Many countries in the world have drinks to which there are associated. The Germans and British like beer, the Scottish produce whiskey, the French and Israelis like wine, while Russians prefer vodka.
Russian vodka is more than just a strong alcoholic drink. Vodka is a national Russian spirit. The word “vodka” first appeared in Russia. Being the derivative from “water”, initially it meant the “bread wine” or “fire wine”. It is a neat and pure alcoholic drink, one of the purest in the world. People also referred to it as this special and unique drink made from cereals which have always grown extensively on the wide fields of Russia as aqua vitae or “the water of life”.
There has been much argument about the advantages and disadvantages of vodka consumption in Russia. Only in 1903 scientific researches were made in Russia that showed that 50 gr. of vodka do not affect such medical parameter as the pulse, and this quantity started to be considered as normal. More detailed research showed that 50 gr. of vodka might protect you from catching a cold in wet and cold weather. At the same time, excess consumption of vodka may lead not only to a hangover, but also to serious liver and heart diseases.
Vodka can accompany virtually every kind of food and in small portions can be used as a medical balsam. And what is more, some historians firmly believe that it was vodka that helped the Russian State to survive hard times and associate it with the national character of Russians.
Vodka played a great role in the development of the Russian State because production of vodka allowed the government to raise large quantities of capital. That was why many Tsars introduced the state monopoly for the production of this spirit. At the same time, because of the effect it caused in the case of excess consumption, some Russian Tsars prohibited vodka production.
The History of Vodka
Historians argue about the time when vodka first appeared in Russia. Some say that before the Russian state appeared, some tribes knew how to make the special alcohol drink from cereals. Traditionally there was not much fruit in Russia, and people used cereals to produce the spirits. Others suggest that vodka, initially the Arabian product called aqua vitae, appeared in Russia in 1398 when Genoese merchants brought it to Lithuania, and the Lithuanians transferred it to Russia.
At that time people thought that vodka was produced from some unknown stone. Vodka was prescribed to patients and used by the doctors as a medical balsam. After the decline of Genoan trade at the end of XV century the secret of vodka was unveiled.
Many experts agree that it was the middle of XV century when vodka started to be produced in Russia. Russian vodka was made from rye, wheat and barley. Russians considered vodka as a wine and started making different types of vodka called “good wine”, “simple wine” and the strongest “double wine”. There were many kinds of vodka with syrup made for women, such as lemon vodka. While foreign wine had been served only for ceremonies, vodka gradually became the main widespread spirit consumed by everybody.
By the end of the XV century advanced technologies were developed that led to the expansion of vodka production. Ivan III had completely prohibited production of the alcohol drinks at the end of XV century because he knew what effect it had on his peasants and soldiers. This prohibition remained in force till the middle of the XVI century, when Ivan the Terrible came to power. He had ordered to build the first tavern in Moscow for his soldiers. It was the first state-owned tavern and it was extremely profitable. Although Tsar Fyodor, the successor of the Ivan the Terrible, abolished it, Tsar Boris Godunov who came into power in 1598 ordered to build even more taverns. Under the short rule of Tsar Boris many taverns had been built and some restrictions referred to public alcohol consumption were abolished. At that time people were allowed to buy the spirits to take them off the tavern. In the beginning of the XVII century even the smaller Russian towns and villages had taverns and people begin to drink more.
Tsar Mikhail decided to limit vodka consumption. To do this, he abolished the taverns and prohibited taking drinks out. But his son, Tsar Alexei, allowed taverns to be built in each town. Under Tsar Alexei, in 1649, the first Russian Law Code was established. Under this Code, the state acquired a monopoly on alcohol production and sale while private production was prohibited. This legal requirement remained in force till 1861 when Tsar Alexander II again abolished the state vodka monopoly. However under his successor Tsar Alexander III the monopoly had been imposed again.
Vodka consumption was prohibited for soldiers in the World War I. This was called the time of the first “dry law”. After the revolution in 1917, Bolsheviks came to power, and it remained in force and the special decree was issued to cease the private production of the alcohol drinks. Only by the end of 1930 Stalin allowed state vodka production to support the economy. According to some estimates, at that time vodka made about 15 per cent of the countries turnover. By 1980s vodka was available in all shops and the level of alcohol consumption was the highest. Alcohol abuse became the reason for divorces and crime.
At the end of 1980s President Mikhail Gorbachev decided to impose the “dry law” again. Under his anti-alcohol campaign he cut vodka production and sales. Drinking vodka and other strong spirits was prohibited even on the marriage ceremonies while traditionally no marriage could be celebrated without the spirits. The public responded with an increase in illegal production of samogon (homemade vodka), and the level of the alcohol consumption only slightly lowered.
The fall of the Soviet economic system affected the alcohol market. Vodka started to be produced by private companies. Inflation led to increased consumption of the cheaper vodka which was not good quality.
Today there are about 1300 registered vodka producers in Russia. There are also many foreign vodkas. Among the most popular vodka brands there are Absolut, Kremliovskaya, Smirnoff, Stolichnaya, Moscovskaya, Rasputin and others.
Many years ago, vodka policies caused arguments among the politicians while the general principles of state control and limited consumption remain unchanged. Although advertising vodka on TV is strictly prohibited, it still remains one of the most popular spirits in Russia.
Russian Vodka Statistics
- At the end of the 1970s state retail vodka sales brought up to 30% of the state budget
- According to the Russian Health Ministry, in 1996 the index of vodka consumption was about 38 liters per person a year. In the USA, the index is 8 liters per person
- Today advertising vodka is prohibited on Russian TV
- The rate of alcohol-related illnesses in Russia is 3 to 5 times more than that in European countries
- 50 ml of vodka a day reduce possibility of such illnesses as trombophlebitis and atherosclerosis
- Absolut, Kremliovskaya, Smirnoff, Stolichnaya, Moscovskaya, Rasputin are the most popular vodka brands in Russia
How to drink vodka
In Russia people drink vodka in one gulp and serve it with special dishes including herring, caviar, salmon, ham, tomatoes, preserved mushrooms, Russian soups, blins, pelmeni (meat-filled dumplings), boiled potato, cucumbers etc. It is not recommended to drink vodka with soft drinks. You should not be in a hurry while drinking vodka. Feel the taste and smell of true Russian vodka.
Vodka Cocktails
Below you can find some receipts of special vodka cocktails. Remember that vodka is a strong spirit and be careful if you decide to try it.
Tsars Vodka
Blend 60ml of vodka and 10 ml of white vermouth with 10 ml of orange and pepper liqueur in the glass. Filter the mix and put in some ice.
Vodka and juice
Take 50 ml of vodka, 25 ml of tomato juice and 5 ml of lemon juice, pepper and salt. Make the drinks cold. Pour tomato juice first, and then add vodka and lemon juice. After that add some pepper and salt.
Ruff fish (Russian cocktail)
Blend vodka and beer in any proportion
Summer cocktail
Blend 100 ml of vodka and 100 ml of Coca-Cola.
Spindrift
Put some ice in the blender, add 60 ml of vodka, 10 ml of sugar syrup, 20 ml of lemon juice and one white of an egg. Blend the mixture and pour it in a glass.
Cucumber vodka
Find a small cucumber on the seedbed, put it into the bottle and let it grow. When the cucumber grows big inside the bottle, tear it off. Put vodka into the bottle. You will get an exotic bottle of vodka with a cucumber in it. Vodka will have a slight cucumber taste. The same can be done with pears and apples.
Evgeniya Stroganova and Guy Burgoyne
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