There cannot be not enough snacks,
There can only be not enough vodka.
There can be no silly jokes,
There can only be not enough vodka.
There can be no ugly women,
There can only be not enough vodka.
There cannot be too much vodka,
There can only be not enough vodka.
- Russian saying

There is no doubt that most people today think of Russia when they think of vodka. There is an anthropological, emotional and almost mythological association of these two nouns. But, despite such successful brand awareness, did the Russians actually invent vodka [The Poles would say not, of course. Polish vodka is a fine drink, subtly different from the Russian version, and probably developed separately. Despite the controversy, it is fair to say that Russian and Polish vodka probably developed around the same time and for more or less the same reasons. ] ? And how did vodka come to be such an integral part of the Russian consciousness... or unconsciousness?