Deep History
13.7 billion years ago an event occurred that would create the universe we know of today. This event was the Big Bang. After this explosion, the universe brought to us elements of hydrogen and helium, which further evolved into what we now know as the heavier elements. Fast-forward about 9 billion years to the creation of our beautiful, planet Earth. As water, gas, and space rock orbited and clumped together, they mixed with organic compounds that lead to the formation of life. As time progressed life evolved slowly; humans came along and vegetation flourished. One of these remarkable components of vegetation was the growth of the potato.
It is not until we fast-forward again to the year 8000 B.C.E. where we can see the first evidence of humans producing alcohol . Ancient artifacts show that fermentation drums were used to produce a form of ethyl alcohol. Ten thousand years after the ancient Chinese civilizations produced this ethyl alcohol, humans began to study the chemical processes surrounding alcohol. In the 8th Century we find the first evidence of the creation of vodka.
What was this vodka used for at the time of its invention?
Research suggests that the original purpose of vodka was for health and medical applications. In Poland, the original word for vodka was actually pronounced as wódka, and referred to chemical compounds that were used for medicinal and health reasons. The first written reference of the term vodka dates back to 1533 and is referred to in context of a medicinal drink that was brought from Poland to Russia. This leads us to deciphering how vodka was used. Was it a drink or was it a medicine? While the Polish language used wódka to refer to the medicinal vodka, the term gorzałka was used to describe the popular drink.
Today vodka has taken on a much different meaning that over the course of history. Vodka is widely accepted as one of the most popular alcoholic drinks in the world. Vodka has become the go-to drink for people, whether they’re drinking it on the rocks or mixing it with a non-alcoholic chaser. In the manufacturing of vodka, we can see why many people choose vodka over other alcoholic spirits. Because it is usually tasteless and clear, vodka can be mixed easily and goes down easy for many drinkers.
It is not until we fast-forward again to the year 8000 B.C.E. where we can see the first evidence of humans producing alcohol . Ancient artifacts show that fermentation drums were used to produce a form of ethyl alcohol. Ten thousand years after the ancient Chinese civilizations produced this ethyl alcohol, humans began to study the chemical processes surrounding alcohol. In the 8th Century we find the first evidence of the creation of vodka.
What was this vodka used for at the time of its invention?
Research suggests that the original purpose of vodka was for health and medical applications. In Poland, the original word for vodka was actually pronounced as wódka, and referred to chemical compounds that were used for medicinal and health reasons. The first written reference of the term vodka dates back to 1533 and is referred to in context of a medicinal drink that was brought from Poland to Russia. This leads us to deciphering how vodka was used. Was it a drink or was it a medicine? While the Polish language used wódka to refer to the medicinal vodka, the term gorzałka was used to describe the popular drink.
Today vodka has taken on a much different meaning that over the course of history. Vodka is widely accepted as one of the most popular alcoholic drinks in the world. Vodka has become the go-to drink for people, whether they’re drinking it on the rocks or mixing it with a non-alcoholic chaser. In the manufacturing of vodka, we can see why many people choose vodka over other alcoholic spirits. Because it is usually tasteless and clear, vodka can be mixed easily and goes down easy for many drinkers.
Sources used: [1], [2], [5], [6], [10], [13]