Where did vodka come from and who invented it first

“Who invented vodka anyway?!” – I have heard this rather rhetorical question more than once, and, to be honest, I myself sometimes say so. Usually the phrase is pronounced in the morning, after a good feast, along with the words “I won’t drink like that again.”

But few people can really answer this question, Mendeleev will be remembered at most, although vodka is a drink known all over the world. I decided to find out more detailed information, firstly, it’s curious, and secondly, it will be something to answer this question in the morning, to my friends who were overstayed.

What is vodka from the point of view of a chemist and how to cook it

In fact, vodka is alcohol diluted with water. In my younger years, I, a future chemical technologist, often prepared it according to this “recipe”.

Each time, a nasty, odorous liquid was obtained, which was very different from purchased vodka, but met all the requirements of undemanding students. It was cheap, affordable, and well intoxicated.

In production, the drink is treated with activated carbon and filtered in several stages. Water for the mixture is used according to a special GOST – soft and with a minimum indicator of iron in the composition.

It is not boiled or distilled. Therefore, it is almost impossible to make high-quality vodka at home. Unless, of course, you use a bonifier – but these are already industrial “gadgets”.

Interestingly, the vodka production technology has remained virtually unchanged since the 1890s. How much our world has changed during this time, but we drink the same vodka as, for example, the poets of the late XNUMXth century!

Who invented vodka

It is generally accepted that D. I. Mendeleev invented vodka, combining alcohol with water and defending the dissertation of the same name.

But the essence of this work was not about the use of the mixture as a drink, but in the study of biochemical properties for various concentrations of alcohol mixed with water. His dissertation was rather a “cheat sheet” for creating a future recipe for modern vodka.

But they began to drink a strong drink even before Dmitry Ivanovich was born, and even before the appearance of the word “vodka”. Alcohol by distillation began to be created as early as the XNUMXth century. Then it was used for medical purposes, but they began to use it much later.

The drink gained popularity in the XNUMXth century in Poland, it was called “burner” and “burnt wine”. He came to Russia in the middle of the XNUMXth century, and fell in love with the prince. To lower the degree, it was diluted with water.

After several decades, alcohol in Russia began to be obtained independently and sent for export, this was the beginning of the popularization of “Russian vodka”.

Why is vodka so popular in the world

The word vodka is known all over the world and in all languages. Why is she, and not, for example, rum? If you think about it, the answer is obvious – the simplicity and accessibility of the drink. Alcohol can be obtained from the cheapest raw materials:

• corn;
• vegetables;
• fruit.

Yes, almost everything! Alcohol is the basis of any alcoholic beverage. And vodka, as I wrote above, is its mixture with water and subsequent processing. Everything ingenious is simple! To obtain rum, gin and other strong drinks, many additional processes and specific raw materials are needed.

Vodka is an excellent cocktail base – it does not have a pronounced taste and practically dissolves in it, only adding a degree.

But with this dignity, a pure drink is considered “brutal”, so to speak, not for wimps. What are only the stereotypes of foreigners about Russians and vodka – a harsh drink for hardy and strong people.

Thanks to its versatility – whether it’s a cocktail or a faceted glass for a good snack – vodka will please everyone.

What is the difference between “ancient” vodka and modern

The vodka that is on the shelves of our stores is actually not very different from the one that was drunk many centuries ago, except for a few factors:

1. Softness and smell, before vodka was not so purified from impurities.
2. The strength of the drink, it could be different. Only in 1843 was the rate of 40% officially approved.
3. Safety of use (subject to drinking “in moderation”), thanks to numerous filters in production.

After reading a lot of information, it is difficult to unequivocally answer the question of who invented vodka. Alcohol itself began to be obtained in ancient times in different countries, mainly for medicinal purposes.

I believe that many “patients” felt the benefits of such treatment and the drink, diluted for ease of use with water, went to the people.

What do you think about it? And what do you think about vodka in general?