A Lesson In Drinking Vodka

February 1, 2006

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Vodka is a pleasure of life, but it can also be considered a dangerous sport if overdone. My first vodka binge involved some Russian veterans from Chechnya, a warm night in Moscow, and a scandalous amount of vodka and beer. In the stench of my hotel room, I was later enlightened by a severe hangover. When trying to understand Russian culture, there is no need for books- you simply need to drink heavily with them, to say the least.

what is vodka?

Vodka's composition is quite simple, it can be made of practically anything: rye, potatoes, corn, beets or even sugar. Russians normally make grain vodka, while the Polish community uses various sources. Once the sugar is extracted and transformed into alcohol, simply distill it a few times. Six times seems to be the magic number for the best result, as it is then filtered through charcoal and there you have it; premium-tasting vodka.

The next metaphysical question is simple: where does vodka come from? We all know that cognac and champagne come from France and scotch from Scotland, but what is the birthplace of this popular drink? The answer is not so simple because nobody really knows although it is believed to have originated around the 15th or 16th century. Vodka in the Russian and Polish language, simply means little water .

For many, vodka is considered an odorless, colorless and flavorless alcohol, which in a way, is not that far from the truth. The difference in taste is quite subtle. For example, a bottle of Moskovskaya or Istok has a milder taste than other brands like Cristall . In Russia, one can find over 400 brands of vodka and very few are considered unique. Flavored vodka is a tradition in many countries where pepper, bison grass, various berries, pine extract and even lemon are mixed with it. So there is a vodka to suit every possible taste.

In the US, however, vodka has always been associated with cocktails and martinis. The average American drinker does not drink it straight, as a trend in the 80's brought people to drink Stoli on ice. Stoli is the Swedish company that produces Absolut which, with the help of a brilliant advertisement blitz, took the North American market by storm in 1980. The legendary Absolut ad campaign has redefined the drinking habits of many boozers.

drink it hard and drink it fast

Russians usually wash vodka down with a sip of Coca-Cola, Sprite, juice and most often, beer. Although American drinkers don't normally mix the two together, this way of drinking is very common, as an old Russian saying states: Vodka without beer is money thrown in the wind.

Drinking on an empty stomach can leave undesired effects. Therefore, tradition dictates that the usual drinking party involves a lot of eating between shooters of vodka. This custom is called a zakuvski , an expression akin to what we call an entre . Zakuvski comes in a large variety of choices: caviar on blinis, smoked fish, black bread, pickles and even wedding cake when desperate.

When you are done with the first bottle, it should always be placed either beside the leg of the table or on the floor. An empty bottle on a table is a bad omen for drinkers as it is perceived to be a sign of poverty. In order to spare the trouble of carrying two bottles, dedicated drinkers can prepare a fatal formula by mixing vodka and beer in those infamous 2.5 liter bottles of brewski . This acquired-taste mix is called yorsh and has been known to send 250 pound soldiers into a deep coma.

Vodka