-brown crystals of the composition.

Often, mining people want to know how to make aqua regia on their own. This highly oxidizing solution is not sold off the shelf. To extract precious metals, you can prepare it yourself.

Tsar's vodka can be obtained by mixing one part of nitric acid and 3 parts of hydrochloric acid. It is necessary to strictly adhere to the proportions so that the reaction is strong.

If this is not done, then the solution will not dissolve precious metals due to the weakness of the reaction. Do not mix reagents by eye, as this way you will not get the required accuracy.

When preparing such a solution, you should:

• use protective equipment for hands and eyes;
• a measuring tube, which will help to accurately establish the proportions;
• extractor hood for removing toxic acid fumes;
• a specially prepared area on the work table, which will provide protection against the spilling of hazardous acids and chemical burns.

The preparation of aqua regia must be carried out in accordance with strict proportions. Only in this case it will be possible to obtain a composition that will dissolve gold and platinum. How to prepare aqua regia in stages will be described below.

Stages of preparation of aqua regia

1. First, hydrochloric acid must be poured into chemical dishes with risks, since more of it is needed to prepare aqua regia than nitric acid. When mixing reagents, nitric acid must be poured into hydrochloric acid. This will avoid unnecessary splashing of the components and therefore chemical burns.
2. Then add nitric acid. It must be poured in a thin stream to exclude the appearance of dangerous splashes. Do not bend over to the test tube, as acid vapors are dangerous if inhaled or in the eyes. Pour in reagents at arm's length from your face.
3. The resulting composition of acids should be mixed with a stick very carefully. Do not shake the solution very strongly, it is very dangerous. Tsar's vodka will be ready when the sediment falls to the bottom of the container in which it is located.

At first, its color will be yellow, like that of hydrochloric acid. Within an hour, the solution will change color to dark orange. This will be proof that the reaction went right.

Tsarskaya vodka is not an elite alcohol available only to representatives of royal families, but a dangerous mixture of acids that even affects metals. Anyone who wants to taste this substance can only express our condolences, since aqua regia can cause irreparable harm to the body.

Tsarskaya vodka: what it consists of

Tsarskoe vodka is a mixture of highly concentrated acids, which are a very strong poison. Tsar's vodka is deadly for humans, as it dissolves even metals. It is made from one part hydrochloric acid (HCl) and three parts nitric acid (HNO3). Sometimes sulfuric acid (H2SO4) is also added there. Tsarskoe vodka looks like a yellow liquid, emitting an eerie smell of oxidized nitrogen and chlorine.

The main advantage of aqua regia is that it is able to dissolve any kind of metals, including gold and platinum, although the metals do not dissolve in any of the acids in the liquid separately. With a mixture of acids, active substances appear, which generate chemical reactions that can dissolve metals. At the same time, metals such as tantalum, rhodium and iridium are not affected by aqua regia and remain unchanged. Among other substances that do not dissolve in an acid mixture are fluoroplastic and certain types of plastic.

History of creation and names

We owe the creation of royal vodka to the ancient alchemists who were looking for the legendary philosopher's stone that could turn any substance into gold. Since gold was considered the king of metals, the liquid capable of dissolving it was called aqua regia, which in Latin means “king of waters”. In Russia, the name of the substance was somewhat changed, and it became known as royal vodka. The production of aqua regia began immediately after the alchemists managed to obtain hydrochloric acid. Such a composition was obtained from the distillation of copper sulfate, saltpeter and alum, which were sometimes also mixed with ammonia.

Using aqua regia

Today, few people are interested in the Philosopher's Stone, and aqua regia is used as a reagent in chemical laboratories, for example, for refining platinum and gold. Also, with the help of aqua regia, chlorides of various metals are obtained. Some amateurs can use aqua regia to extract a small amount of gold from old radio components. The substance retains its properties due to the presence of chlorine in it, which begins to evaporate if the vessel is left open. If you store aqua regia for a very long time, it will fade away and will no longer dissolve metals.

Ancient alchemists called gold "the king of metals". Ordinary acids do not affect gold, so when an acid was discovered that was able to dissolve this noble metal, alchemists called it "aqua regia" ( Aqua regia - it is more correct to translate from Latin as "royal water"). Tsar's vodka is capable of dissolving not only gold, but also platinum.

