The History of Vodka and it's Production Then and Now

The History of Vodka and it's Production Then and Now

The history of Vodka is unique and varied. Vodka is far and away the most popular spirit category in America, accounting for more than 20% of all distilled spirits consumption. It is defined by government regulations as a spirit without any distinctive character, aroma, taste or color. Vodka is essentially an un-aged neutral spirit that can be distilled from just about anything fermentable. Although the legendary potato is used in the production of some vodkas, most brands' today, including the imported ones, are made from grain...any grain, including rye, wheat and barley, but principally corn.

Vodka in most Slavic languages means "water". (Sometimes it's spelled "Woda", but the pronunciation is the same.) The word "Vodka" translates literally as "dear little water", an affectionate diminutive for this clean, tasteless spirit that blends with virtually any beverage.

As with Whiskey, the historic origin of Vodka remains in question. The Russians and the Poles are just two national groups that claim the distinction of discovering how to produce Vodka. There are several others, and as the map of Eastern Europe continues to change, other national groups may lay claim to being the originator of Vodka. One thing is certain, however: Vodka originated somewhere in Northern and Eastern Europe and several sources note it's arrival in Russia as early as the 14th century.

Americans knew next to nothing about Vodka before the 1930's and what they did know consisted mainly of impressions gleaned from Russian novels and old movies about Czarist Russia. Consumers weren't really aware of Vodka until after World War II
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The history of Vodka
Alcohol has always featured large in the lives of the Eastern Europeans. Its influence can be recorded as far back as 988! In that year the Grand Prince of Kiev was told by his ambassadors that Islam forbade strong drink. Consequently the Prince became a Christian and was sent plentiful supplies of communion wine from Byzantium, which was the seat of orthodox Christianity.

Fermented drink was not enough to satisfy the Eastern Europeans for long. They discovered that the extremes of temperature in that part of the world enabled them to produce a beverage with a higher alcoholic strength.

Russia
In the 1540s the Russian tsar Ivan 'the Terrible' established his own network of distilling taverns and ensured that the profits went straight into the imperial treasury. He outlawed taverns that were outside his control and put a ban on distilling by potential rivals. He kept his options open, however! He was always in need of the support of the nobility, so he allowed them to continue distilling Vodka.

From the beginning of the seventeenth century it had become customary for Vodka to be served at Russian imperial banquets. All formal meals began with bread and Vodka. Vodka was also drunk ceremonially at religious festivals and in church ritual, and to refuse to partake could be considered impious.

Peter the Great, tsar of Russia from 1689 to 1721, was renowned for his hospitality and love of drinking. He served large quantities of Vodka, his favorite drink, at his legendary banquets. On these occasions he would shock foreign guests by cutting open enormous pies out of which dwarfs would jump.

The Governor of Moscow trained a large bear to serve pepper Vodka to' his guests. If anyone showed reluctance in accepting the drink, the bear would remove the guest's clothes, an article at a time.

Poland
Making Vodka was a lot easier in Poland, as fewer official restrictions were imposed. Indeed, in 1546, King Jan Olbrecht issued a decree allowing every citizen the right to make Vodka.As a result many families distilled their own spirit, and as early as the sixteenth century there were forty-nine commercial distilleries in the town of Pozan alone.

Vodka-making and drinking became established at all levels of society in Poland over the next few centuries. Poznan continues to be a major center for the production of Vodka today.

Production
The key to distillation is the separation of alcohol from the water content of fermented liquid. Because water freezes at a higher temperature than alcohol, the Eastern Europeans were able to separate the alcohol by freezing fermented liquid during the winter months. As a result they were left with a drink with a higher strength than that produced by fermentation alone. This was the earliest method of producing stronger spirit in Eastern Europe. The techniques of distillation didn't spread from the west until the fifteenth century. From that time to the mid nineteenth century all Vodka was made in a pot-still using local natural resources such as wheat, barley, ryes, potatoes and rice.

A mash was created by heating the grain to release the starch for conversion into sugar. The sweet liquid was allowed to ferment naturally before distilling. Gradually Vodka-making in Eastern Europe was refined. In the beginning Vodka was the product of a single distillation to a relatively low proof, but distillers soon learned the benefits of two or more distillations on product quality.

