The production of liquor begins in the mid-15th century, with varied local traditions emerging throughout Europe, in Poland as vodka ( Polish: wódka or gorzałka). In the 16th century, the Polish word for the beverage was gorzałka (from the Old Polish verb gorzeć meaning "to burn"), which is also the source of Ukrainian horilka (горілка). The word written in Cyrillic appeared first in 1533, about a medicinal drink brought from Poland to Russia by the Russian merchants. [19] During the late 1970s, Russian culinary author William Pokhlebkin compiled a history of the production of vodka in Russia, as part of the Soviet case in a trade dispute; this was later published as A History of Vodka. Pokhlebkin wrote that while there is a wealth of publications about the history of consumption and distribution of vodka, virtually nothing had been written about vodka production. One of his assertions was that the word "vodka" was used in popular speech in Russia considerably earlier than the middle of the 18th century, but the word did not appear in print until the 1860s. Another possible connection of vodka with "water" is the name of the medieval alcoholic beverage aqua vitae ( Latin, literally, "water of life"), which is reflected in Polish okowita, Ukrainian оковита, Belarusian акавіта, and Scandinavian akvavit. Whiskey has a similar etymology, from the Irish and Scottish Gaelic uisce beatha/uisge-beatha. The master distiller is in charge of distilling the vodka and directing its filtration, which includes the removal of the "fore-shots", "heads" and "tails". These components of the distillate contain flavor compounds such as ethyl acetate and ethyl lactate (heads) as well as the fusel oils (tails) that impact the usually desired clean taste of vodka. Through numerous rounds of distillation, or the use of a fractioning still, the taste is modified and clarity is increased. In contrast, the distillery process for liquors such as whiskey, rum, and baijiu allow portions of the "heads" and "tails" to remain, giving them their unique flavors. Nasaw, Daniel (7 June 2012). "Why are there so many brands of vodka on sale?". BBC News . Retrieved 14 July 2012.

Next up is filtering, which gives vodka its clean mouthfeel. Although some craft distillers choose to skip this step altogether to impart a more unique flavour. Stoli CEO Speaks Out On How Company Will Respond To Vodka Boycott". HuffPost. 31 July 2013 . Retrieved 26 February 2022. While most vodkas are unflavored, many flavored vodkas have been produced in traditional vodka-drinking areas, often as home-made recipes to improve vodka's taste or for medicinal purposes. Flavorings include red pepper, ginger, fruit flavors, vanilla, chocolate (without sweetener), and cinnamon. In Russia, vodka flavored with honey and pepper, pertsovka in Russian, is also very popular. In Poland and Belarus, the leaves of the local bison grass are added to produce żubrówka (Polish) and zubrovka (Belarusian) vodka, with slightly sweet flavors and light amber colors. In Lithuania and Poland, a famous vodka containing honey is called krupnik. Distillation techniques were developed in Roman Egypt by the 3rd century, but the description of aqua ardens ("burning water", i.e., alcohol) made by distilling wine with salt appears in Latin works only by the 12th century. The process was well known among European medieval chemists by about 1300. [18] Poland

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Eke, Steven (29 November 2006). " 'People's vodka' urged for Russia". BBC News . Retrieved 22 November 2008. One critic argued that boycotts of Russian-branded vodka may inadvertently affect U.S. vodka manufacturers and noted that only 1.2 percent of U.S. vodka imports come from Russia. [53] Illegal production Lingwood, William; Ian Wisniewski (2003). Vodka: Discovering, Exploring, Enjoying. New York: Ryland Peters & Small. ISBN 1-84172-506-4. Delos, Gilbert (1998). Vodkas of the World. Edison, New Jersey: Wellfleet Press. ISBN 0-7858-1018-8. In summer 2013, American LGBT rights activists targeted Russian vodka brands for boycott over Russia's anti-gay policies. [48] [49] [50]

Evseev, Anton (21 November 2011). "Dmitry Mendeleev and 40 degrees of Russian vodka". Science. Moscow: English Pravda.Ru . Retrieved 6 July 2014. Price, Pamela Vandyke (1980). The Penguin Book of Spirits and Liqueurs. Penguin Books. pp.196 ff. ISBN 0-14-046335-6. av vissa bestämmelser i alkohollagen samt av bestämmelserna om försäljning av teknisk sprit m.m. Kommittédirektiv 1998:19 - Riksdagen". www.riksdagen.se. Our panel – made up of 10-accredited spirits experts and vodka-loving consumers – put 20 vodkas to the test. Each was tried neat and blind, to avoid brand bias, then followed by some water to dilute and soften the alcohol and bring out the core flavours. This cookie is set by Rubicon Project to control synchronization of user identification and exchange of user data between various ad services.

