Vodka became a staple as a Russian beverage back in the 1300s. However, there was no standard for distillation for 500 years! This meant that consumers could never quite be sure how strong the average vodka would be.
Mendeleev's work in 1894 helped to establish a national standard for vodka production. This original formula called for 40% alcohol by volume, but it is still referenced to this day in distilleries.
(Sources: 1, 2)
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