The Manufacturing of Vodka
The potentially million-dollar question is, who invented vodka? The fermentation process used to make vodka can only be traced back as far as the 8th century, and with no certain reliability. Since borders were not yet clearly defined, even in Europe, it would be near impossible to determine which country the first inventors of vodka had allegiance to even if an original location could be ascertained. It is also likely that vodka was "invented" many times over the centuries, and as trade across the European continent became more far-reaching, recipes were exchanged and perfected amongst the many people who had already developed their own products.
Conflict over vodka's origin has fueled strong nationalist disputes between Poland and Russia, and the age of certain manufacturers has led to legal disputes between many distilleries, like "Smirnov" and "Smirnoff," two billion-dollar companies in a massive market. |
As stated in the dictionary definition of vodka on the Linguistics and Etymology page, vodka is distilled mostly from fermented wheat, rye, and potatoes. Vodka is almost always tasteless, and mixes well with most liquids, making it preferable to other spirits by many drinkers. It is colorless and relatively odorless.
Immediately after its conception, vodka had relevant application for health and medicine, as it was an easy to make sterilizer in a time when medicines were not well understood nor well distributed. The concerns of alcohol and health have been a relevant issue through time It wasn't until the discovery of yeast in the 1800's that the full process of fermentation was understood. This process can be further explored here. Sources: [3],[8],[9] |