Vodka – the simple, elegant, crystal clear liquid is one of the most versatile liquors. It’s origins are claimed by three countries: Russia, Poland and Sweden. It has become synonymous with Russian culture, but it’s really a drink for everyone, brought to us by Northern Europe.
How vodka is made has varied over the years. At first, they had to redistill the vodka to eliminate impurities. This gave vodka its name: a shortened version of the Russian word for water. Later in the 15th century, they introduced honey to the distillation process. But it wasn’t until the 18th century that they first accused charcoal, the famous method still used today.
These days, the distillation process has gotten much fancier. Now we use everything from herbs and spices to flowers to brighten up or change the taste of vodka. There is even chocolate vodka now! A development many chocoholics are particularly happy with.
Over the years vodka has permeated Russian culture. It is had such an effect that it has caused many crusades similar to the Prohibition movement in America. The most recent crusade against vodka was led by Gorbachev in the 80s. Much like prohibition, all of these crusades have failed.
Poland was the first country to make vodka their national drink. Poland was also the first country to export vodka. Because they exported it to Russia they like to claim that they invented vodka, but no one really knows for sure which country vodka came from. Sweden is the other country that claims vodka as its own. They were using vodka for medicinal purposes as early as the 14th century.
You might think that gin was older than vodka, but gin did not appear until early in the 16th century. Vodka, however; appeared as early as the 9th century. Vodka has gone through many growing pains over the years. It went from being the drink of the people to be the drink of nobility. In the 1700s making and selling vodka was restricted to the nobility.
You can thank the Russian revolution for introducing vodka to the rest of the world. During the revolution the state tried to takeover many distilleries. This caused many of the Russian brands to leave the country. One of these was Smirnoff, who are still in business today.
The first vodka distillery in the United States was started by our Russian émigré in the 1930s. Even though vodka was being made in the United States, it didn’t become popular until the 1950s, with the rise of a drink called the Moscow Mule. During the swinging 60s, vodka cocktails really took off. It was during the 1960s that so many companies started making different brands of vodka here in the United States.
For longtime vodka was known as the drink of the people. Now it has developed a reputation as a cosmopolitan drink for up and coming socialites. It has even been featured in popular movies and television shows, like Sex and the City. In fact, the girls of Sex and the City made the Cosmopolitan one of the most popular drinks in the United States.
Many types of alcohol are complex, but vodka is relatively simple. It is a grain alcohol made from potatoes, corn and rice – very basic. The goal of vodka is a clear, pure and flavorless alcohol. To achieve this it is triple filtered, most often through charcoal, although every brand has a secret technique.
It is only recently that flavors have begun to be added to vodka. Vodka purists think that adding flavor dilutes the quality of the alcohol, but it has proved to be very popular with public. The ability to add flavor has given rise to several new brands. Some of the brands offer both flavored vodka and pure vodka. However, many of the brands are centered around their one flavor, such as the Three Olives brand.
Enough about the history of vodka! I talked about two popular cocktails, now let me tell you how to make them:
Cosmopolitan
2 tablespoons vodka
1.5 tablespoons Triple Sec
1.5 tablespoons cranberry juice
2 teaspoons lime juice
Crushed ice
Twist of lime
Shake well and pour into a martini glass that has been chilled
Moscow Mule
2 ounces vodka
2 ounces lime juice
Ginger Ale
Pour into high ball glass over ice