Extra distillations mean the final spirit has a higher strength and greater purity. Next the Eastern Europeans introduced filtration to improve the purity of the spirit further. This was carried out initially with felt or river sand, but in the late eighteenth century charcoal began to be used. The filtration standards established at that time remain to this day.

With the invention or the continuous still in the last century, distillers were able to produce Vodka to a very high proof in a continuous operation.

Most Vodka has no color and carries only the clean aroma and character of pure spirit from the still. It has a characteristically light and very slightly oily texture. Different brands have their own characteristics and have been made over the centuries to a variety of styles.

There is a long heritage of making flavored Vodkas in Eastern Europe. This 'goes back to the days home distillation, when Vodka was flavored with herbs, spices and fruit. Nowadays natural flavorings such as cherry, lime, lemon, orange, mint, etc., are added in the final distillation.

Smirnoff Vodka

Smirnoff Vodka is the best selling Vodka in the World and the best selling high priced spirit worldwide.

Vodka has always been considered as a spirit which was not purified but infused with certain flavors to make it flavorsome.

History

Vodka originated far back in the fifteenth century. P. A. Smirnoff, the founder of Smirnoff Vodka started his Vodka Distillery in Moscow, and since then has gained popularity worldwide as a reputed maker of Vodka Products. His method of producing Vodka became popular as the St. Petersburg Model.

Previously Vodka was considered as a spirit which was not purified but infused with certain flavors to make it tasty. Later on with the advancement of Vodka making technology, it was found that impurities of the spirit can be removed by the process of filtering the spirit through charcoal. This method gained popularity over the years and by the 19th Century this method of purifying spirit through charcoal filtration became the most preferred method of purifying spirit and converting it into Vodka. The Smirnoff brand has become one of the most reputed brands producing Vodka in the world.

Smirnoff Process

Smirnoff Vodka is prepared by passing vodka through columns of birch charcoals not only once but as many as five times to make it more pure and refined. The Vodka produced by Smirnoff is a mixture of de-mineralized water and one of the best qualities neutral spirits.

Usually they use a neutral spirit formed out of grain products and then blend it with purified water which dilutes the spirit thus enabling it to effectively go through the filtration process performed with charcoal. This filtration of spirit with charcoal not only removes impurities of the spirit but also adds certain minerals to the Vodka, which is a unique quality of the Smirnoff Vodka. The Vodka and charcoal contact time is more in Smirnoff production process as the spirit is passed through charcoal columns many times thus resulting in finer quality of Vodka.

The British Giant Diageo has taken over the Smirnoff Brand and is marketing the product extensively. The Smirnoff Vodka and other Malt Beverages are now distributed in more than 130 Countries. Its production process has varied a little as such it is made nowadays from spirit gained from grain and other non grain products unlike P.A. Smirnoff who only used rye and later wheat fro deriving spirit.. Diageo also uses charcoal which not only has birch but also hardwoods in it.

So the Smirnoff Vodka which was found in the 19th Century was different from what we drink today under the brand name Smirnoff. Due to the latest innovations and improvements evolved over the time in the technology of production, the regulations controlling alcohol production in different countries and the availability of raw materials in different parts of the world has brought about the changes in the production technology of Smirnoff Vodka.

Flavored Vodka, Ice, Triple Black and twisted Vodka are certain popular products of the Smirnoff Vodka. Today the Smirnoff Vodka is not only the best selling Vodka in the World but also probably the best selling high priced spirit worldwide.

Numbering of the Smirnoff Types

* 21 - The Classic Smirnoff Red Label Vodka
* 21 (Norsk) - The Classic Smirnoff Red Label Vodka Cut With Norwegian Berries
* 27 - Smirnoff Silver Label Vodka
* 55 - Smirnoff Black, small batch vodka
* 57 - Smirnoff Blue Label Vodka
* 64 - Smirnoff Ice Pomegranate Fusion Malt Beverage
* 66 - Smirnoff Ice Rasberry Burst (USA)
* 66 - Smirnoff Twisted V Raspberry
* 71 - Smirnoff Ice Malt Beverage ('spin' in South Africa)
* 72 - Smirnoff Ice Triple Filtered
* 73 - Smirnoff Black Ice Malt Beverage ('storm' in South Africa)
* 75 - Smirnoff Ice Double Black (New Zealand)
* 83 - Smirnoff Ice Wild Grape
* 85 - Smirnoff Twisted Raspberry (Canada)

What is Gin, The Origins of Gin and How Gin is Made

The actual origins of Gin can be traced to 17th century Holland. Dr. Franciscus de La Boie invented Gin in 1650. He was a medical professor at the University of Leyden and was more widely known as Dr. Sylvius. As was with many other spirits. The origins of Gin originally intended to be used as a medicine. Dr. Sylvius was seeking an inexpensive, but effective diuretic to use in the treatment of kidney disorders. He mixed oil of Juniper berries with grain alcohol, both of which have diuretic properties. He called his new medical concoction "genever", from the French word for Juniper.

