Russians are known for their drinking habits, and often, when I introduce myself as a Russian, the first response I get is, "Oh, so you drink a lot of vodka!" Vodka has played an important role throughout the history of Russia, deserving the status of the country's most popular alcoholic drink. Slavic tribal people, powerful tsars, and poor peasants knew it. It is now known to every Russian person regardless of status or position. There is no wedding, no funeral, no grief, and no happiness if there is not a bottle of Vodka on the table and you don't feel this slightly burning and at the same time unbelievably smooth liquid running through your throat, gently filling every cell of your body with a pleasant warmth. Moreover, you can hardly find a disease that can't be cured by a mouthful of vodka.
             The quality and taste of vodka didn't really change through the history, however the process of it's manufacturing was greatly modified. The invention of high-technological devises had a great impact on it. It made the process easier, cheaper and much faster. Nevertheless, most Russians, especially those who were born and raised in countryside, deliberately accept only traditional process of making this alcoholic drink.
             The process of manufacturing vodka at home is complicated and very precise. Russians say: "If you want vodka to burn your heart and to cool your mind-you should give up not only a piece of your knowledge, but a piece of your soul as well." If you want to savor soft and slightly burning taste of pure Russian vodka and wake up next morning with a clear mind, cautiously follow the steps that this process requires.
             The process of making vodka starts with the water preparation process. To make vodka absolutely clear you should use mineral water in the process of manufacturing it. No mater how perfect the technologies of water filtering are, there is no better water filter then natural layers of sand, grav...