Vodka is a clear spirit that can be made from anything containing starch or sugar – including potatoes, beet molasses and, most commonly, grains. Vodka is like a “scumbag” and goes well with everything. In addition to adding alcohol to a drink, vodka can also make it rounder and fuller. Exquisite style, clear and pure vodka is one of the most important alcoholic drinks in the bar.
A more comprehensive view is that vodka originated in the grain-growing areas of western Russia, Belarus, Lithuania, Ukraine and Poland. The “vodka belt” countries of Northern, Central and Eastern Europe have historically been associated with vodka production and still have some of the highest consumption rates in the world.
1. The origin of vodka
The original meaning of vodka is distilled medicine. Before this name became popular, similar distilled liquors were called “shochu”, “bread wine”, “smoked wine”, “green wine” and so on. The Russian word “Vodka” has the same root as the Polish word “Wodka”, which means a small amount of water in Slavic, originally referring to an alcoholic potion made by distillation. In ancient Russia, the first mention of “vodka” in literature is in the chronicle of Nizhny Novgorod in 1533, which means “medicine”. Use it to scrub wounds and take it to relieve headaches. Two centuries later the word “vodka” appeared in an official document, with an order issued by Catherine I in 1751. At this time, it already has the meaning of today’s strong alcoholic beverage.
In Poland, the word “Wodka” appeared in the 18th century. The triple-distilled 70-proof strong alcohol was called okowita (similar to the Latin aqua Vitae). When it was diluted with water to 30%-40%, it was called prosta woda” (ordinary water). The abbreviation wodka became the final name.
2. Medicinal uses of Polish vodka
At that time, vodka had a wide range of uses: just like its function as a drink, people also fully utilized its medicinal and skin care functions.
In 1534, Stefan Falimirz, a Polish herbal medicine merchant, counted 72 types of vodka with various herbal aromas at that time from a drug encyclopedia. The best methods of distilling them as well as their medicinal uses are clearly explained in the book.
The belief in the healing properties of vodka continued into the 19th century, as evidenced by the following statement: “In Poland, to be a healthy person, you don’t need drugs or doctors, you just need to get drunk twice a year Yes, once in May and once in October.”
3.Characteristics of Polish Vodka
Polish vodka is traditionally made from rye, and while rye remains the most popular base ingredient, Poland is also famous for its potato vodka. Stobrava potatoes are favored because the variety has a high starch content and is therefore easier to ferment. Contrary to popular belief, producing vodka from potatoes is more expensive than producing vodka from grains.
Polish vodka is rarely made from wheat, barley, and oats, and some vodkas are made from a mixture of several different grains. Different grains are often distilled separately, and the resulting distillates are then blended for flavoring.
Polish vodka can now be drunk on its own or mixed into cocktails. It maintains the original flavor very well and can borrow a little bit from other flavors, so the taste is perfectly defined. This is why we now often think of them as high-quality beverages.
4. Russian Vodka
In the era of Ivan the Terrible, a decree was issued prohibiting the production of vodka, but with the fall of the Rurik dynasty, vodka became popular in Russia like a spark. Later, the Romanov dynasty taxed vodka without banning it, and adding pepper to vodka became popular. At this time, pepper was very expensive, and the addition of pepper to vodka made vodka, a grass-root liquor, begin to be drunk by the nobles.
Early vodka was made from oats, but in the mid-19th century it began to be made from wheat and potatoes, greatly increasing production. The vodka made at that time was the same as modern vodka, containing 40% alcohol. This 40% alcohol vodka is said to have been invented by the famous chemist Mendeleev. The vodka he invented was called “Moscow Special”.
5. Production of vodka
The first impression given by vodka is simplicity. Its production principle is very simple – pursuing the maximum purity of the final product. However, there is nothing more complicated than that. Making vodka requires extremely high craftsmanship, complete facilities, rich experience, and concentrated attention. No impurities can remain in the wine because it cannot hide.
5.1 Raw materials
The Poles mainly use rye to make vodka, the Finns prefer barley, and the Russians and most other countries tend to use wheat.
Grains, especially wheat, dominate vodka production as the preferred base, and the use of potatoes is also well developed. That means vodka made from grapes and other non-traditional ingredients must state this on the label.
Potato varieties used in vodka production are specifically selected for their high starch content, typically 25% compared to 17% for table potatoes. Small potatoes are better for distillation because they have a higher starch content than larger potatoes. Even with these high-starch varieties, it would take 16 tonnes of potatoes to produce 1,000 liters of spirit with an alcohol content of 96.4%.