What is aqua regia? It is a mixture of two acids - hydrochloric and nitric in a ratio of 3: 1 (three parts by volume of hydrochloric acid to 1 volume of nitric acid). Tsarskaya vodka is a yellow liquid with the smell of chlorine and nitrogen oxides.

For the first time, royal vodka was obtained by the Italian alchemist Bonaventure in 1270. It is curious that at that time hydrochloric acid was not yet known to science. Tsar's vodka was then prepared by distilling a mixture of saltpeter, copper sulphate and alum with the addition of ammonia.

The oxidizing properties of aqua regia disappear during storage, because chlorine evaporates from it in the air, namely, it is the main one in oxidation reactions. Therefore, only a freshly prepared reagent is suitable for work.

How does aqua regia affect precious metals?

First, nitric acid interacts with hydrochloric acid. In this case, two strongest oxidizing agents are formed - nitrosyl chloride and chlorine:

HNO 3 + 3HCl \u003d NOCl + Cl 2 + 2H 2 O.

These two reagents in pairs are able to oxidize gold even at room temperature:

Au + NOCl 2 + Cl 2 \u003d AuCl 3 + NO.

The resulting gold chloride AuCl 3 immediately adds another molecule of hydrochloric acid HCl, forming tetrachloroauric acid (known as "chlorine gold"):

AuCl 3 + HCl \u003d H].

In total, the oxidation reaction of gold with aqua regia looks like this:

Au + 4HCl + HNO 3 \u003d H + NO + 2H 2 O.

Tetrachloroauric acid crystallizes with four water molecules: H (AuCl 4) 4H 2 O. Its crystals are light yellow, the aqueous solution is also yellowish.

The reaction with platinum proceeds in a similar way to form hydrochloric platinum acid H 2:

3Pt + 18 HCl + 4HNO 3 \u003d 3 H 2 + 4NO + 8H 2 O

It is very simple to obtain pure gold from tetrachloroauric acid hydrate: it needs to be heated. When heated, "chlorine gold" decomposes with the release of HCl and reddish-brown crystals of gold (III) chloride AuCl 3. If a solution of gold (III) chloride is treated with caustic alkali NaOH, yellow-brown gold (III) hydroxide Au (OH) 3 precipitates, which, when heated, turns into gold oxide Au 2 O 3. And gold oxide decomposes at temperatures above 220 °: 2Au 2 O 3 \u003d 4Au + 3O 2.

By the way...

Gold, in addition to aqua regia, dissolves in hot concentrated selenic acid:

2Au + 6H 2 SeO 4 \u003d Au 2 (SeO 4) 3 + 3H 2 SeO 3 + 3H 2 O.

The unique property of aqua regia was used during the Second World War by the famous Danish physicist, Nobel Prize winner Niels Bohr. In 1943, fleeing the Nazi invaders, he was forced to leave Copenhagen. But he kept two gold Nobel medals of his colleagues - German anti-fascist physicists James Frank and Max von Laue (Bohr's own medal was exported from Denmark earlier). Without risking to take the medals with him, the scientist dissolved them in aqua regia and put an unremarkable bottle on the shelf, where many of the same bottles and bubbles with various liquids were gathering dust. Returning to his laboratory after the war, Bohr first of all found a precious bottle. At his request, the staff isolated gold from the solution and re-made both medals.

Hydrochloric acid HC1

Hydrogen chloride gas is a colorless gas with a pungent odor and is highly hygroscopic. Dissolving in water, it forms hydrochloric acid of the following types: fuming hydrochloric acid (40%), density 1.198 g / cm 3; concentrated hydrochloric acid (24-36%), density 1.12-1.18 g / cm 3; diluted hydrochloric acid (12.5%), density 1.06 g / cm 3.

When diluted hydrochloric acid is heated, water evaporates from it, and gaseous hydrogen chloride is released from the concentrated acid at a boiling point of 111 ° C. In this case, in both cases, a mixture of constant composition is formed from 20.24% HC1 and 79.76% water.

Hydrochloric acid is a highly aggressive aqueous solution of hydrogen chloride (technical hydrochloric acid is yellow in color, since it contains iron chloride impurities).

