“Na Zdorovie!” Or, the term in English, “Cheers!” Was the phrase that Russians used to toast before taking a shot of vodka. Yes! In Russia, one of the early adopters of this distillate, toasting was a tradition and an obligation before having a bit of this drink, but…What do we actually know about vodka?

The history of Vodka

The word Vodka comes from the translation of water in Russian: “Voda”. On the other hand, the Polish used the term to refer to any white distilled drink. Its birth brings us to the Middle Age, when it started becoming popular. This liquor was produced from potatoes and had medicinal purposes. Experts suggest that its use was common in Russia because it was an effective remedy against the cold weather.

Curiously, the first to develop this distillate were monks, thanks to them, farmers of the eighteenth century began to drink vodka and its use began to grow in Russia. However, this drink did not begin to expand until 1917, during the Russian Revolution, in which the population began to escape from the country towards Europe, and what did they bring with them? Their Voda or water. However, the worldwide recognition of this drink did not arrive until the Second World War, the historical moment when Vodka reaches the hands of the North Americans.

What is Vodka today?

At this time, it is one of the strongest liquors; in the case of Polish Vodka, its graduation can reach 80%. Before, it was produced from potatoes and cereals, however, now, its creative process has to do with fermented products, such as cereals and grapes.

After its birth and distribution around the world, a large number of varieties have appeared that combine different colours, flavours and aromas. The most popular is the classic Żubrówka, yellowish and greenish, due to the herbs used to produce it.

The rise of this liquor has to do with its little flavour and taste, thanks to that, we are able to use it in many of our cocktails without destroying the resulting mixture. In the XXI century, we have great drinks made from Vodka: Bloody Mary, Bullshot, Balalaika, Black Russian and Screwdriver.

Vodka in Dry Martini

We use the distillate to merge products like peppers, chilies, limes … etc. There are several top Vodkas in the minds of mixology fans: Moskovskaya, Stolichnaya, Absolut and, our favourite, Grey Goose, which we use to mix and produce our cocktails and creations. This drink has become a classic in Dry Martini as a way to share conversations and moments with others, also, it can be the best company to appetizers like salmon or caviar.