The term vodka (Polish vodkaRussian водка, Northern Sami vodka) is the diminutive of the Slavic word for water, Where. So vodka means “little water”.
Because it’s made from distilled grain or potatoes, vodka contains fewer non-volatile compounds than water, making it lighter.
1 liter of water weighs 1 kilogram.
1 liter of vodka, on the other hand, is 950 grams.
The first distillations of drinks, which are considered the precursors of vodka, are said to have taken place in Poland and Russia in the ninth century, according to historians. The first written record dates back to 1405 in the former Kingdom of Poland in Sandomierz and describes a traditional distillation process still used in Poland. For centuries, the drinks differed significantly from today’s vodka, because the spirits of that time had a different taste, color and smell and had a medicinal background. Also, early vodka was only about half as strong as today’s. It is very likely that the current way of producing vodka came about evolutionarily and thanks to the great abundance of rye in agricultural countries such as Poland or Russia.
The vodka facts continue like this, but first a short commercial break:
And now back to the facts…
It’s more than just a vernacular: vodka is actually one of the purest spirits, technically speaking, because it’s made from very few ingredients — often just water and wheat, rye, or barley. Other spirits, such as whiskey, are made from multiple grains and also contain other flavorings that affect the taste. In addition, vodka is distilled several times to remove all impurities, sometimes resulting in the relatively neutral taste of the brandy.
While many spirits are strictly defined by the ingredients they are made from, there are no universal rules for making vodka. While vodka is traditionally made from grains or potatoes, just about any fermentable sugar will do: grapes, maple syrup, soybeans, milk…even freshly cut weed! Everything works! Thus, taste nuances can be determined, although this drink is generally considered colorless, odorless and tasteless.
Many spirits are protected by state-controlled and internationally recognized designations of origin (such as cognac or whiskey). Not so vodka. Sure, vodka is culturally associated with countries like Russia, Poland or Finland. There is also the so-called vodka belt (highlighted in blue in the image below) – the group of countries where vodka is proportionally the most widely consumed alcoholic beverage: Nordic countries, Baltic countries, Poland, Ukraine, Belarus and Russia.
But several countries such as France or the US are among the largest vodka producers and consumers in the world. In the US, for example, more vodka is drunk than gin, scotch, rum and tequila combined. Sweden is the world’s largest exporter of vodka, followed by France.
Russia, often associated with vodka, isn’t even in the top ten – and that’s already in the 2021 stats before export restrictions due to the war in Ukraine came into effect. In reality, a number of vodka brands with Russian-sounding names are not from Russia at all. Although Smirnoff is named after the Russian founding family (who had already fled the Bolsheviks in 1917), it is owned by the British multinational Diageo and is produced in the US and several other countries. not but in Russia. Vodka Gorbatschow is German. Troika is Swiss. And Stolichnaya is produced in Latvia and changed the brand name to Stoli last year to dispel Russian associations with the name.
Vodka is the tofu of the spirit world. It takes on the flavor profile of whatever it is mixed with. This property sometimes drives special flowers: Peanut Butter and Jelly Vodka? Tobacco flavored vodka? With smoked salmon flavor? Blueberry pancakes? Is something wrong?
Some of the best known are:
More than whiskey, more than rum: Vodka is the most drunk in terms of volume. There are about 1000 vodka brands in existence worldwide.
In 1976, vodka overtook whiskey as the top-selling distilled spirit in the United States – a position it has held ever since.
And that was on the night of victory after Germany’s capitulation on May 9, 1945. In previous years, the Soviet war economy had almost completely converted grain production into food production, leading to significantly reduced vodka supplies. During the celebrations, it took the Muscovites 22 hours to use up their city’s vodka reserves.
Swedish brand Absolut once had the special edition Pinstripe Black Bottle, which was limited to 10 bottles and cost $10,000 each. Finnish Kors offered the George V Limited Edition for $24,500 per bottle. That’s a no brainer compared to the 2015 Leon Verres Billionaire Vodka…
… which was available in 18 liter bottles and cost … $ 7.25 million each.
Source: Watson
I am Dawid Malan, a news reporter for 24 Instant News. I specialize in celebrity and entertainment news, writing stories that capture the attention of readers from all walks of life. My work has been featured in some of the world’s leading publications and I am passionate about delivering quality content to my readers.
