According to a legend, around 1430, a monk named Isidore from Chudov Monastery inside the Moscow Kremlin made a recipe of the first Russian vodka. Having a special knowledge and distillation devices, he became the creator of a new, higher quality type of alcoholic beverage. The word Vodka comes from the translation of water in Russian: “Voda”. On the other hand, the Polish used the term to refer to any white distilled drink. Its birth brings us to the Middle Age, when it started becoming popular. This liquor was produced from potatoes and had medicinal purposes. Experts suggest that its use was common in Russia because it was an effective remedy against the cold weather.

In the mid 17th century, the Orthodox Church declared that vodka was an invention of the devil and destroyed all the documents that related to vodka’s early history. The church’s and the government attempt to crack down on vodka drinking only drove the drink underground and encouraged people to make their own vodka at home, a custom that continues to this day. Interesting fact: Rosspirtprom is a government-run company that controls 40 percent of Russia’s vodka production. In the early 2000s, the director of Rosspirtprom, Sergei Zevenko said he had a $6 million price on his head and was even accompanied by bodyguards in his office. The government monopoly on vodka production is steadily being broken up.