Let’s get into a little history of vodka. A clear, colorless distilled liquor with a distinct neutral flavor, vodka is one of the most — if not the most — versatile spirits out there. Vodka is traditionally made from fermented grains and potatoes, but some modern distillers also use sugarcane, corn, or fruit. 

In its current iteration, vodka has a 300-plus-year history, but there are records of primitive versions of the liquor existing as early as the 8th or 9th century AD. The history of vodka involves everyone from the Russian Empress Elizabeth, whose 1751 decree was the first written usage of the word in official government records, to F. Scott Fitzgerald’s fictional Jay Gatsby, whose fortune came from bootlegging grain-based liquors during America’s Prohibition.

Continue reading to learn more about the fascinating, extensive history of vodka, the most popular liquor in the world. 

What is Vodka?

Vodka is a clear, almost flavorless liquor made from grains or starches. It generally has a 40-55% ABV (alcohol by volume), though the alcohol content can generally vary on the upper end. It is most popular in the so-called ‘vodka belt,’ which includes Russia, Poland, the Balkan states, and some Scandinavian countries; it was in this region that vodka was first distilled. 

Vodka is a distilled liquor, meaning the concentration of ethyl alcohol in the finished spirit is much higher than that of the fermented starch from which it is made. Vodka differs from other distilled spirits mostly because of its ABV and its grain or starch base.

The actual distillation process involves repeatedly heating off vapors and collecting what remains. The distillation process may have been around since as early as 2000 BC. However, it was standardized and popularized by brandy production in the 15th century. Around the world, vodka is drunk neat, chilled, and in a host of popular cocktails. Among the most common vodka cocktails are the vodka martini, the Cosmopolitan, the Bloody Mary, the vodka tonic, and the Moscow Mule. 

The ‘Little Water’

The word vodka is generally believed to have come from the Slavic voda, which means water. In Slavic languages, ‘k’ is oftentimes used as a diminutive suffix that can mean ‘little’ — thus ‘little water.’ This liquor may have existed as early as 700-800 AD. But the name for it only appeared in English records in the late 1700s. In the rest of the vodka belt, the word for vodka arises from various verbs for ‘to burn,’ both a reference to the distillation process and to the harsh feeling of drinking straight vodka. 

The water-related roots of the word vodka are also an interesting throwback to the times when alcohol was thought to have important medicinal properties. One type of alcohol popular during Medieval times was called aqua vitae, or ‘the water of life’ in Latin, because it was believed to have some sort of life-giving properties (known as ‘quintessence’). 

Similarly, early forms of vodka were used as medicine — maybe because it did make people feel better, even if it wasn’t actually healing anything. 

Competing Histories

Very few — if any — records remain on the earliest forms of vodka. As mentioned above, rudimentary versions of liquor may have been created in the 8th or 9th century in either Poland or Russia. 

Poland’s claim relies on the belief that the word vodka is a derivative of the Polish wódka. This refers to chemical compounds like medication and cosmetics. However, early distillations in Poland more closely resembled brandy than vodka. 

Another school of thought regarding vodka’s origins is that it was invented by a monk in Russia in the 14th century. 

The Polish Version

Whether or not vodka was invented in Poland, it is a country with one of the oldest vodka distillation traditions. From the early Middle Ages onwards, people across Poland have made versions of the liquor.  Although the first recorded mention of the drink was in 1405. At that time, vodka was still being used as medicine.  Various Polish treaties written in the 15th and 16th-centuries laid out the process for making the liquor. Some modern brands of Polish vodka trace their recipes back to this time, including Żubrówka and Chopin. 

Large-scale production of vodka in the country began in the late 1500s. However, by the mid-1600s, a vodka monopoly was given to the Polish nobility, who made huge profits off of the industry. Polish noblewoman Princess Lubomirska created one of the most famous distilleries among the aristocracy. It’s one that is still open today under the name Polmos Łańcut. 

In early vodka production, the liquor was only distilled once. This means these versions of vodka had relatively low alcohol content and many impurities. This vodka had an ABV of around 30-35%. In 1782, fine spirits company J.A. Baczewski opened the country’s first industrial distillery in the city of Lwów. This city is now the Ukrainian city of Lviv. 

Here’s a fun fact if anyone ever tests you on your vodka trivia. Some Polish distillers got creative with their liquor. And it was here that people tried to make vodka out of carrots in the 18th century. 

The 14th-Century Russian Monk Hypothesis

Aqua vitae, the Medieval beverage mentioned earlier, first officially came to Russia in 1386 in the luggage of some Genoese ambassadors. However, because it is distilled from grape wine, it would now be considered more brandy than vodka. Actual Russian vodka is said to trace its roots back to 1430. There it was a Greek Orthodox monk named Isidore, who was being kept as a prisoner in a monastery inside the Kremlin. This version of events is courtesy of historian William Pokhlyobin, though it has not been definitely proven. 

