It is no secret that Russia is known for its vodka. Every year approximately 4.6 billion liters of vodka are sold totaling over $50 billion, account for 20% of all money spent on alcohol globally! Vodka’s invention is typically attributed to Russians which isn't completely true, but first let me explain what the word means: Name The word “Vodka” consists of two parts, the root vod means water and the suffix “ka” which emphasizes that object is small and nice. So the word “Vodka” means “little nice water”. Who invented vodka? Scientists debate when vodka was first invented since little evidence has survived over the centuries. However, it is believed that the first production was in Poland or Russia sometime in the 8th or 9th century. During those times vodka was quite different from the one you may find in shops today: it had a different color, taste, and smell. Further, it only had about 15% alcohol and was originally used as a medicine. When did it appear in Russia? A transparent distilled liquor resembling today's vodka first came to Russia in the 14th century from Italy under the name “aqua vitae”, which means “the water of life” and was given as a present to one of the grand dukes. Through the mid-18th century the alcohol content of vodka remained quite low compared to today (about 10% lower) and it wasn’t very popular in Russia. The first time the word “vodka” was used in official documents was on June 8th, 1751 in a decree regulating the ownership of vodka distilleries. The government at the time understood that popularizing this drink could bring huge sums of money to the treasury which lead to them officially promoting the consumption of state-manufactured vodka. Soon vodka sales became the key element of government finances. How is vodka made? It all starts with water. Water quality is essential to producing quality vodka and different companies use different water sources some of the best water sources include natural springs, mountain rivers and lake Baikal. In general, Vodkas in Russia are all distilled from a mix of potato, rye or wheat. Though, all vodkas are not created equal and vodka's quality is determined by the particular process used which is a closely guarded secret. Through numerous rounds of distillation, the taste is modified and its clarity is increased. Generally, good vodkas are filtered many times with the use of modified starch and charcoal. For example 'Belenkaya' vodka advertises that their vodka is produced by running it through a 40 foot long series of charcoal filters. The type of wood from which the charcoal is made also affects the taste. Some companies even use silver and gold as filters to make vodka of superb quality! How to recognize good vodka? As a result of its popularity, counterfeiters sometimes get away with producing homemade vodka and trying to sell it in shops. Counterfeit vodka is poorly filtered, may contain dangerous chemicals in it and may be artificially-flavored to mask its poor taste. In order to protect yourself, it is important to be careful when choosing a bottle for yourself while in Russia. Here are some tips that will help you in choosing a quality bottle of vodka:
How to drink This drink is traditionally enjoyed neat (without being mixed with anything). Every time you mix vodka with juice, you make a Russian cry.
Ratings Real vodka has to be produced in Russia. According to the ratings of 2013, ten most popular kinds of vodka in Russia are: Stolichnaya, Finlandia, Graf Ledoff, Pyat ozyor, Huski, Dvoinaya Zolotaya, Saimaa, Drova, Talka, Baikal. However popularity doesn’t mean that it's the best. Once I tried one of the most imported vodkas globally and I still regret it to this day. Our choice In my family, we prefer vodka produced at the Moscow factory “Kristall” or St. Petersburg factories “Ladoga” and “Liviz”. Here are some favourite vodka brands of my family and our friends: Tsarskaya Zolotaya(“Czar’s Golden Vodka”), Russian Standart, Putinka, Beluga, Smirnoff, Diplomat, Posolskaya, Nemiroff
Usage We use vodka in Russia not only for drinking; we use it for many different purposes. Have a look at the most popular ones:
Drink responsibly and Budem zdorovi ! If You are interested in learning more about Russia and it's traditions, please like ExperienceRussia on Facebook.
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AuthorHi there! My name is Mila, I have been working as a local guide for six years and I've decided to share with you essential information about St. Petersburg, life in Russia and Russian culture. I hope you will enjoy! Archives
January 2018
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