Grookh - the Spirit of Rhanukhan

Grookh is a distilled beverage made from cabbages, most famously in Wehldi province, though Grookh distilleries can be found in all parts of Rhanukhan.

The distillation technology to produce Grookh from cabbage syrup was first introduced from the southern Holodlhessi provinces in the mid-1200s. The province of Wehldi particularly embraced the spirit and is now largely composed of extensive fields of cabbages. Although Grookh is made all over Rhanukhan, Wehldi Grookh is widely renowned as the finest and carries a Protected Designation of Origin.

Planting, tending, and harvesting the specific cabbage strains employed in the production of Grookh remains a manual effort, largely unchanged by modern farm machinery and relying on centuries-old know-how. The people who harvest it have intimate knowledge of how the plants should be cultivated, passed down from generation to generation.

Cabbage field in Brugha, Wehldi province.

The largest problem with fermenting cabbage to alcohol is its very small amount of sugar and its notorious reeking smell when cooked down to a higher sugar level. If it is boiled for a sufficient time, however, it can be concentrated to the point that makes it worthwhile. For Grookh production this is traditionally carried out over a warm coal stove. It usually requires a day of boiling the vegetable to reduce it enough to get a reasonable amount of sugar, typically resembling a weak molasses by the time it is concentrated enough. The smell is famously regarded as intolerable by most people outside the industry - the areas surrounding Grookh distilleries are not popular for habitation!

The cabbage ferments very vigorously, producing extraordinary nutrient levels, and the resulting syrup is stilled in a pot still. It may be distilled a number of times, depending on the traditional tastes of the region, to reduce the cabbage flavour to the preferred level. A dozen cabbages can be expected to produce approximately one pint of Grookh by the end of the process. The final alcohol content is typically between 70-120 proof.

Grookh comes in an abundant array of colours ranging from clear, through gold, to a dark amber brown. The colour and final flavour of the Grookh varies greatly depending on the aging process and the type of wood used for storage.

In Rhanukhan, the most traditional way to drink Grookh is neat, though beyond the country’s borders, many people prefer to disguise the famously pungent flavour with other spirits or mixers (for example, a "Pyhnanni Sunset", in which a golden Grookh is mixed with cinnamon and orange juice and served "on the rocks"). The best quality Grookhs do not impart significant alcohol burn, and drinking it mixed with anything is likely to remove much of the flavour. These fine Grookhs are usually sipped from a snifter glass rather than a shot glass, and savoured instead of quickly gulped. Doing so allows the taster to detect subtler fragrances and flavours that would otherwise be missed.