What made the origins of Gin recipe so revolutionary, was not the use of Juniper, it had been used before in dozens of liqueur formulas, but the choice of grain alcohol. Until Dr. Sylvius, most beverage alcohol had been made from grapes or other fruit. In other words, Brandies. While the Scotch and Irish were making Whiskies from grain, they tempered them with years of aging in wooded casks. Unaged grain spirits, at least those produced with 17th century technology, were considered too harsh for human consumption. But Genever tasted good and it was relatively inexpensive to produce.

At the same time in the origins of Gin, English soldiers, who were fighting on the continent, were introduced to what they termed "Dutch Courage". They returned to England with a preference for this new drink, and the population at large soon grew fond of this palatable yet inexpensive spirit, so much so that it eventually became identified as the national drink of England, It was the English, of course, that shortened the name to "Gin".

Gin was also quite popular with the English foreign service in the "colonies". It mixed naturally with quinine (tonic water) which was used as a profilacsis to mulify the effects of Malaria. Even today it's easy to conjure up an image of the British Colonial officers sitting on a wide veranda sipping a Gin and Tonic while surveying his vast dominion.

ORIGINS OF GIN - "LONDON DRY" AND OTHER STYLES
The origins of Gin of the dry Gin that London distillers eventually developed is very different from the Holland or Geneva Gin still made by the Dutch, which is heavy-bodied and strongly flavored with a pronounced malty taste and aroma.

London dry Gin appeared soon after the continuous still was invented in 1831. This new still made a purer spirit possible, encouraging English distillers to try an unsweetened or dry style. Sugars had been used to mask the rough and unpleasant flavors that could show up in older pot still production. Originally, the phrase "London dry Gin" specified a geographic location; that the Gin was made in or near London. Now, the term is considered to be generic and is used to describe a style of Gin, (in fact, Beefeater. is now the only Gin distilled in London.) and virtually every din on the market uses the term "dry".

The origins of Gin is the distillate of a grain mash with various flavoring agents. It gets its primary flavor from Juniper berries, but many other herbs and spices go into the make-up. The botanicals come from all over the world: Cardamom from Sri Lanka, Cassia bark from Vietnam, Orange peel from Spain, Coriander seed from the Czech Republic, Angelica root from Germany. Most of the Juniper berries themselves are imported from Italy. There are also dozens of other possible ingredients. Each distiller has his own secret formula and no two Gin brands are exactly alike.

THE ORIGINS OF GIN PRODUCTION
The vast majority of this unaged spirit (federal regulations do not permit any age claims for gin, vodka and other neutral spirits) is either English dry Gin or American dry Gin. The English version uses 75% corn, 15% barley and 10% other grains for the mash. The fermentation process is similar to that of whiskey. Following fermentation the resulting liquid is distilled and rectified through a column still, producing a pure spirit of at least 90°. The liquid is then re-distilled with the many flavoring agents. Methods vary from producer to producer. Some combine the botanicals with the spirit and distill the mixture, while others suspend the botanicals above the spirit in the still and let the vapors pass through the many flavoring agents. The spirit that comes off is reduced to bottling strength anywhere from 80° to 97°.

American Gin is produced using one of two standard methods: distilling and compounding. . Distilled Gin is primarily made by adding the flavoring agents during a continuous process. There are two fairly similar methods of achieving this; direct distillation or redistillation. In direct distillation the fermented grain mash is pumped into the still. Then it is heated and the spirit vapors pass through a "gin head", a sort of percolator basket filled with Juniper, herbs and other natural ingredients. It picks up the delicate flavoring agents as it passes through and then condenses into a high proof Gin. Water is added to bring the product down to its bottling strength usually 80°.

