Vodka is the most versatile of spirits. While people in Eastern Europe and the Baltic often drink it neat, swallowing it in one gulp, others use it in cocktails from the Bloody Mary to the vodka Martini or mix it with tonic water or ginger beer to create a refreshing drink. Vodka manufacturers even infuse it with flavours ranging from lemon and strawberry to chocolate, bubble gum and bacon. Created by distilling fermented grains, potatoes or other vegetables, this colourless, flavourless and odourless liquor has been enjoyed by both the rich and the poor throughout its existence, but it has also endured many obstacles along its way to global popularity.
