Vodka, or rather strong alcohol resembling it, likely arrived in Poland thanks to Italian or Arab merchants
Initially, even though its distillation method had been mastered in Polish lands in the 8th century, it was not considered a beverage. High-proof spirits in Poland mainly served as medicines until the 16th century, occasionally as a base for making perfumes. Over time, these “medicines” gained popularity among the peasant population and began to be consumed in entirely non-medicinal doses. In the poem “Roxolania” from 1584, poet Sebastian Klonowicz wrote about a “fiery drink” created by a criminal in a distillery, a devil’s gift, which Polish peasants consumed excessively, neglecting their responsibilities
Interestingly, vodka wasn’t referred to as vodka during that time. In the Middle Ages, alchemists and monks called the high-proof alcohol obtained from wine “aqua vitae” (Latin for “water of life”) or colloquially “okowita.” Meanwhile, the high-proof alcohol distilled from grains was known as “gorzałka” (from the verb “gorzeć,” meaning to burn). The word “wódka” didn’t appear until the 15th century and simply meant “small water” at that time. It was only in the 16th century that the term “wódka” began to be used more widely to describe medicinal tinctures and later alcoholic beverages. Polish nobility first sampled vodka around the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries, leading to the rapid rise of distilleries alongside noble residences. The popularization of vodka as a beverage was greatly influenced by a small booklet published in 1614. Its author officially declared that vodka, which he called “bread wine,” not only had medicinal properties but also tasted excellent and could be a great addition to feasts. Alongside honey, wine, and beer, vodka found its place on noble tables, already increasingly referred to as “wódka.” It was primarily distilled from rye, occasionally from wheat or plums.
The first recipes for “bread wine” were standardized thanks to royal regulations, and their composition was finely tuned. Noble tables were dominated by premium and flavored vodkas, enriched with various additives, often exotic for the time, such as ginger, cloves, nutmeg, or sandalwood leaves, and even more exotic ingredients like a tincture made from sundew leaves or “ambra,” a secretion from the digestive system of whales. The selection of additives was important not only for their taste but also for their aromatic properties. Filtration and purification techniques were not yet employed, so the early vodka, to put it mildly, didn’t have an appealing aroma.
As Polish nobility began drinking vodka for pleasure, they sought to monopolize vodka production and sales for revenue. Good vodka from noble distilleries remained a costly drink for a long time, primarily available to the wealthy. Among the vodka-drinking peasants, who often distilled it from whatever was available, vodka became more widespread when it started to be produced from potatoes. But that’s a completely different story…