The other method, re-distillation, differs only in that the fermented mash is first distill.ed into a flavorless neutral spirit. Then it is placed in a second still, containing a "gin head", and is re-distilled, with vapors absorbing the flavoring agents.

Compound Gin, a less costly product, is simply the combination of neutral spirits with . the oil and extracts of the botanicals. However, the dominant flavor must be from Juniper berries.

The FireFly Story

The FireFly Story

In April 2006, South Carolina introduced an ultimately unique product to the nation - FireFly, the Lowcountry’s first official and only vodka and world’s only muscadine wine flavored vodka. FireFly is now available in South Carolina, Georgia, New York and Nevada.

The latest news comes from FireFly headquarters on Wadmalaw Island, where Jim Irvin who co-owns FireFly vodka with Scott Newitt as well as owns Irvin-House Vineyards, built a new FireFly distillery. Mr. Irvin is currently distilling a fine Southern brandy that will age for two years. His next product in line, that already has its following in Charleston, the popular Sweet Tea Vodka is made with American tea harvested on Wadmalaw Island and will hit the market in March 2008. Sweet Tea vodka is artisan vodka produced in small batches. In addition, the company will also produce “straight” FireFly which will not contain any flavors; this product is also scheduled for 2008

The idea of the vodka came from Scott Newitt of Coastal Wine. “FireFly falls into the premium vodka category, and it will soon become one of the most fashionable and popular spirits in South Carolina, “ says Newitt, “ This spring, expect FireFly to become the most called for spirit in cocktails in Charleston.

Firefly is born on Wadmalaw Island. The grapes are grown, hand harvested, and made into wine. The wine is then sent to the distillery in Lake Alfred, Florida, and a small amount is infused with the best five times distilled vodka, the finest vodka. The infusion of the wine with the vodka makes the customary heat associated with vodka fly away, and it is also the secret behind FireFly’s original taste and smoothness of the spirit. The infusion makes the “FIRE—FLY” away and creates a truly “Southern Flavored Sipping Vodka.”

“We’re honored to be introducing another South Carolinian product,” says Jim Irvin, “The launch of FireFly is a another “first” for not only the Lowcountry, but for the entire state.”

As the region’s first vodka, Newitt and Irvin, hope to establish and expand FireFly as the vodka of the Southeast, and more importantly, help South Carolina’s beverage industry grow, producing more South Carolinia products that will not only be enjoyed by locals, but by others in other parts of the Southeastern region as well.

Local artist Kevin Curran designed FireFly’s logo. Curran’s inspiration for the logo came from his own childhood memories of catching fireflies. The logo’s dark blue background with the palmetto moon was inspired by Lowcountry nights on the coastal waterways. Alum of the School of Visual Arts in New York City, Curran paints portraits and landscapes, as well as runs a graphic design and illustration studio in Charleston. He owns Curran Gallery on 12 Exchange Street in the historic district.

The History of Vodka

FireFly Vodka is produced by infusing fine muscadine wine with five times distilled vodka of the highest order. The award-winning muscadine wine is made from carefully selected grapes of the Lowcountry. FireFly is world's only muscadine flavored vodka. The infusion with wine produces exquisitely clean, crisp and smooth vodka.

Vodka's history spans centuries. The origins of this liquor date back to the eighth century in Russia or Poland . Until these days, it is not clear where this popular alcoholic drink originated, but Russia , Poland and Sweden played major role in its development. For decades, vodka went through many changes and improvements, until the distilling techniques were developed in Russian in the 12 th century. As early as in the 15 th century different flavors were used to improve the aroma and flavor of the product.

Vodka made its way through Europe centuries before it was introduced to America by a Russian immigrant by the name of Smirnoff in the mid 20 th century. But, vodka was very unpopular until a South Carolina salesman developed a marketing strategy to promote the Smirnoff Vodka as a no taste, no smell liquor in the 1940s. Today, U.S. vodka remains without taste or smell.

Distilling techniques and infusions further improved the flavor of vodka. First vodka was made from potatoes and wheat, although rye was considered to produce the finest taste. Today, vodka is the most popular alcoholic drink in the United States .

