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Last Updated: 05/25/2012

Vodka

If you ask any foreigner what the Russian national drink is, there can only be one answer. Although several countries bicker over the right to call themselves the homeland of vodka, there is no historical evidence of who first thought of mixing water and alcohol.

Gin

The most feminine men’s drink of all was originally conceived as a cure for kidney disease. At the end of the 16th century, a Dutch doctor was experimenting with infusions of juniper, which resulted in a strong and aromatic drink that left a “cold feel, like metal” in the mouth, which serves as a counterweight to the searing effect of the alcohol.


Tequila

The Aztecs called this drink a gift from the gods and used it during religious ceremonies. The name “tequila” itself comes from the Indian tribe Tequila and the Tequila volcano, towering over the blue agave plantations in the Mexican state of Jalisco, where practically all the tequila in the country is made.

Whiskey

The 16th century in Scotland is connected with the emergence of theater and the development of poetry. But the Renaissance also brought the technology of distillation. Local monasteries quickly mastered the production process of the “water of life,” passed on by Christian missionaries in the Middle East, and soon whiskey became the national drink of Scotland.


Rum

Rum, the favorite drink of swashbuckling adventurers, was used for some time in Europe as currency on a par with gold. Many varieties of “Barbados water” are now produced in various countries but, as 200 years ago, the most consumed type is light rum, aged only slightly.

Brandy

The history of brandy is the history of the art of distillation. Production of the “fiery wine” has been known since ancient time — the first distilleries were found in Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. Each manufacturer used its own raw materials, so the strength and taste of the beverages derived were fundamentally different.


Liqueurs

In search of the elixir of life, medieval monks were constantly experimenting with infusions of berry juices and aromatic herbs with the addition of roots or spices. They often added honey since many medicinal herbs have a bitter taste. This is how the first liqueurs appeared, which in those days were called elixirs and were prepared by the monks from various medicinal and aromatic plants.

Vermouth

When Italian monks first refined the taste of fortified red wine with aromatic herbs and roots, they are unlikely to have been aware that they were creating a drink that would become a symbol of the bohemian lifestyle, as in the film “La Dolce Vita.”


Sparkling wine

At the beginning of the 17th century, French winemakers came up against an unexpected result of the fermentation process. Sparkling wine was long called “the devil’s wine” for its ability to burst the barrels in which it was stored. Soon the drink’s energetic nature was harnessed, and sparkling wine became a mandatory part of any celebration.

The Moscow Times presents Bar Guide.

This book is the result of a joint creative project between Russia’s only daily English-language newspaper The Moscow Times, which for 18 years has been an indispensable source of accurate, reliable and independent information about Russia for the English-speaking community, and the young and ambitious cocktail web site Inshaker.ru.


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