In the 14th century would have appeared Vodka under the name of Voda ("water") for the first time. In 1701 under the reign of Peter I, known as Peter the Great, appears for the first time the term Vodka, which has spread throughout the world from the twentieth century.

Since the end of the 20th century, it has come back to the forefront thanks to Mixologists and other Bartenders, for whom it has become indispensable in the creation of cocktails. Today we find a multitude of flavored and/or distilled Vodkas, so the only limit is that of the imagination... From the fourteenth to the sixteenth century
In the fourteenth century, we found the first traces of grape brandy brought by the
Genovese to Russia by the sea routes crossing the Black Sea.

In the 15th century, in a manuscript found in Sandomir, Poland, dated 1405, the term "woda", which means "water", is used. It is around 1430 that it appears in Russia in Moscow under the term "voda" thanks to the monk Isidor of the monastery of Tchoudov. Tsar Ivan III established a state monopoly on the production and sale of vodka in 1474. In the 16th century, under the reign of Tsar Ivan IV, known as Ivan the Terrible, in 1553 the Russian state imposed a production and marketing monopoly. This decision allows the Crown to reap colossal resources and revenues. Vodka became essential to the functioning of the economy and took a prominent part in Russian culture. Originally, vodka was a potato alcohol, because grain was too expensive. In Poland, it was traditional for households to offer vodka to their guests as a sign of hospitality. The 17th to 18th century In the middle of the 17th century, more precisely in 1657, the grape vodka known in Russia and the CIS countries as "kizlyar vodka" or "kizlyarka" was produced for the first time. The recipe is said to have originated in France!

At the beginning of the 18th century, in 1701 under the reign of Peter I, known as Peter the Great, the term Vodka appeared for the first time. This period corresponds to a period of overconsumption of this alcohol by the Russian and Polish populations. It is literally the plague of alcoholism. The taverns represent very important places of meeting and life. The consumption of vodka spreads from then on in Scandinavia and in Germany.

In the 19th century, in 1828, Nicolas I abolished the state monopoly. The appearance of distillation columns allowed several developments: on the one hand, to reduce production costs, and on the other hand, following the example of the Scottish distilleries which produced the first grain whisky, the Russian distillers found success with the population with brandies made from rye or other cereals.

It was during this period that the Smirnoff company was born. Dimitri Mendeleev is often presented as the inventor of vodka, more precisely he is the one who fixed the standard and preferential alcoholic strength of vodka at 38°.

In 1894, in order to facilitate the calculation of the taxes by the Administration, the Emperor Alexander III brings back this title to 40% of Alcoholic Volume and filtered with coal. One grants him diverse and varied virtues. The fight against the cold or various and varied evils, the disinfection of medical instruments on the battlefields or the celebration of various occasions are all uses of Vodka. This spirit will pass thereafter from a utilitarian product to a luxurious product being able to be used as dotes during marriages.
From the XX century The beginning of the XX century is marked by a period of prohibition of the Vodka proclaimed by the Tsar Nicolas II during the first world war from 1914. The ban was extended until 1924 by the Soviet Government. It is also the time of the American prohibition. The aim was to limit the consumption of alcohol and its excesses observed on all continents. These prohibitions were abrogated for reasons of individual freedom, and also to fight against smuggling and of course to allow states to collect taxes on the sale of alcohol.

The 50's saw the emergence of cocktails and in particular Vodka which is one of the main ingredients.
Ian Fleming made Vodka Martini (and its variants Dry Martini and Vesper) the favorite cocktail
of his hero James Bond.
From the 1970s, all countries can produce Vodka under the impetus of European countries and the United States, which free the name Vodka from the exclusivity of historical production and marketing of Russians.


In 1982 an international jury set the priority of the creation of the Vodka to the USSR.
Vodka has not always had a good reputation. Some production processes (use of head spirits) gave it in the past an image of Russian alcohol, adulterated that makes blind. Vodka is perceived as a white alcohol with a weak taste identity, ideal in
cocktails because it goes well with all spirits and softs.
Queen of nightclubs or other trendy bars, Absolut, Smirnoff are combined with apple juice, orange juice, Cola or energy drinks. Another way to drink it is to leave a bottle of vodka in the freezer, to drink it as a "trou normand" or as a digestif, neat in a small glass.


In the 21st century, micro-distilleries, like the Distillerie des Pyrénées with Bear Brothers Vodka, were created and today Vodka is a popular spirit that has found its letters of nobility with much more refined preparations and limitless aromatic palettes. Bartenders and other mixologists are snatching up this spirit in order to create cocktails, each more original and inventive than the last.
For a few years, brands like Grey Goose have been launching a rise in quality and the competition is launching itself in the market of the best Vodka. Flavored products are even appearing (lemon, strawberry, caramel, ...) which corresponds to a positive evolution for consumers who can discover products to drink dry, on ice, but also and always in recipe. Even if some still attribute to Vodka a night market or low cost products, exciting creations are emerging. Dégustée masquée, la Vodka Bear Brothers subjugue par son goût. Today, vodka is produced all over the world and has no less than 5,000 different brands. It is the second most consumed spirit in the world. !