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Since the year 2000, because of evolving consumer tastes and regulatory changes, several 'artisanal vodka' or even 'ultra premium vodka' brands have appeared.

A common property of the vodkas produced in the United States and Europe is the extensive use of filtration before any additional processing including the addition of flavorants. Filtering is sometimes done in the still during distillation, as well as afterward, where the distilled vodka is filtered through activated charcoal and other media to absorb trace amounts of substances that alter or impart off-flavors to the vodka. However, this is not the case in the traditional vodka-producing nations, so many distillers from these countries prefer to use very accurate distillation but minimal filtering, thus preserving the unique flavors and characteristics of their products. A type of distilled liquor designated by the Russian word vodka came to Russia in the late 14th century. In 1386, the Genoese ambassadors brought the first aqua vitae ("the water of life") to Moscow and presented it to Grand Duke Dmitry Donskoy. The liquid obtained by distillation of grape must was thought to be a concentrate and a "spirit" of wine ( spiritus vini in Latin), whence came to the name of this substance in many European languages (like English spirit, or Russian спирт, spirt). Since the 1890s, standard vodkas have been 40% alcohol by volume (ABV) (80 U.S. proof). [4] The European Union has established a minimum alcohol content of 37.5% for vodka. [5] [6] Vodka in the United States must have a minimum alcohol content of 40%. [7] Records the default button state of the corresponding category & the status of CCPA. It works only in coordination with the primary cookie.a b "Regulation (EC) No 110/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 January 2008 on the definition, description, presentation, labelling and the protection of geographical indications of spirit drinks and repealing Council Regulation (EEC) No 1576/89". EUR-Lex . Retrieved 17 February 2020. After World War II, all vodka distilleries were taken over by Poland's Marxist–Leninist government. During the martial law of the 1980s, the sale of vodka was rationed. Following the success of the Solidarity movement and the abolition of single-party rule in Poland, many distilleries began struggling financially. Some filed for bankruptcy, but many were privatized, leading to the creation of various new brands. [21] Russia Russian Vodka in various bottles and cups Russian Empire Canadian liquor stores remove Russian vodka from shelves after Ukraine invasion". Reuters. 26 February 2022 . Retrieved 26 February 2022.

Ermochkine, Nicholas, and Iglikowski, Peter (2003). 40 degrees east: an anatomy of vodka, Nova Publishers, p. 217, ISBN 1-59033-594-5.Scholars debate the beginnings of vodka [15] because there is little historical material available. [16] [17] For many centuries, beverages differed significantly compared to the vodka of today, as the spirit at that time had a different flavor, color, and smell, and was originally used as medicine. It contained little alcohol, an estimated maximum of about 14%. As of 2020, vodka can contain up to two grams per liter of sugar and up to one gram per liter of citric acid according to the Code of Federal Regulations (27 CFR 5.22), which define the identity standards for various alcohols. [46] [47] It is no longer defined as "to be without distinctive character, aroma, taste, or color." The law includes other requirements: Vodka cannot be aged in wood; it may or may not be charcoal filtered; and it must meet minimum distillation and bottling proofs. [46] Boycotts Is There Really A Difference Between Expensive Vodka And Cheap Vodka?". NPR.org . Retrieved 19 March 2018. United States Code of Federal Regulations Title 27, Section 5.22(a)(1)". United States Government Printing Office. Archived from the original on 23 November 2011 . Retrieved 31 May 2011. In English literature, the word vodka appeared in around the late 18th century. In a book of travels published in English in 1780 (presumably, a translation from German), Johann Gottlieb Georgi correctly explained that " kabak in the Russian language signifies a public house for the common people to drink vodka (a sort of brandy) in." [11] William Tooke in 1799 glossed vodka as "rectified corn-spirits", [12] using the traditional English sense of the word "corn" to refer to any grain, not just maize. In French, Théophile Gautier in 1800 glossed it as a "grain liquor" served with meals in Poland ( eau-de-vie de grain). [13]