Vodka (Polish: wódka [ˈvutka]; Russian: водка [ˈvotkə] is a clear distilled alcoholic beverage. Its varieties originated in Poland and Russia.[1] Vodka is composed mainly of water and ethanol but sometimes with traces of impurities and flavourings.[2] Traditionally, it is made by distilling liquid from fermented cereal grains and potatoes since the latter was introduced in Europe in the 18th century. Some modern brands use maize, sugar cane, fruit, honey, and maple sap as the base.
Since the 1890s, standard vodkas have been 40% alcohol by volume (ABV) (80 U.S. proof).[3] The European Union has established a minimum alcohol content of 37.5% for vodka.[4][5] Vodka in the United States must have a minimum alcohol content of 40%.[6]
Vodka is traditionally drunk "neat" (not mixed with water, ice, or other mixers), and it is often served freezer chilled in the vodka belt of Belarus, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and Ukraine.[2] It is also used in cocktails and mixed drinks, such as the vodka martini, Cosmopolitan, vodka tonic, screwdriver, greyhound, Black or White Russian, Moscow mule, Bloody Mary, Caesar and Red Bull Vodka.
Vodka may be distilled from any starch- or 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 vodkas are made from potatoes, molasses, soybeans, grapes, rice, sugar beets and sometimes even byproducts of oil refining[36] or wood pulp processing. In some Central European countries, such as Poland, some vodka is produced by just fermenting a solution of crystal sugar and yeast. In the European Union, there are talks about the standardization of vodka, and the Vodka Belt countries insist that only spirits produced from grains, potato, and sugar beet molasses be allowed to be branded as "vodka", following the traditional methods of production.[37][38]
