Vodka is a distilled beverage composed primarily of water and ethanol, sometimes with traces of impurities and flavorings.
Traditionally, vodka is made by the distillation of fermented cereal grains or potatoes, though some modern brands use other substances, such as fruits or sugar.
Vodka is traditionally drunk neat (not mixed with any water, ice, or other mixer), though it is often served chilled in the vodka belt countries (Belarus, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Russia, Sweden, Ukraine).
It is also commonly used in cocktails and mixed drinks, such as the vodka martini, cosmopolitan, vodka tonic, screwdriver, greyhound, black or white Russian and bloody Mary.
The name ‘vodka’ is a diminutive form of the Slavic word voda (water).