5.2 Raw materials and typical flavor characteristics of vodka:
- Wheat: Subtle anise and pepper, lemon zest.
- Rye: Nutty sweetness, rye bread, Brazil nuts.
- Corn: butter, corn on the cob.
- Barley: Crisp, slightly nutty, brioche-sweet.
- Potato: Creamier, fuller, with a slight vegetable flavor.
- Grape: The main grape vodka has a slight lemon zest.
5.3 Fermentation
Whether distilling vodka from grains, potatoes, sugar beets, grapes or even rice, the first step is using yeast to produce the alcohol. The process of cultivating yeast under conditions that produce alcohol is called fermentation.
Potatoes must first be washed and their skins removed by scrubbing, as the skins are mostly fibrous and cannot ferment. The peeled potatoes are then shredded and moved to a mash vessel, where they are cooked by steam to gelatinize the starch.
Grain is an essential raw material for brewing fine vodka. Grind the grains into flour, add water, and pressure cook. The starch contained in the cereal is made into a paste, and the sugar is added. After the resulting mash is cooled, yeast is added to evaporate it. The entire fermentation lasts 40 hours and the resulting wine is about 9 degrees.
5.4 Distillation
Pot stilling can be used to bring the distillate up to 70% alcohol, the same way malt whiskey is made. Vodka used to be made this way too, but 70% alcohol meant 30% impurities.
Modern column stills can produce neutral spirits of up to 95.6% alcohol, and in an era when vodka was praised for its “cleanliness” and “purity”, vodka production often used one type or another Column still.
5.5 Distillation
Distillation is a very important process that determines the purity of vodka. Crude distilled alcohol is rectified in three consecutive distillation towers to remove fusel oil and methanol, and the final alcohol reaches 96% alcohol content. It has no odor and no taste of raw materials.
5.6 Dilution
Water makes up about 70% of the contents of a bottle of vodka, so it is crucial to its taste and texture. Distilleries are typically established where there is an adequate supply of raw materials such as grain or molasses, good transportation of finished products, a reliable source of power and, most importantly, an adequate water supply – ideally soft water with low salt and low ions.
5.7 Filtering
Activated carbon filters can be used to remove organic impurities that affect vodka’s colour, smell and taste without affecting its alcohol content. The early separation process simply allowed the spirit to sit until the solid particles fell to the bottom of the tank.
Over the years, vodka filters have used many different substances, including cloth, wool, paper, sand, and other stone fragments. In the race to develop good vodka in the 1990s, filter materials became more and more exotic, even crushed diamonds were used as filter media.
5.8 Additives
It has long been common practice to add a small amount of honey to vodka to increase the viscosity of the vodka or to soften the kick of the spirit. Many modern vodkas are prized for their smoothness due to the addition of trace amounts of sugar, honey, glycerin or citric acid.
Trace amounts of honey remain the smoothing agent of choice in many modern Russian vodkas, while sugar is the more popular smoothing agent in Western vodkas – like honey, it softens the peppery flavor of the ethanolic alcohol and adds body. Sugar also enhances flavor, and while sugar is sometimes found in vodka, it is more commonly used in cognac.
5.9 bunch of incense
Some manufacturers, especially in Russia, use charcoal layers up to 8 meters thick to filter vodka and add spices to it (for example: anise, seasoning cloves, birch buds, cherry leaves) which give the vodka a light, unnoticeable flavor. Another way to string incense is to soak the spices. This method is used to produce vodka with special flavors, such as lemon, blackcurrant, vanilla.
In conclusion
For all the criticism surrounding its flavor profile, vodka accounts for about a third of world spirits sales, with the world’s best-selling vodka, Smirnoff, selling 23 million cases in 2020. This is not only because the per capita drinking volume in the vodka cultural circles of Eastern European countries remains high, but also because vodka is still the first choice for party drinks, perfectly compatible with juice, cola, and iced tea.
In an era of aromatic spirits like mezcal, aged rum and whiskey, vodka is often overlooked for its neutral flavor profile. For vodka, purity is the goal, and vodka is deliberately created to be an example of absolute balance. Compared to the bold vanilla and caramel flavors in the whiskey world, vodka is indeed a quieter spirit. But it’s not completely featureless. Like mineral water, vodka is a game of subtlety, refreshing and clear with a subtle shimmer in the glass.
