If your favourite drink includes vodka, then you are going to have a blast reading this article. Vodka has been one of the most famous spirits since people started drinking alcohol. Besides, so many modern cocktails contain vodka that it’s almost impossible to avoid it.
However, when you’re buying vodka, make sure you’re acquiring a high-quality bottle. In all honesty, low-quality vodka can make you give up on this spirit forever.
1) Vodka comes from the Slavic word for water – “вода”
The Russians and all other Slavic nations around the world love vodka so much they called it water. The sustainer of life! Alternatively, because it looks like water and it’s made with water, it just might be water? The truth of vodka’s etymology is probably somewhere in between. All we know is that Russia and Poland are still in disagreement about who invented this drink.
If you want to know, the first mention of vodka in Russia is in the 9th century and two centuries later, the first vodka distillery became famous through the Russian newspaper, “Vyatka Chronicle”. Poland on the other hand, has records from the 8th century, but they made it from wine, so we don’t know if that really counts.
2) It was a superstar spirit even in the 14th century Russia
In the 14th century Russia, vodka was gaining popularity and besides, they have been using it as a medical remedy for centuries. The man that made vodka the megastar of an era is monk Isidore from Chudov Monastery in Kremlin. With his knowledge of distillation, the first delicious Russian vodka was made. That’s how vodka became the national drink of the country.
3) It’s the purest alcohol in the world
Vodka is ethanol diluted with water; it’s so pure that it’s lighter than water. You see how the name makes sense now? One litre of water weighs 1,000 grams, compared to one litre of vodka that weighs just 950 grams. The best part? A pony shot of Vodka is only 64 calories.
4) Vodka mixes well with EVERYTHING
Yes. It does. Even green tea too.
Vodka is so adaptable that you can mix it with sweet, spicy, sour or bitter drinks. There is so much that vodka can do that you won’t believe it. Heck, you can even cook with vodka. Have you tried penne
It goes with everything.
5) The time Russia ran out of vodka
May 9, 1945, was the day the Nazi surrendered to the Soviet Union. The party was so amazing that after 22 hours, they ran out of vodka. That must have been some fantastic festivity, but they deserved it for winning in World War II.
There is even a Vodka Museum in St. Petersburg (which is the first museum in Russia and the world dedicated exclusively to Vodka). Hence, it is not a surprise that Russia remains one of the largest consumers of vodka in the world.
6) The time Russia banned vodka
During world war I, Russia banned the sale of vodka, and as you can imagine, people were not happy because nobody likes prohibition! As a result of this foolish decision, the Russian government lost a third of its income. The Russian term for this time (1914-1925) is “сухой закон,” which means “dry law.”
7) Celebrities love vodka so much that they either inked deals with major vodka brands or start their own vodka brand
We’re just going to list some of them for you here:
- Bruce Willis — Sobieski
- Sean Combs — Ciroc Vodka
- Dan Aykroyd — Crystal Head Vodka
- Birdman — Grand Touring Vodka
- Channing Tatum – Born and Bred Vodka
8) How many vodka flavours are there?
Plenty! Here are just some of the quirky vodka flavours there are out there in the market- Bacon vodka, Blueberry Pancake, Buttered Popcorn, Dill Pickle, Fresh Cut Grass, Wild Salmon and the list can go on and on! The most impressive flavour of them all is Scorpion (like the Drake album), and it has a Scorpion inside the bottle.
9) You thought all vodka is made from potatoes, didn’t you?
Not all vodka is made from potatoes. On the contrary, smooth vodka contains grains like corn, rye or wheat. However, there are some unique brands in the market that produce vodka entirely from potatoes.
10) How about that time when Russia took vodka to space
Of course, Russia would take vodka to space!
Even though NASA has strict rules about alcohol consumption, Russian astronauts are allowed to drink small amounts of vodka when they travel to space. Besides, it’s the national drink!
We hope you had fun reading and learning all the exciting facts about vodka in this article. We’re going to leave you with one additional fun fact; up until 1885, you could only buy vodka buckets. Not just any buckets, but 12.3-litre buckets. That’s why everyone calls them the golden years!