Vodka: A Short History

Vodka: A Short History

                The drink from the East which was once drunk by the most ruthless leaders of Russia is now a party liquor for college kids and the main ingredient of most ‘girly’ cocktails. The neutral taste of Vodka makes it a bartender’s best friend, and the relatively cheap prices makes it closer than family to a young drinker. Cape Coder, Screwdriver, Cosmopolitan, Appletini, White Russian or just straight shots from the bottom shelf all are great choices. Whatever your vodka drink of choice may be, it will be nice for you to learn the turbulent history of the alcohol which has caused many you to have had wild nights with rough mornings.

Vodka’s origins are in the region spanning Poland, Ukraine, and Russia and its early generations were probably the result of Monks’ experimentation during the middle ages. Although most Americans recognize the beverage as a Russian design, the Polish often contest this as it’s a matter of national pride, though both nations have reason to claim creation. Russian Tsars took control over the Vodka industry early on and used its revenues to fund the government, privileged supporters were allowed to distill the spirit for loyalty to the Tsar. By the late 1800s the Russian government banned serfdom which had prevented any of the lower classes to embrace their entrepreneurial spirt. The commoners were allowed to distill which vastly increased the quality and quantity of the spirit. A young serf who took advantage of Vodka’s growth was Pytor Smirnov, whose recipe created the Smirnov brand. Production in Poland started with using grain and began wide scale production in the 1500s. Eventually the Poles switched to using potatoes as they became more readily available in the 1800s. Scandinavians, particularly Sweden had a nationwide industry in the 1700s.  By the 1940s, World War Two had introduced Western Europe and America to Vodka which became extremely popular. Bartending ingenuity began to boom with Vodka as the neutral taste allowed for more variations in flavor and thus more variations in drinks. More recently high end vodka has been on the rise with brands like Grey Goose and Absolute.

So raise a glass to Peter the Great for all his partying, to Mother Russia for kicking out its greatest distiller, to Polish potatoes and to James Bond for bringing the brand to popular culture.

Popular Brands

Grey Goose, Ketal One, Smirnoff, Crystal Skull, Svedka, Vladimir, Vestal, Reyka, Belvedere, Absolute, New Asterdam, Mccormicks, Popov, Stolichnaya

 

Works Cited

·         McFarland, Ben, and Tom Sandham. "Rum." Thinking Drinkers: The Enlightened Imbiber's Guide to Alcohol. N.p.: n.p., n.d. N. pag. Print.

·         Phillips, Roderick. Alcohol: A History. N.p.: n.p., n.d.. Print.

·         Hellmich, Mittie. Ultimate Bar Book: The Comprehensive Guide to over 1,000 Cocktails. San Francisco: Chronicle, 2006. Print.