Smirnoff

• During the Bolshevik Revolution, all distilleries were banned in Russia, which prompted one distillery owner, Vladimir Smirnov, to flea to France. There, he made contact with an American businessman and together they started the company Smirnoff, which is the French translation of of Smirnov's last name. To this day, Smirnoff is a recognized producer of vodka, which is described as sort of a white whiskey, and markets its product as not leaving alcohol on the drinker's breath -- although this may not necessarily be true.
  
  

Original Taste

• When vodka was first made, there were many impurities left in it that made it taste unpleasant. Attempts were made to correct this by adding flavors such as peppermint, juniper, absinthe (which tastes like licorice), anisette and pepper. Today, vodka is filtered, usually over charcoal, which gets rid of these impurities
  
  

Production

• Vodka is made from fruit, potatoes or fermented grain. It typically contains 40 percent alcohol, which is the rule set in 1849 by Russian Czar Alexander III for taxation purposes. Historically, vodka has been made using the cheapest grain available. Vodka is quite similar to whiskey -- both are the result of fermented mash. However, vodka is distilled at very high levels or a proof of 190, which results in the loss of most of the flavor and water and alcohol as the two substances left behind.
  
  

Quality

• According to Vodkaphiles.com, vodka should taste soft, creamy and smooth, rather than hard, watery and rough. It should be a bit caustic and it should burn your palate. The best vodkas will have a creamy and thick texture when frozen and may have a yellow or blue tint. A bad vodka will smell aggressive or of ethyl spirits or medicine. A good vodka smells grainy and sweet.
  
  

Odor

• Although many people believe that you can't smell vodka on someone's breath, most people who are around someone who has drunk vodka will tell you otherwise. When you drink alcohol, the body attempts to break it down into acetic acid because it thinks the alcohol is a toxin. However, the body can only metabolize about 90 percent of the alcohol in this fashion and the rest of the alcohol Is released in other ways, such as through your sweat or urine. When you smell alcohol on someone's breath, the smell is coming from the stomach.