Russia joins big vodka debate

October 11, 2006

The European Union is debating regulations surrounding quality control for the clear spirit. Vodka producers in Finland, Poland, and Sweden are campaigning for European Union legislation that will categorize only spirits made from grain and potatoes as "vodka" instead of any spirit made from any ethyl alcohol, for example, from apples and grapes. But Russia has taken the debate a step further, saying the name 'vodka' should only be applied to spirits made from grain.