The most comprehensive guide to vodka 2024

For much of Western history, vodka was called "aqua vitae", which in Latin translates to "water of life". Even today, hints of this traditional name can be found in the Scandinavian language drink aquavit (Akevitt in Norwegian, Akavit in Danish), which is the national alcohol with a strength of 37.5-50%. The Polish "okowita" and Ukrainian "оковита" (okovita) are also derived from this name. The term "vodka" appeared at the end of the 19^th century and is a slight variation of the Latin "aqua," meaning water.

The Polish and Ukrainian variants of the word "vodka" date all the way back to the Kievan Rus term, "hot wine" (wine that burns): resulting in the Polish "gorzalka" and Ukrainian "горілка" (gorilka).

The flammable nature of wine vapors was well-known among ancient philosophers and scholars, including Aristotle and Theophrastus. According to Russian Wikipedia, instructions to obtain the spirit can be found as early as in the notes of the 9^th-century Persian healer, alchemist and philosopher Abu Bakr al-Razi. English Wikipedia also mentions that the process of distilling wine was found in Arabic-language books supposedly written by Arab philosopher Al-Kindi, Islamic philosopher Al-Farabi, as well as Arab physician Al-Zahrawi. It's important to note that these ancient scientists and philosophers extracted the spirits for their valuable essential oils and essences.

According to the British encyclopedia Britannica, in the 1100-1200s the first ethyl spirit was extracted in Italy. In the 11^th century Italian doctor Taddeo Alderotti described the method for concentrating alcohol which included fractional distillation through a water-cooled tank, a technique which could produce alcohol with a purity of 90%. This was called "spiritus vini", meaning "the spirit of wine" — the difference being that now that vodka was "distilled" as a drink.

In 1386, the Genoese ambassadors brought their aqua vitae grape from Italy to Grand Prince of Moscow Dmitri Donskoi as a diplomatic gift.

In his book "The History of Vodka", William Pokhlyobkin dates Slavic distillation back to between 1460 and 1500, with the first place of production being an orthodox monastery. At the beginning of the 16^th century, hot or burning wine had already become a part of daily life.

With the introduction of the Eastern European state monopoly in the second half of the 15^th century, industrial distillation began to appear, i.e. the production of alcohol and vodka from sugary and starchy products. This was the first time that the state monopoly involved itself in the operations of an alcoholic drink. The state held exclusive sales rights of the vodka which was produced in private distilleries.

But what about Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev? Was his role in the creation of vodka not important? The scientist has only been indirectly connected to the popular drink. In 1865, he defended his dissertation on the properties of an alcohol-water solution. The results of his measurements of water-alcohol solutions formed the basis of alcoholometric tables. However, the idea that Mendeleev invented vodka is simply a myth.

Whereas Europeans had already been drinking it for several centuries, the first mention of vodka in the US was in 1859 in the newspaper The New York Herald. The article written by a newspaper correspondent concerned the eccentricities of soldiers and sailors. In 1871, the Vermont Watchman and State Journal coined vodka as comparable to corn brandy.

It's worth noting that vodka was not immediately successful in America. At the time, Americans had their own alcohol preferences of bourbon, whisky, and gin. It wasn't until several decades had passed, and Prohibition, a period with strict alcohol bans and restrictions, began, that lovers of strong drinks picked up on the colourless vodka, since it was intoxicating and undetectable in a glass. In 1934 the first vodka distillery opened in Connecticut.

Americans have always loved a strong "colored" drink – such as whisky and bourbon – which are aged in special oak barrels. Gin, which is colourless, was also a common ingredient used in cocktails. Much like gin, vodka started to gain popularity in the US thanks to its ideal pairing with juices and other alcoholic beverages: a Screwdriver combines vodka with orange juice; a Bloody Mary combines vodka with tomato juice; an Ice Pick combines vodka and cold tea; and a Bull Shot combines vodka and hot spicy beef broth.

According to sales from 1976, vodka had become more popular than scotch and even came close to beating bourbon. This was an absolute triumph and the drink became even more popular in the 80s, when an Absolut vodka ad featuring American artist Andy Warhol appeared on TV, followed by the appearance of a new combination of drinks – vodka and energy drinks. Even today, vodka remains one of the best-selling spirits in the US with National Vodka Day, on the 4^th of October, having been celebrated since 2009.

There are a number of well-known vodka museums around Western and Eastern Europe and America, featuring impressive exhibitions of the alcohol. Many brands have their own museums at the distilleries.

The Museum of Spirits is one of the world's largest museums of alcohol and is located on the island of Djurgården in Stockholm, Sweden. The exhibition includes wine samples and the history of alcohol in Sweden, as well as historical documents detailingwith detailed description of vodka production in the country the production of vodka in the country. It also features exhibitions of the country's most famous vodka brand – Absolut, which is produced by the company V&S Group, although the brand is owned by the French company Pernod Ricard.

