History of Vodka
Vodka is one of the most popular distilled liquors in the world. There are hundreds of brands coming from many different countries, some of which include various extra flavors in addition to that of plain vodka. In Eastern Europe there is an area called the "Vodka Belt" where the drink is traditionally drunk straight with or without ice. In other parts of the world, it is generally mixed into a cocktail containing fruit juices, sodas or other mixers. Does this Spark an idea?
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History
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While the origin of vodka cannot be pinpointed exactly, it has been traced to the area that is now present day Russia, Poland, Scandinavia, the Ukraine and Belarus. In Poland, vodka was created during the early Middle Ages, where it was used traditionally in medicine. Vodka in Russia was low on alcohol content in its early years and was actually called bread wine, as it was fermented using grains. By 1860, vodka was the drink of choice in Russia and during the same century it began to be produced en masse in Poland. Before the 1950s, vodka was not drunk much outside of Europe, where the spirit had spread and evolved mostly throughout the Vodka Belt. However, after 1975, it surpassed bourbon in consumption in the United States.
Time Frame
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The earliest known reports of vodka production came out of Poland in the early Middle Ages. This may not be the first time it was created, though, as it was found later to have been popular in nearby countries. In 1751, the first usage of the word "vodka" in Russia was found, though it was linked to other spirits of different names that were probably the same as vodka. In these two countries and neighboring nations, vodka consumption increased over time and the major production centers were born there. By 1911, nearly 89 percent of the alcohol that was consumed in Russia was vodka. Later in the mid-twentieth century, vodka began to be exported outside of Europe in greater quantities.
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Expert Insight
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The areas of the world were vodka is thought to have originated have had a number of names for the spirit throughout its history. Some of these were words that were translated to mean "to burn" or "burning wine," which hearkened to the fact that the spirit was a harsh alcohol. The word most associated with vodka, though, is water. One of the oldest forms of vodka was called aqua vitae, which means "water of life." The actual word vodka, which is seen for the first time in Polish documents from 1405 to 1537, comes from the Slavic word for water.
Potential
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Because of a recent change of laws adopted by the European Union last year, some vodka producers are going to change the production of their spirits or have to reveal the exact ingredients used in their vodka on the labels. Recently, grape-based vodka became very popular in the United States over the past 20 years or so, which has prompted traditional vodka producers to complain that vodka should be labeled as a spirit derived from potato or grain fermentation only. In 2007, the EU agreed and has forced producers that make vodka from grapes or other sources such as apples or other fruit to clearly label the ingredients or to change the name of the spirit.
Warning
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As with most alcoholic drinks, too much vodka can cause severe poisoning of the liver and can lead to nausea, heart problems and damage to the lining of the stomach or intestines, as well as the kidneys. In the recent history of vodka, there has been a black market version that is made from industrial strength disinfectants. This is a dangerous form of vodka that causes jaundice, blindness and in some cases, death. Always be wary of drinking vodka in certain parts of Eastern Europe, where the black market operates.
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