According to Pokhlyobin, Isidore had a special experience with the devices used in the distillation process. And he was able to use this knowledge to create a higher-quality liquor that is the origin of modern vodka. At first, his invention was known as ‘bread wine,’ and was produced almost exclusively in Moscow. Interestingly, though the word vodka already existed at this point, it was the Russian name for rubbing alcohol-esque tinctures with a 75-80% ABV. 

Vodka was largely produced by the government by the 18th century. There were policies in place promoting consumption of the liquor to the public. Due to this policy, by the mid 19th-century, vodka had become the Russian drink of choice. 

The government monopoly on vodka production ended in 1863. However, vodka taxes were a huge chunk of Tsarist Russia’s government revenue, making up as much as 40%. Vodka has such a deeply embedded cultural role in the country that the liquor features in everything from Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina and Anton Chekhov’s The Siren to various Russian proverbs and idioms. This liquor has major staying power: In 2001, it was estimated that 70% of all liquor consumed in Russia was vodka. 

The Liquor of WWII

Prior to World War II, vodka was largely an eastern European indulgence. The major 1939-1945 conflict, though, put vodka on the map, perhaps due to its sheer size. During World War I, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia banned vodka sales in fear that it would make soldiers too unruly to fight. This decision backfired massively. It led to an extreme drop in government revenues that were being used to fund the war effort. 

Joseph Stalin made sure not to make the same mistake when World War II rolled around. Despite the famine of the early 1930s, Stalin ensured that portions of grain and potatoes were being set aside for vodka production. During the war, Russian soldiers were given 100 grams — about two shots — of vodka per day, known as ‘the commissar’s ration.’ 

Vodka’s prevalence on the Russian front lines of World War II made the liquor known to Russia’s allies, namely the Americans. It was only when American soldiers returned home at the end of the war that vodka truly began to gain popularity in the U.S. 

Vodka Goes Worldwide

Largely because of World War II, and subsequent globalization, vodka soon became a worldwide phenomenon. The first American vodka to be distilled was created in Connecticut in 1934, courtesy of two Russian emigrés: Rudolph Kunett and Vladimir Smirnov. Both are the founders of the modern-day vodka giant Smirnoff. At that time, Prohibition had recently ended, so it seemed to be a good time to go into alcohol sales. However, whiskey was still the liquor of choice for the majority of Americans. It was largely thanks to the invention of the Moscow Mule in a Sunset Strip bar in 1946 that Americans became enamored with the spirit. 

Trading on the glamor and mystique of Russia, vodka eventually became the second-most popular liquor in the States by 1968, and it is now the most-consumed spirit in the country. In the same decades, vodka was growing in popularity in the rest of Europe, contributing to its modern-day dominance. 

Modern-Day Vodka Boycotts

Vodka’s identification with Russia is not wholly beneficial for producers of the liquor, however. Because it is a symbol of Russia, American activists have occasionally rallied against it to protest various injustices perpetrated by Russia. 

In 2013, LGBTQ+ rights activists called for a boycott of Russian-branded vodka due to the country’s anti-queer policies. In 2022, after Russia invaded Ukraine, many American liquor distributors and bars stopped selling Russian-branded vodka in solidarity with Ukraine. However,  only about 1.2% of the vodka in the United States is imported from Russia. And many Russian-branded vodka varieties are actually produced in the United States itself. 

Flavored Varieties

Vodka’s largely neutral flavor has made it the perfect base for various flavored spirits. Flavored vodka has been produced in traditional vodka-making areas since the liquor was first distilled. Mostly it was as a method to improve the taste. Usually, flavors are added to vodka after the distillation process, via infusion or special flavoring chemicals. Common flavorings include bison grass (Poland) and honey and red pepper (Russia). 

Flavored vodka is popular in Nordic countries like Sweden, where holiday festivities often call for herb-, spice-, or fruit-infused vodka. Sweden even has over 40 common herbal varieties of vodka, called kryddat brännvin. Another country with many flavored vodka varieties is Estonia, which is known for blackcurrant, lemon, cherry, apple, and vanilla vodkas. Yum!

Various countries have different regulations regarding the definition of vodka. For example, in the European Union, grape-based vodka must indicate its production ingredients on the label. But vodka made from grain or potatoes does not.

Why Should You Care?

Vodka is a near-ubiquitous liquor. As the most popular spirit in the world, it has an important role to play in mankind’s relationship and history with alcohol. From aqua vitae to modern-day vodka boycotts, the history of vodka interacts with everything from medieval medicine to Russian literature to current global politics. That’s why you should care. It’s also an odd niche of information that may come in handy during pub trivia! 

Want to see the vodka distillation process up close? Click here for a list of vodka distilleries near you.