In America, the Museum of the American Cocktail, founded by pioneer of the craft cocktail Dale DeGroff, houses a collection of more than 1000 different vodkas.

The Polish Vodka Museum in Warsaw opened in 2018, and is the newest vodka museum. It, that is located in the Polish capital on the site of a former vodka distillery, where the famous "Wyborowa" and "Luksusowa" recipes were created in the 20^th century. It is a modern museum with a multimedia exhibition whose logo and design comes from the result of a national competition. Throughout the exhibition, one can discover the history of the first polish liquor distillery, and also traditional Polish vodka customs and habits associated with the consumption of the drink.

C2H5OH 40 % + H2O 60 % is the chemical composition of vodka. The traditional ratio of alcohol to water was the result of experiments and several bureaucratic agreements.

Originally, before the invention of alcohol metrics, the strength of a drink was measured by the process of annealing. Remember the original name for vodka, "hot wine"? Vodka-makers simply set the wine alight and when half of the drink's volume burnt away, the strength of the drink was a so-called "half bar" or 38% alcohol.

The "half bar" remained the standard strength for vodka for a long time. However, the number wasn't particularly convenient for calculations, so it was suggested that the number be rounded up. At the end of the 19th century, this new standard of 40% alcohol was set in official documents.

In the 1940s, Soviet officials adopted a state standard according to which vodka was a drink to be made from ethyl spirit and water with a strength of 40% alcohol. In several countries, this standard is still in place; according to broader European standards, vodka can also have a strength of 37.5%. These standards specify a nominal amount of alkali and a set concentration of esters, fusel oils, and acetaldehyde.

American vodkas became popularised in the 90s and are largely similar to European vodka in terms of composition.

The process of making vodka is rather straightforward: a rectified spirit, or a spirit free of impurities, is diluted using purified water. However, each distillery has its secrets and tricks. Unlike whisky, cognac, or other strong drinks, vodka is a rectified rather than distilled spirit. Therefore, because its composition is simply spirit and water, vodka, is considered a more "pure" drink compared to other alcoholic beverages.

Unlike cognac from the French department of Charente, or champagne, a wine from the Champagne province, vodka cannot be traced back to a singular location of origin. Furthermore, many countries around the world have their own vodkas so it is not possible to describe a singular general method by which the drink is produced: it varies depending on traditions and country laws. We can, however, point out some common features.

All vodkas share certain similar characteristics:

• The base of vodka is commonly a spirit made from grains or potato, and is graded according to its purity: basic, extra, luxe, or alpha.
• The water used for vodka is typically taken from natural sources.
• The filter elements for vodka may include coal, special sand, silver, or even precious stones that have been ground up.

All vodka can be roughly divided into two main groups: classic and special.

Special vodka differs from classic vodka in that it contains aromatic spirits. Vodkas that are infused with herbs, spices, berries, or fruits are considered infused vodkas. Aromatic alcohol is the product of distilling an alcohol infusion with some type of ingredient, such as spicy herbs (cinnamon, mint, oregano etc.). The essential oil raw materials are distilled from the alcohol infusion with these herbs, which is then added to vodka.

This is where creativity begins. Homemade vodka, better known as moonshine, has many variations and just as many recipes.

Making the fermented braga drink involves water, yeast, and a product with high sugar content. Sometimes, the sugar product is added separately. The traditional ingredients for making braga include the following:

• Grape juice or grape pomace — what is left after squeezing the grape;
• Fresh fruit or dried fruit;
• Jam;
• Honey;
• Fruit-filled sweets;
• Common and sprouted wheat;
• Rice malt;
• Barley;
• Corn cob with wheat flour;
• Rye bread with boiled potatoes.

Homemade vodka (moonshine) can even be made using tomato paste. While there is no single best recipe for moonshine, it is possible to point out similarities among the many recipes.

Distillation is carried out using a distillation apparatus: the braga is heated up, the alcohol evaporates, passes through a cooling tube, turns back into a liquid, and flows into a container. There are many different homemade versions of this apparatus.

However, moonshine and vodka are actually different products. Moonshine is made using distillation, which leaves a dangerous amount of impurities unremoved. Therefore, we do not recommend attempting to produce or consuming it. On the other hand, the alcohol used for vodka is purified using rectification, which does fusel oils and acetaldehyde from the end product.

Moonshine is banned in America, but that does not mean that it is any less popular. The centre of American moonshine production lies in the west and south-east of the country. Under federal law, homebrewing is a crime in 17 states and is punishable by fine.

Vodka has a significant energy value, measured in kcal. It also has almost no nutritional value as it contains no protein, fat or carbohydrates.

