Why do Russians like vodka? Is there any historical reason?

Speaking of Russians, Russia’s national drink “vodka” will definitely come to mind. The Russian underworld is vast and it is located at the northernmost point of the Eurasian continent. The impression left on people is probably a bunch of bearded people sitting around a campfire on a snowy day blown by the north wind, telling jokes loudly and holding strong vodka. . Perhaps the regional environment played a certain role in the popularity of vodka, but in fact its origin was due to the Tsar's pursuit of immortality, which is another unintentional historical story.

The origin of vodka probably dates back to the 12th century. The Tsar, who loved drinking, gave his ministers an order: All ministers must work hard to create a drink of immortality for him. (Think of the ancient Chinese emperors who made their own medicines. They worked very hard.) At that time, another palace brewer named Kiskov, after careful research and design, brewed a beer and mead based on barley. The "five-color golden ageless" drink distilled together is the prototype of today's vodka.

After the discovery of navigation, new crops were introduced to Europe and also to Russia. Corn and potatoes were introduced to Russia and became new raw materials for wine making. It is conceivable that early vodka should not be as clear and transparent as what you see now. It wasn't until the 18th century that Smirnoff, a bartender by trade, invented a method of filtering vodka wine through birch charcoal, making the wine purer and more transparent.

Russian people’s passion for drinking often makes other countries marvel. You should know that vodka is a transparent liquid synthesized from water and distilled and purified ethanol. It is generally subjected to multiple distillations to achieve a purer and more delicious effect. The better quality vodka on the market is generally triple distilled. During the distillation process, in addition to water and ethanol, potatoes, vegetable syrup and rye or wheat are also added. If it is to make flavorful vodka, an appropriate amount of seasonings will be added.

Therefore, vodka can be divided into two categories: one is colorless, high-quality vodka with no odor; the other is vodka with various spices added (Flavored Vodka). So vodka is a strong alcoholic drink that can cause a fever in your throat when you drink it. The habit of Russians is to drink a large glass of wine. If you drink it in one gulp, you will definitely make a "dong" sound in your throat. It’s also very breathtaking.

Not only was vodka born in Russia, but Russia also has many stories that cannot be told. For example, in 1812, the French army led by Napoleon attacked Russia, and the war between Russia and France ended with the French army, whose brandy bottles were at the bottom, defeated by the Russian army, which had endless vodka. During World War I, the Czar still had a monopoly on the state's vodka sales, and the Bolsheviks responded by calling on workers not to buy vodka. During the Great Patriotic War, Stalin had specially approved the supply of 100g of 40° vodka to every soldier on the front line.