A Brief History of Vodka
Vodka is probably the oldest spirit made, it was made before distillation, the word being a Russian word voda, meaning water (little water). Both Poland and Russia make claim that Vodka was invented in their country. Poland claims in the 8th century. It was more and a distilled wine, a crude brandy. The first documented vodka mad was in Russia at the end of the 9th century was two hundred years later reported in the Vyatka Chronicle of 1174.
In Egyptian wall drawings of Alembic stills, The still was developed in 800 AD by the Arab alchemist Jabir ibn Hayyan the name originating from Arabia from the word alembic derived from the metaphoric meaning of one that which refines through distillation, distillation meaning and is a method of separation, as in pure ethanol the base of spirit and water. The spirit being a lighter liquid rises above the water and separates. As with most spirits they were made for medicinal purposes
It was not until the 11th century that Poland made authentic vodka as we know today and 1174 that the first Russian distillery came to the small town of Khylnovsk. Using agricultural grains, potatoes, sugerbeet and most other agricultural products. It was not until early 14th century in Poland and 1430s in Russia after in that Vodka was consumed a beverage. Over time the distilling process got better with the vodka being filtered through charcoal eliminating the impurities making it better product for consumption.
The beverage became popular and was introduced to England by soldiers returning from the Low Countries in the late 1800 hundred to early 1900.
