The Vodka Belt includes Northern European and Asian countries with a long tradition of vodka production and consumption, including Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Belarus, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania, and most Scandinavian countries. The region has a cold climate and limited crop production, leading to a demand for hard liquor in winter. In 2006, a vodka war broke out in the EU when vodka belt countries demanded a clear definition of vodka. Beer has supplanted vodka in some countries, but vodka is still readily available and exported extensively.
The Vodka Belt is a group of countries in Northern Europe and Asia where a large amount of vodka is produced and consumed. While Russia is widely considered to be the home of this strong spirit, the Vodka Belt also includes Estonia, Latvia, Belarus, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania and most of the Scandinavian countries. These nations have a long tradition of vodka production and produce a large share of the vodka consumed worldwide. In the European Union, for example, 70% of the vodka consumed comes from EU Vodka Belt countries.
There are a number of other “beverage belts” around the world, such as the Beer Belt and the Wine Belt. Beverage belts are based on latitude, culture and tradition. Most Vodka Belt countries have very cold climates, limiting the number of crops that can be produced and leading to a demand for hard liquor in the winter months when the weather can feel freezing. Some of these nations also have a national cuisine that features vodka. In Russia, for example, many appetizers are meant to be paired with glasses of vodka.
In 2006, a vodka war broke out in the European Union, when vodka belt countries demanded the EU clearly define vodka. The European Union has definitions for many other traditional foods and drinks, as part of a program to maintain traditional food production methods. Vodka Belt countries wanted to limit the labeling of vodka so that only drinks made with grains and potatoes, the traditional base ingredients of this drink, could be labeled as “vodka”. Eventually, the EU compromised, allowing producers to make vodka with things like grapes as long as they indicated their product was made with a non-traditional ingredient.
Oddly enough, vodka isn’t the most popular drink in many Vodka Belt countries. Beer has supplanted vodka in Poland, Russia and some other nations, and beer consumption is on the rise in others. The increase in beer consumption can be due to a number of factors. In Poland, beer drinking was actually specifically promoted, out of a desire to reduce alcoholism by making Poles choose beer instead of vodka.
While vodka may not be as popular as it once was in the Vodka Belt, it is still readily available. Many visitors to this region like to take time out to sample some of the local vodkas, paired with traditional foods for a more complete cultural experience. The Vodka Belt also exports extensively, making it easy for people to get regional vodkas in other regions of the world.
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