How do you make vodka?

Answer 1

Vodka is a typically colorless liquor, usually distilled from fermented grain or potatoes but also from other raw materials (see "Production" below). It is thought that the term is a diminutive of the Slavic word "voda" (woda, вода) for "water."

Except for insignificant amounts of flavorings, vodka consists of water and alcohol (ethanol). Vodka usually has an alcohol content ranging from 35% to 70% by volume ("Vodka Rassputin"). The classic Russian vodka is 40% (80 proof), the number being attributed to the famous Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev. According to the Vodka Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia, Mendeleev thought the perfect percentage to be 38, but since spirits in his time were taxed on their strength the percentage was rounded up to 40 to simplify the tax computation.

Although vodka is generally drunk neat (alone, with no mixer) in its Eastern European and Scandinavian homeland, its growth in popularity elsewhere owes much to its usefulness in cocktails and other mixed drinks, such as the Bloody Mary or Bloody Caesar, the Screwdriver, the White Russian, Geezer Sauce, the Gimlet, and the Vodka Martini (also known as a Vodkatini), a dry martini made with vodka instead of gin.

History
Little is known about the early history of the drink in Europe. The first written record of vodka in Poland dates from 1405 in the Sandomierz Court Registry. In Russia, the first written usage of the word vodka in an official document in its modern meaning is dated by the decree of Empress Catherine I of June 8, 1751 that regulated the ownership of vodka distilleries.

Vodka is now one of the world's most popular spirits. It was rarely drunk outside Europe before the 1950s, but its popularity spread to the New World by way of post-war France. (Pablo Picasso once defined the most notable features of post-war France as "Brigitte Bardot, modern jazz, Polish vodka.") By 1975 vodka sales in the United States overtook those of bourbon whiskey, previously the most popular hard liquor. In the second half of the 20th century, vodka owed its popularity in part to its reputation as an alcoholic beverage that "leaves you breathless," as one ad put it — no smell of liquor remaining detectable on the breath.

According to The Penguin Book of Spirits and Liqueurs, "Its low level of fusel oils and congenerics — impurities that flavor spirits but that can contribute to the after-effects of heavy consumption — led to its being considered among the 'safer' spirits, though not in terms of its powers of intoxication, which, depending on strength, may be considerable." (Pamela Vandyke Price, [Harmondsworth & New York: Penguin Books, 1980], pp. 196ff.)

The second half of the 1970s witnessed two massive attacks on the priority and rights of the Soviet Union to market liquors named "vodka". The first assault was along the lines that the Russian Revolution "discontinued" Russia's trademark for vodka, which was "naturally" transferred to emigrated manufacturers of vodka, Smirnoff in particular, because of prohibition by Soviets, so that officially the Soviet Union started manufacturing vodka in 1923. This was refuted fairly easily. The second assault, around 1977, by Poland, was more serious, and the Soviet Union undertook the historical research to substantiate Russia's priority, which was completed by 1979, and in 1982 the international arbitrage considered it convincing enough to grant the USSR the priority in vodka as Russian original alcoholic beverage and recognised the Soviet trademark motto "Only vodka from Russia is genuine Russian vodka". The author of the research published his findings under the alias William Pokhlebkin in the book A History of Vodka (see references below). Despite the clear bias of the exposition in the book towards the goal (to prove the Russian priority), it is a serious, substantiated research and reveals quite a few facts, as well as debunks a number of myths, on the origins of vodka, both as product and as name. After the collapse of the Soviet Union all Russian vodka distilleries (Most famous is Red October) were privatized amidst some criminal activity.

Production
Vodka may be distilled from any starch/sugar-rich plant matter; most vodka today is produced from grains such as sorghum, corn, rye or wheat. Among grain vodkas, rye and wheat vodkas are generally considered superior. Some vodka is made from potatoes, molasses, soybeans, grapes and sometimes even byproducts of oil refining or wood pulp processing. In some Central European countries like Poland some vodka is produced by just fermenting a solution of crystal sugar and some salts for the yeast and distilling this after a few weeks. Today vodka is produced throughout the world, see List of vodkas.

Answer 2

Yes there is a taste difference, but there are limits to how much better it gets for the money. SOME of the price difference has to do with distillation.The cleaner, smaller, and more exact the center cut of a distillation (the heart) the better the vodka and the less of a hangover).Other factors are the material( types of grain,fruit, whatever) and marketing. As a rule under $10 is a bit risky, over $30 and you are usually paying for the name not the quality ( there are exceptions but Grey Goose is not among them).There are damn few vodkas over $40 (yes they do exist) that are that much better some $20 ones. Invest some money in some miniatures of various brands and try them against each other at room temperature- that is where vodka shows its faults the most - if you chill it it hides a lot. Decide which one you like best.If you like it at room temperature you'll love it cold!

Answer 3

It should be noted that distillation of alcohol without a license is not only illegal in most countries but it can also be highly dangerous without experience and proper temperature control. Under normal fermentation two types of alcohol can be produced, depending on the yeast used, the material fermented and the temperature. The potable alcohol is ethyl alcohol. The other one, methyl alcohol is highly poisonous and will do permanent damage if drunk. The two alcohols vaporise at slightly different temperatures and it's the difference between the two that is critical.

By far the safest and best way to enjoy vodka is to pay the tax and buy the professionally made stuff. It's quite a small price to pay to avoid killing yourself and your guests.

Answer 4

1. Go to liquor store.
2. Find vodka bottle
3. Buy it.
4. Drink it.

Cheaper, faster, and tastier than trying to make it out of potatoes...trust me on this one.

Answer 5

Vodka is usually made from grain or potatoes and occasionally from milk. However, since it is pure 40% ethyl alcohol, it can be made much more cheaply and conveniently from sucrose (supermarket sugar).

Answer 6

For gods sake unknown why not put in the link or summarise rather than cut and paste the whole of encarta lol
Its made from potatoes, I like my voddie triple distilled, tastes nicer

Answer 7

Distilled water, potatoes, a still, and alot of time on your hands.

Answer 8

I don't really know but my professor in college said in russia they make it from potatoes.

Answer 9

I drink it with a juice

Answer 10

lots of potatoes