Borsch, Vodka and Tears, food to drink with

(Hardie Grant, R287)

After immigrating to Australia, Andrzej Kaczmarski set about creating an institution that would please even the most traditional of Polish grannies. Enter the ambient world of Borsch, Vodka and Tears, a vodka bar and restaurant, that celebrates the delights and comforts of Polish food and vodka. Flick through the pages to reveal the vodkas, cocktails (look out for ‘honey on toast’) and hearty recipes (cabbage rolls and potato blintzes) served up in this much-loved Melbourne restaurant.

Highlight: The sizeable chapter on notable vodka labels from the ‘Vodka Belt’.