The average calorie content of vodka is 235 calories per 100 grams, but there is a difference between vodkas of the lowest and highest extremes: 220 calories and 255 calories. The relatively low overall energy value of the alcohol is due to the multiple filtration rounds and the large amounts of water used for its production. It is worth noting that when other ingredients are added to the drink, such as glucose, its calorie content increases.

Generally speaking, vodka has a higher calorie content than wine or beer, but is 1.5x lower than that of liquor.

In terms of calories, vodka is similar to bread and meat, but is less detrimental to the amount of muscle fat. The consumption of ethanol spirits still slows down the process of breaking down fats, which generally slows down fat metabolism.

If you are watching your waistline, vodka could be a good choice for alcohol as it is low in calories and contains virtually no carbohydrates.

In Slavic culture, it is customary to drink vodka around a meal. You can drink vodka 30 minutes before lunch or dinner as an aperitif to increase appetite, and as a digestive drink immediately after the main meal.

In America and Europe, vodka is more popular as a cocktail base. In Europe, vodka is also drunk alongside light snacks such as olives, oysters, caviar, and finger sandwiches.

According to urban legend, in 1921 at one of the most famous Parisian bars Harry's New York Bar, the "Bloody Mary" cocktail was invented. It is unknown exactly who invented the drink made from tomato juice and vodka – either George Jessel, an American singer, actor and film producer, or the barman Fernand "Pete" Petiot who worked in the bar.

Later on, that very same bartender emigrated to New York and got hired at the Saint Regis Hotel. The manager was not a fan of Petiot's new cocktail, and so the barman tweaked his recipe to create the drink we now know today by adding lemon juice, pepper, Worcester sauce, and ice. The celery stalk garnish wasn't added to the drink until the 60s.

In the 60s, a series of films about secret agent 007 James Bond were released, in which Sean Connery ordered his signature Vesper cocktail "shaken, not stirred." This publicity stunt, during the time of the Cold War, was politically motivated. Americans watched as the enemy of the Soviet Unionordered a martini using Smirnoff vodka – rendering the alcohol a global and not Russian drink. As a result, even the most patriotic Americans considered vodka to be theirs.

In 1998, the cult TV show series Sex and the City was released. The main characters live in New York and go out to drink their favourite cocktail, a cosmopolitan made from vodka, triple sec, lemon juice, and cranberry juice. In 2021 the show had a reboot called And Just Like That, giving the already classic "cosmo" a new lease of life.

The centuries-old ethanol drink, "aqua vitae," hot wine or vodka, has resulted in many customs, proverbs, and sayings. But there are also many myths not based in science associated with the drink.

These molecules are what "carry"radiation. However, you can only slow radionuclides down entirely by drinking astronomical amounts of alcohol — levels which at that point are detrimental to your health.

In order to properly experience the taste of vodka, it is preferable to drink at least two small sips. It is also improper to throw your head back and grimace after drinking strong alcohol.

According to European etiquette during formal events, the host or waiter should fill the glass with vodka and stand to the right behind the guest.

During informal events without hosts or waiters, it is considered polite to first pour the vodka for the guests and then for yourself. It is bad etiquette to only fill your own glass.

Both decanters and bottles are now used exclusively in some Eastern European countries. In the majority of European countries and in the US, they are not normally used. Instead, vodka is poured straight from the distillery's bottle into stemmed glasses.

It is not recommended to store vodka in the freezer for an extended period of time. If the drink freezes near the sides of the bottle, the non-frozen middle will be where the alcohol concentrates, leading to a pure alcohol content of significantly higher than 40%. This is because the freezing point of alcohol is lower than that of water (-173.2°F rather than 30.2°F), meaning that water freezes quicker than alcohol. If you don't wait until the water has thawed from the sides of the bottle, then you risk becoming drunk much faster than you expected. In extreme cases, you can even burn your oesophagus.

When serving vodka you should cool the glasses ahead of time until there is a thin layer of frost on them. This applies to the container used for serving as well, such as glass bottle or decanter.

Before pouring the vodka from a chilled bottle into a glass, you can wrap a tissue around the neck of the bottle to catch any condensation and to prevent dripping onto either the table or into the glass.

The authoritative media Drinks International published the Millionaire's Club 2021 report, ranking the world's 10 best vodka brands.

The ranking leaders are typically the most well-known brands. The majority of the time, these brands shift from one position to the next, or remain in the same position for a long period of time. It all depends on the specific criteria of the ranking – there are rankings for the cheapest brand and the most expensive brand, the fastest-growing brand, and the most popular brand on social media. Every ranking has its own merits and may result in slight differences from brand to brand.

If your run size is 10'000 cases, your production costs will fall somewhere between $60'000 and $110'000. Read more in the article How much does it cost to launch a beverage brand.