Many base metals, dissolving in hydrochloric acid, form chlorides:

Zn + 2HC1 → ZnCl 2 + H 2.

Some chlorides form a difficult-to-dissolve layer on the metals, preventing further acid attack. Silver, for example, is coated with an insoluble layer of silver chloride, and the following reaction occurs:

2HC1 + 2Ag → 2AgCl + H 2.

As a result, silver is practically insoluble in hydrochloric acid. Hydrochloric acid is used to dissolve metals, obtain a brazing liquid, as a "precipitant" of silver and to prepare aqua regia.

Tsarskaya vodka is a mixture of 3 parts of hydrochloric acid and 1 part of nitric acid. When stored for a long time, this mixture decomposes, so it should be prepared immediately before use. Tsar's vodka is only used to dissolve metals such as gold and platinum. This process can be demonstrated by the example of gold dissolution.

First, nitric acid has an oxidizing effect on hydrochloric acid:

HNO 3 + ZNS1 → NOC1 + C1 2 + 2H 2 O.

In this case, nitrosyl chloride O \u003d N-C1 is formed, which can be considered as an acid chloride of nitrous acid, and free chlorine ions, which immediately after their appearance interact with gold atoms and therefore are chemically more aggressive than gaseous chlorine C1 2:

Au + NOC1 + C1 2 → AuC1 3 + N0.

The resulting gold chloride immediately attaches a hydrochloric acid molecule to itself, forming a chloric-hydrochloric acid called gold chloride:

AuС1 3 + НС1 → H

This complex acid crystallizes with four water molecules as light yellow crystals:

H 4H 2 0,

when dissolved in water, a colored liquid is obtained in exactly the same way. With platinum, the reaction proceeds in a similar way, and the final product in this case is platinum-hydrochloric acid, which crystallizes with six water molecules:

H 6H 2 0.

Sulphuric acidH 2 SO 4

Sulfuric acid is of the following types: pure (100%), density 1.85 g / cm 3; concentrated (98.3%), density 1.84 g / cm 3; technical (94-98%), density up to 1.84 g / cm 3; diluted (~ 10%), density 1.06-1.11 g / cm 3.

In hot concentrated sulfuric acid, all metals, except for gold and platinum, dissolve to form sulfates.

Sulfuric acid is an oily, in its pure form, colorless liquid with a high density (due to organic contamination, technical sulfuric acid is dark in color). Fuming sulfuric acid contains excess sulfur tri-oxide and is therefore particularly active.

Sulfuric acid is very hygroscopic; it takes away even chemically bound water from many substances, as a result of which organic substances are charred.

Sulfuric acid can be diluted with water in any ratio, while it is poured into the water in a thin stream, but in no case the other way around, since when diluted, such an amount of heat is released that water droplets boil and spray along with the acid particles.

Metals dissolve in sulfuric acid according to the following reaction:

Zn + H 2 SO 4 → ZnSO 4 + H 2

Even those metals that are electrochemically noble can, as in the case of nitric acid, dissolve in sulfuric acid by prior oxidation. Consider a copper example:

Cu + H 2 SO 4 → CuO + S0 2 + H 2 O

This is possible because sulfuric acid oxidizes the metal and becomes sulfurous acid, which immediately decomposes into sulfur dioxide and water.

Then the copper oxide dissolves in sulfuric acid, just like the dark coating of copper oxide formed during annealing dissolves in the pickling solution:

CuO + H 2 S0 4 → CuS0 4 + H 2 0.

The overall reaction is as follows:

Cu + 2H 2 SO 4 → CuS0 4 + S0 2 + 2H 2 0.

Red copper oxide is first converted in sulfuric acid into copper oxide, and then dissolves like copper oxide:

Cu + H 2 SO 4 → 2CuO + SO 2 + H 2 O

The formation of metal oxides is possible only in concentrated acid. For example, cold sulfuric acid, diluted to a concentration of less than 20%, dissolves only the most base metals such as iron, zinc, aluminum, while, for example, copper and silver do not react. This circumstance is used when it is necessary to bend a noble metal tube with a mandrel of one of these base metals and then remove it by etching.

Jewelers use sulfuric acid for etching, when determining the sample, as an additive for yellow mordant, for dissolving various metals and for acidic copper plating.