It’s straightforward to assume you recognize enough regarding spirits. The spirit is fairly straightforward: colourless, lower in flavour (if not perpetually quite flavourless), high-test, and mixer-friendly. Except that’s like spirits one zero one. That’s Vavoom freshman year faculty spirits (so to speak), and if we’re fascinated by our distilled beverages, it’s time we tend to get to the school level.
What’s missing from our Moscow Mule Days and spirits Cranberry-laced nights could be a deeper understanding of 1 of the foremost picture, unsubtle, misunderstood spirits out there. A spirit we have a tendency to abuse—figuratively speaking—with instant recourse to mixers and shots, a spirit we tend to take too typically while not food, a spirit we have a tendency to for a few reasons set to overlay with a veritable rainbow of candy shop flavourings. There are tons a lot of to spirits—and there have been tons a lot of to vodka for over a millennium. Time to catch up.
VODKA will be created much anyplace, however it had been BORN IN Japanese EUROPE.
It’s controversial whether or not spirits were initially made in Russia or Poland—talk spirits are being made in Russia within the ninth century, and in Poland within the eighth century, however, these were each probably crude precursors. the primary written account in Poland was within the Sandomierz Court written record in 1405, whereas Russia didn’t get “vodka” to paper till 1751. chances are high that, some variety of spirits distillation was happening in each country for hundreds of years. (Though affirmative, Russians do love their spirits.)
VODKA WAS USED MEDICINALLY. AND IT STILL will be.
Like several alcoholic beverages—and like distilling itself—vodka has some claim to medical applications (it was oversubscribed as a doable cure for love or money from sterility to the plague; that’s a marvel drug). during this day and age, though, it’s established effective at disinfecting odontalgia and preventing poison vine (meaning you have got to hike with vodka; not the best/worst idea?)
VODKA WASN’T perpetually “FLAVORLESS.”
Even if distillation probably came to Europe around the eighth century A.D., getting high proof alcohol from a base (wine or beer) was still a touch of a rougher business. Since impurities were a lot of typically left behind, producers would mask them with spices and fruits—though thus far no proof of early topping flavourings.
VODKA that’s “FLAVORLESS” IS savourless advisedly.
The Coffey or column still system is what we’ve got to impart for many of the factory-made, savourless spirits out there. as a result of a column still will run ceaselessly (it’s conjointly known as a “continuous” still), the alcohol keeps moving through the system, being stripped of impurities (yay!) however conjointly congeners that will impart flavour (boo!). And most spirits have distilled a minimum of 3 times. And charcoal filtered. Yeah…Hence vodka’s name for savorlessness. although indeed completely different|completely different} vodkas will (subtly) show different flavour notes, fragrances, texture, and even sweetness.
SMIRNOV WAS A TRAILBLAZING, INGENIOUS GUERILLA seller.
Imagine you’re recently free of feudalism, you’re manufacturing your own spirits, and you wish to induce the word out. Oh, and there’s no such factor as a Bluetooth-ed selling team at the prepared. What does one do? If you’re Pyotry Smirnov, you troll the poorest neighbourhoods, invite everybody over for a drink, and pay them to elicit an equivalent in native taverns. Boom, rags to the material resource.