My sudden interest in the topic is due to a cultural background related to my family. My aunt had adopted two children from Russia about 11 years ago. One night, not too long ago, I sat down and talked to them about what drinks were popular in their culture compared to the U.S. Turned out that Vodka was the Russian alcoholic beverage of choice. If you ever travel to Russia, you may be stunned by the many varieties of Russian vodka available. From what I understand about their culture, is that most Russians always have some sort of alcoholic beverage in their homes. As a guest, you could feel compelled to drink vodka in a Russian home.
I learned that Vodka is a Russian cultural phenomenon and has been for many years. You see it as it appears in jokes, songs, and literature. Russians traditionally drink vodka for any significant occasion, like a wedding, the birth of a child, or a new job. The appearance of the drink is not dangerous by any means. Sometimes, it actually looks similar to liquors and drinks found in the United States. For the most part, my cousin explained how most of their Russian liquors look like simple water ( in Russian the word vodka means "little water" ) and some people do not think about hazard. Vodka, like any alcohol, can be very addictive, and if abused can lead to illness.
Before this discussion, I had no idea how much Russians enjoyed drinking. My cousin also explained the numerous places in which you could buy liquor or drink. Before he moved to America, he said all he could see were places you could go to drink or purchase alcohol. He also explained how liquor here has some similar qualities as back home, but for the most part, it is really just the culture and people who treat it differently.
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