A Brief History of Vodka

A Brief History of Vodka

Last week, I said I’d given up on beer and moved onto hard liquor. In pursuit of high proof beverages, and quicker effect, I imbibe Vodka.
Vodka leads to one of two things. A gateway to a good night with friends, or an absolute blackout nightmare, filled with violence and paranoia. You can bet that rusty Plymouth Duster of yours on this: When Dr. Jekyll created his potion that turned him from man to monster, it contained more than a little Vodka. My friends, Vodka = Violent.
Your Humble Author has seen the most rational, good-natured individuals turn into raving violent lunatics within the grips of a Vodka binge. In truth, I’ve become Mr. Hyde on more than one occasion after too much of the stuff. I recall one night after way too many Vodka Tonics. I’d blacked out. I tried to start a few fights, one with a forty something year old man, another with a group of twenty-somethings. I do not remember this. This is secondhand info. But I do remember waking to a terrible hangover and torn apart room. Still wearing all of my clothes, down to my bright red Chucks, I asked myself, “How the hell did I get here? What did I do last night?”
All scariness aside, Vodka is a potent, clean drink. Void of impurities, it’s made with neutral grain spirits (corn or wheat) or potatoes, distilling the brew, and filtering it through charcoal. Traditionally unflavored, Vodka is “tasteless”. It’s great with nearly anything due to its neutrality – Vodka and OJ, Vodka Tonics, Vodka Martinis. You name the mixer and Vodka goes with it.
Now, the Polish and the Russians argue over who invented Vodka first. But, I say Russia. The first documented production of Vodka is in the 9th century, while the first documented distillation is recorded in the year 1174, both in Russia. So Russia it is.
For those keeping track at home, Vodka is at least 600 years older than Gin. In truth, Gin is merely high-proof juniper flavored Vodka. Most Gins are 94 proof, or 47 percent alcohol by volume. Most Vodkas are 80 proof, though there are 100 proof Vodkas, most notably one made by Absolut.
In the beginning, Vodka was used for medicinal purposes. What they planned to treat with Vodka is uncertain. It is certain, however, that it didn’t survive as a medicine for long.
In the 14th century, the British ambassador to Moscow called Vodka the Russian national beverage. Everyone in the country drank it.
Unsurprisingly, this became a problem for the Russians. They were drinking Vodka too heavily, abusing it. So, as in Britain with Gin, the Russians attempted to control the production of vodka.
At first, these attempts proved unsuccessful. They tried to allow only nobles to distill vodka. But, like moonshiners in the US, backwoods folk found ways around the law. Low quality, high alcohol content brews ruled the day.
It wasn’t until the 19th century that all Russian state distilleries adopted the same practices and the name “Vodka” became officially recognized.
When the Bolsheviks took over, they recognized the economic viability of Vodka. So, they seized all Vodka distilleries in Russia and made production a state affair.
A few distillery owners managed to escape Russia and open distilleries in other countries. Smirnoff is one of these notable distillers.
Vodkas today have taken over the spirit market. Distillers are pushing nearly every flavor imaginable onto liquor store shelves. This has lead to the inception of a nearly unfathomable amount of Vodka cocktails. Flavoring Vodka isn’t a new art, however. It’s been done ever since its creation.
Grey Goose is excellent, expensive vodka. It’s a French product, and due to the expense I don’t recommend it for anyone but the most discriminative vodka drinker. This individual should drink it neat or on the rocks.
Absolut, a Swedish brand with a distinctive bottle and successful advertising campaign, is of lesser expense and quality. Ketel One Vodka, a product of Holland dating back to 1691, is a great, pure drink. It is less expensive than Grey Goose, and I recommend it over Absolut. Use either of these for Vodka tonics or cocktails.
But, my highest recommendation goes to the Stolichnaya brand. I asked a discriminating Vodka drinking friend of mine, a Bulgarian I worked with over the summer, which Vodka was the best. He said Stoli. And, in Bulgaria, he has access to quite a few different brands of Vodka, so I take his Stoli nod seriously.
Stoli makes many different flavors, from Razberi and Citros, to Vanil and Ohranj. It’s more expensive than Absolut, yet cheaper than Ketel One. And it’s from Russia, Vodka’s homeland.
Toss a bottle of Stoli in the freezer and you’ll be ready for a crisp, cold drink at any time. Drink it neat, on the rocks, with tonic or in cocktails. It’s the utility man of the Vodka world.
I’ve provided a few recipes for Vodka drinks. The best part about Vodka is how forgiving and mixable it is. It’s really hard to mess up a Vodka drink, and it’s very easy to invent “new” cocktails. Experimentation, my readers, is key.

