Vodka Tales

Living

A distilled spirit with high alcohol content, Vodka is very popular as the ideal drink for mixing with sweet stuff until it’s essentially Kool-Aid with a kick.

Do you remember the time when you had your first shot of vodka? The burning sensation running down your throat, the electrifying sparks warming your fingertips, toes, your whole body and finally the pleasant dizziness- the forbidden ecstasy. “What’s so wrong in having a single shot of vodka?” you ask yourself and gulp it down. The single shot turned into double and before you knew it, you got so drunk that you couldn’t remember your own name; had alcohol poisoning or worse got arrested and ended up vowing never to drink again. These tales have been told and retold so many times that everybody feels a part of it. We have had our crazy moments and we also have our share of vodka stories.

It all happened way back in high school. It was a friend’s birthday and you know how things tend to get a little out of hand when a bunch of teenagers are left on their own in an empty house with a ‘well endowed bar’.  Yes, we decided to sneak out a bottle of vodka and celebrate. Everybody was drunk and it was beginning to get a little boring and one of the drunken geniuses suggested we go to Nagarkot. So those of us who were awake sneaked out in the dead of night, silently towing our bikes and scooters, not daring to start it until we were a good distance away from the house, lest we wake up the neighbors. This is our favorite drunken story because vodka, friends and the spectacular sunrise from Nagarkot is unbeatable. 


Drinking has always been a part of man’s territory but we like to think of ourselves as 21st century women, and so we allow ourselves this one single act of indulgence. There are many other feminists who have also learnt the art of holding their alcohol filled glasses. This part of our lifestyle that used to be frowned upon, has slowly gained ground as an accepted social practice. Drinking culture is on the rise and vodka has a widespread kingdom of its own. Because of its easy blending attributes and affordable price, it is liked by men and women alike. Its popularity is reaching new heights and has even managed to find a market among teenagers.

Vodka has been around since the 17th century but where it originated is shrouded in mystery. Many nations have claimed to be the birthplace of this popular spirit. However, the two leading candidates as the mother country of vodka are Poland and Russia. Vodka began as rye-based liquor, and as it became more popular, potato became the ingredient of choice. Even though potato-based vodka wasn’t the best taste-wise, it was much easier to distill than other grains. As vodka made the switch from a family made liquor to one that was produced on a grand scale by large distilleries, the potato was discarded and grain was embraced. Today most brands of vodka are distilled from rye, wheat, barley, and most commonly corn. Vodka is distilled at very high proofs and then filtered through vegetable charcoal. Alcoholic proof is a measure of how much alcohol (i.e., ethanol) is contained in an alcoholic beverage; the higher the proof in vodka, the less the flavor and clearer the color. 


Coming closer to home, Nepal is no stranger to the drinking culture. In fact drinking has always been a part of our tradition where local alcohols like chyyang, ayla, tho and tongba have played a significant role socially, religiously and historically. Age is no bar when it comes to drinking in Nepal for even infants are given a spoonful of alcohol to induce a good night’s sleep. With ever growing western influences, it is no surprise that Nepalis are enticed by foreign brands of alcohol. Gin, Rum, Whiskey, Brandy, Tequila and Vodka are gaining popularity amongst the adults and teenagers, both men and women alike. Breaking the conventional notion of ‘wine is for women’, the females these days tend to go for harder liquors and spirits. Because of the psychological and physical differences, women are designed to handle only half the amount of alcohol the male can consume. But the latest trend for the ladies is to compete with their male counterparts.

We don’t mean to preach, since we are in no position to do so. Drinking make us feel more confident and sociable, so it has emerged as something of a communal savior, but it doesn’t come without its perils. Media and celebrities have aggravated the popularity furthermore. Frequently, we see people lose control after a heavy drinking session and end up in hospital or even the morgue. We are not saying you should give up drinking, but don’t let things get out of hand. It is always good to be safe.