vodka

Vodka is one of the world's most popular spirits. It was rarely consumed outside Europe before the 1950s. In the second half of the 20th century, vodka owed its popularity in part to its reputation as an alcoholic beverage that "leaves you breathless", as one ad put it — claiming no smell of liquor remains detectable on the breath, and its overall neutral flavor allows it to be mixed into a wide variety of drinks, often replacing other liquors in traditional drinks, such as the martini.