White Russian
Or, as “The Dude” liked to call it in “The Big Lebowski”: the Caucasian.

2 oz. vodka
1 oz. coffee brandy (Kahlua is a popular brand)
1 oz. half and half, or milk if none is available
Pour the ingredients into an iced glass. Shake and drink.


Chocolate Martini
There are millions of variations on this cocktail.

2 oz. Stoli Vanil Vodka
¾ oz. Godiva Chocalate Liquor
¼ oz. Crème de Cacao
Pour the ingredients into an iced mixing glass. Shake. Strain into a cocktail glass and drink.
Garnish with shaved chocolate, if you’ve got that laying around.


Sour Appletini
Another cocktail with a ton of variations.

2 oz. vodka (Some companies make sour apple vodka. You can also use citrus vodka.
1 oz. Sour Apple Pucker
Pour the ingredients into an iced mixing glass and shake. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with a maraschino cherry.

The Vodka History

The word «vodka» has been known since the 17th century and is most likely a derivative of «voda» (water). In the past, other names were also used for the drink: wine (bread wine), korchma or korchma wine, distilled wine, burning wine, burnt wine and bitter wine among others. It is thought that the drink itself, or rather its ancestor, a strong drink called aqua vitae (Latin for «water of life»), was first brought to Russia by Genoese merchants on their way to Lithuania. They travelled via Moscow, where the foreign guests had an audience with Prince Dmitry Ivanovich, called Donskoy for his victory over the Mongol-Tartar army on the Kulikovo Field by the River Don. Flattered by the hospitality of the Moscow governor, they presented him with vessels with the above mentioned spirit. However, our ancestors were not much impressed with this distilled fermented grape juice. Mead and beer were more popular in Russia at the time.

Time passed and in 1429, foreign visitors brought aqua vitae to Moscow once again; this time it was served as the universal cure. The liquid was appreciated at the court of the young prince Vasily the Second Vasilievitch, who later lost his eyesight in the feud with his relatives and got the nickname of «Dark». As the drink was too strong, it was normally diluted with water. It is likely that the idea of diluting alcohol (that is what aqua vitae actually was) with water was the starting point for manufacturing Russian vodka that was produced from grain, which was abundant in Russia. In the 15th century the monasteries of Russia began producing grain vodka.

As early as the beginning of the 16th century «burning wine» was brought not to Russia, but from it. It was the first experience of the Russian export of vodka that later would take over the whole world. It is worth mentioning that in the end of the 15th century the grand prince of Moscow and the Tsar of all Russia, Ivan the Third (who had an astute and strategic mind) introduced a state monopoly on the production and selling of vodka, as well as on all other alcoholic drinks.

In 1533, the first «Tsar's kabak» was opened, a place where various alcoholic drinks, including vodka, could be bought and consumed. In the times of Ivan the Terrible kabaks were rather widely spread. These places were mostly frequented by the Tsar's guards, who had no qualms at parting with their money earned with no significant effort. Moscow kabaks were mentioned in the diaries and travel journals of foreigners who visited the Moscow lands during the second half of the 16th century, calling kabaks them «Russian taverns». By the way, the word «kabak» is not Slavic by origin. Its origin is not known; the only thing that linguists are sure about is that it was brought to Russia from somewhere in the East. In kabaks, people drank, fought, played dice, but, unfortunately, did not eat. The kabak business was very profitable for the state; this is why the Rurikoviches, Boris Godunov and the first Romanovs did not only keep the state monopoly, but made it more rigid.

The 17th century was justly termed rebellious by the contemporaries since it was a series of revolts and all sorts of roguish activities. Alongside the «copper», «salt» and other revolts, there were also the «kabak» revolts which were caused by the kabak supervisors and their assistants' abuse of their positions.

Throughout Russian history, the manner of vodka production and sales has changed many times. The system of wine lease, the right to produce and sell vodka for a payment of a small percentage of income to the state, that made the leaseholders fabulously rich, was constantly being introduced and withdrawn. Peter the First combined leases with the state sale of vodka, trying to increase the income for the state to a maximum. During the reign of Peter the Great, the dynasties of Russian «vodka kings» started. In 1716, the first Emperor of all Russia offered the aristocracy and the merchants the exclusive right to distil wine.

