Vodka—stemming from the Russian word “voda” for water—first
came into being when it was realized that grapes wouldn’t grow in a cold
climate. The idea to try and ferment grain was then conceived, leading to the
eventual development of a liquid then called “bread wine.”
Vodka was mostly used for medicinal purposes and gunpowder
during the middle ages. It was first documented during the 14th
century that vodka was Russia’s national drink; however, they too used vodka as
medicine—it was considered to be a short-term relaxant that could be taken at
any time with little preparation needed.
During this time, Russia also produced many variances
of vodka, such as “plain wine” which was considered as standard, “good wine,”
and “boyar wine” of the highest quality. There were also stronger
concentrations of vodka, called “double wine,” that were distilled two or more
times.
These ancient forms of alcohol were crude and
contained impurities, so the vodka was often flavored with such things as
fruit, spices, and herbs in order to mask them.
The first recorded export of Russian vodka was
recorded in 1505 to Sweden.
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