Atomik : radioactive potato alcohol from Chernobyl
Named Atomik, it is the alcohol from radioactive potatoes produced in Chernobyl, the first consumer product from the exclusion zone.
It is unusual. The Chernobyl exclusion zone still has a lot to give despite the levels of radioactivity. Potatoes are one of the foods that still occur in this zone that make it possible to produce Atomik radioactive potato alcohol.
According to scientists close to Atomik, the distillation process used to produce the alcohol makes it possible to eliminate any trace of radioactivity.
It was in 2019 that the same group of scientists along with a group of distillers decided to create this bold new type of drink – Atomik. Craft, the radioactive potato alcohol is made from ingredients grown in the still radioactive exclusion zone.
Bottles of Atomik were about to be marketed for sale with a batch of 1,500 bottles exported to the United Kingdom. However, the Ukrainian authorities confiscated the 1500 bottles of Atomik. The reasons remain unknown.
Atomik made a statement in response to this fact and published a press release on its website.
Jim Smith, founder of the society and professor at the University of Portsmouth stated what appears to have been the authorities’ reason for confiscating the bottles. “They seem to be accusing us of using fake Ukrainian tax stamps, which makes no sense, as the bottles are destined for the UK market and are clearly labeled with valid British tax stamps.” Something the company’s lawyer, Elina Smirnova, calls a “clear violation” of Ukrainian law.
Photo: Atomik
Atomik : a radioactive potato alcohol and the first consumer product to come out of Chernobyl
According to the company, if Atomik conquers the physical points of sale, it would be the first consumer product from the Chernobyl region since the 1986 nuclear catastrophe that disabled the site due to radioactivity emanating from the plant’s explosion.
The distillation process for Atomik allows the final product to be radiation-free. The potatoes are grown in the Ukrainian district of Narodychi, which is on the edge of the exclusion zone and suffered from the repercussions of the meltdown. The region is home to 10,000 people and in order to grow food, a strict agricultural protocol must be followed.
Smith, along with his Atomik team, is seeking to prove that certain products manufactured near the exclusion zone are safe for human consumption.
The team has been testing for years and had started with rye crops from the exclusion zone to detect radiation. As a result they found that the grains were indeed contaminated, but all traces of radioactivity disappeared during the distillation process.
Today Atomik is produced with potatoes, and the distillation still suppresses any trace of radiation.
“We dilute our distillate with a mineral water from the deep aquifer beneath the city of Chernobyl, about 10 km south of the nuclear power plant. It is pure and of high quality, with the characteristics of a typical calcareous aquifer such as that found in southern England or the Champagne region of France. We are trying to find out exactly how many thousands of years old this water is, but it was definitely nowhere near the surface in 1986.”
The Chernobyl Spirit Company which stops Atomik, announced that if they succeed in selling the alcohol in retail outlets, they will use 75% of the profits to “help create jobs and investments in the regions of Ukraine affected by the Chernobyl catastrophe and continue to support the community.”
More information : https://www.atomikvodka.com/
Don’t drink and drive. Enjoy responsibly.
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