In the middle of the 18th century, vodka was produced not only by state-owned distilleries, but also by land-owning aristocracy. Empress Catherine the Second, who favoured the nobility and granted it numerous privileges, made wine distillation the sole privilege of the aristocracy. The Empress's order of March 31, 1765 allowed only the nobility to distil wine and also freed them of all accompanying taxes. Rich merchants that made their fortunes at the time when anybody could produce vodka if he paid the «wine distillation tax» tried to share in the ownership of distilleries with aristocrats or use their names in the documentation. However, the government saw to it that the privilege of the nobility was kept and mercilessly punished those who disobeyed, confiscating such distilleries.

It is not surprising then that the largest part of vodka was produced in the estate of the nobility and the quality of the drink was unsurpassable. The producers attempted at high quality water cleaning and used natural proteins: milk and egg white.

It is also interesting to note that home-made vodka, unlike that of the state distilleries, was mostly flavoured. During the process of making home-made vodka, the alcohol was distilled three times, water and various plant flavours were added, and then the vodka was distilled once more for the fourth time! According to contemporaries, the tables in the estates of the nobility bore decanters with drinks that today we cannot even imagine! Sophisticated gourmets considered it a point of honour to have all sorts of vodka with flavours whose names started with all letters of the Russian alphabet. With cherry and pear, blackberry and acorn, caraway seed and dill, bird cherry and sage what a number of berries, roots and tree seeds was used for flavouring the traditional Russian drink! And, almost every landowner had his own special sort of vodka!

In the 19th century, beginning with the Patriotic War of 1812, the Russian treasury got less, the rouble underwent inflation, and the government introduced a state monopoly on vodka in the largest part of the Russian empire, except for Siberia, where it was useless to control the leaseholders, anyway. It is quite characteristic that after the war with Napoleon was over, Russian vodka was highly appreciated in France and it was not considered to be just one more exotic drink, but something noble and pure, brought to the French by those who defeated Buonaparte.

In Russia, the system of vodka production and sale kept changing. After the reforms, first, the excise system was introduced, then the ideas of the best way to sell bread wine were considered. Before 1885 vodka was sold only in buckets (12.3 litres); now bottles became more widespread.

The invention of this vodka is connected with the name of the famous chemist D. I. Mendeleev. The scientist had been searching for the ideal volume and weight ratio of alcohol and water for a year and a half and after having solved the problem published his findings in his doctorate dissertation «On Combining Alcohol and Water». Mendeleev's conclusions were appreciated and successfully applied in alcoholometry and vodka production. In 1894-1896 the national standard for vodka was established and the state monopoly on vodka that gradually spread all over the country was introduced.



The prohibition measures that were first introduced during the war with Japan of 1904-1905 are alone worth a separate detailed story. There is also the «prohibition law» introduced by the government of the Russian Empire on August 2, 1914 and officially cancelled by the Soviet government only in 1925. It is notable that the above mentioned monopoly on vodka led to a certain decrease in the number of alcoholics (anumber that was quite scary in the beginning of the 20th century). To a great extent this decrease was influenced by the regulations for selling vodka - in many regions vodka could be sold only before 8 p.m. However, this limitation did not work in St. Petersburg and Moscow.

It is not surprising then that in 1953 the «Moscow Special» was awarded a gold medal at an international exhibition in Switzerland. Among the items in the museum's collection, visitors will recognise the well-known «Stolichnaya» label without difficulties. This brand became very popular both at home and abroad as soon as it appeared on the market.

In May 1985, the beginning of Gorbachev's era, the sadly remembered document «On the Improved Measures Against Drunkenness and Alcoholism» struck a heavy blow to the national liquor and vodka industry. Although after 5 years time the absurd decision was considered erroneous, Russia can still feel the damage today.

On June 7 1992, the first Russian president, B. N. Yeltsin issued the Decree on the Abolition of the State Monopoly on Vodka. As a result, the country was flooded with low quality, very often fake, and therefore, hazardous product. The effect of this widespread fake vodka was so apparent, and the budget losses so noticeable, that in a year, on June 11, 1993, the new presidential decree was issued. This time it was called «On theReestablishment of the State Monopoly on Production, Storage, Wholesale and Retail of Alcoholic Products».