Koskenkorva Viina (also known simply as Koskenkorva, or Kossu) is the most common clear spirit drink (38%) in Finland, produced by the state-owned alcohol company Altia. The grain (barley) alcohol is produced using 200-step continuous distillation designed to produce high-purity industrial ethanol. The drink is produced by diluting this alcohol with spring water and a very small amount of sugar. As it is made from industrial ethanol made with continuous distillation, and does not require the filtration step, it is not a true vodka, and is never called such in Finnish. Instead, it is viina "hard liquor".
Besides the standard 38% near-unflavored there are several variants of Koskenkorva on the market, most notably the infamous Salmiakki Koskenkorva, better known as Salmiakkikossu or Salmari. Another variant is the same drink with rye instead of barley, marketed under the same concept as Koskenkorva Viina Ruis. The Koskenkorva Vodka is the same drink, but intended for foreign markets, and with 40% or 60% alcohol instead of the traditional 38%. Likewise, Finlandia Vodka is of the same source. However, the sugar is not added.
The Koskenkorva Viina bottle has a white label, with KOSKENKORVA VIINA in black, and a drawing of a scenery of fields with barns on them in light brown. The rye variant has a light brown field in pale, with the text RUIS. Salmiakki Koskenkorva has a completely different black label.
Kossu is at its best when it's cold, but can be also mixed for example with Coke (then it's called "Kossukola") or with Vichy mineral water ("Kossuvissy").
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