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Vodka
Appears in
Published 2004
Scholars debate the beginnings of vodka. Most agree that vodka has been made for one thousand years or so. Some believe it was distilled first in the area that became Russia. The word “vodka” comes from the Russian zhizenennia voda (water of life). Others think that vodka was born a little west of Russia, in present-day Poland. Still other scholars stake claims for other European nations and even the British Isles.
The great difficulty in identifying the origins of vodka comes from its ill-defined nature. The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (BATF) defines vodka as “neutral spirits so distilled, or so treated after distillation with charcoal or other materials, as to be without distinctive character, aroma, taste, or color.” But vodka does have flavor and aroma—few are likely to mistake it for water. The way to make sense of this apparent contradiction is by understanding that vodka (except those types that are labeled “flavored”) is not made flavorful by being aged in barrels (like whiskey) or infused with herbs (like gin) or syrups (like liqueurs). It is distilled, filtered, and then bottled.