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duced from almost anything from
grain to vegetables to sugars and
fruits. Most typically, the country’s
commercial vodka is produced
from rye, wheat, corn, potatoes, or
beets. The word itself is a derivative
of “voda” or water. In most cases,
it is vodka and not wine (or water,
for that matter) that accompanies a
typical Russian meal. The interna-
tional popularity of vodka exploded
during the late 1960s and
70s.
This is perhaps not
so coincidental
with the
rise in
popularity
of fictional
British spy
character,
James
Bond, who
preferred
his
“shaken,
not
stirred” martinis made with vodka,
which he no doubt developed a taste
for in his travels. Until then, vodka
was virtually unknown in the west;
gin and whiskey had been the
favorite cocktail bases. Vodka is still
considered one of the most popu-
lar spirits in the world, with many
evolving styles and flavors.
under cultivation, less than half the total
area used in the early 1980s.
Russia produces wine of several different
styles including still, sparkling and des-
sert wine. Currently there are over 100
different varieties of grapes used in the
production of Russian wine. The Rkatsiteli
grape accounts for over 45 percent
of production. Other varieties grown
include Aligote, Cabernet Sauvignon,
Cabernet Severny, Clairette Blanche,
Merlot, Muscat, Pinot Gris, Plavai, Portu-
gieser, Riesling, Saperavi, Silvaner, and
Traminer.
However,
one cannot
possibly
discuss the
Russian
liquor indus-
try without
mentioning
vodka, its
most lucra-
tive import.
Vodka has been produced here
since the 14th century, and is
now made all over Russian
both
commercially
and for pri-
vate consump-
tion. Vodka
is a clear
distillate
that can
be
pro-