Sipping Stories: The Remarkable Rise of Vodka in America
- Living Spirits Distillery
- Apr 24
- 3 min read
Say Hello to Guiding Star Vodka
We are excited to announce our newest spirit and a celebration of purity, purpose, and precision—Guiding Star Vodka.
Crafted in small batches in Hackettstown, NJ, Guiding Star is a beacon of purity—a vodka designed to shine in the simplest pour or the most sophisticated cocktail.
The Roots of Vodka: A Heated Debate
Vodka’s history is famously difficult to pin down, disappearing into the broader history of distilled spirits. If you want to spark a heated debate, just ask a room full of Eastern Europeans which country invented vodka. Russians, Poles, and others passionately claim its origins, each pointing to a local variant with a pedigree hundreds of years long. What we do know is that vodka emerged from Eastern Europe centuries ago, becoming a deeply embedded part of the culture.
Meanwhile, vodka was virtually unknown in America. In the 18th century, rum was king; brandy, whiskey, and gin dominated the 19th. At the turn of the 20th century, American drinking habits hadn’t changed much—vodka was still nowhere to be found. So, how did this clear, seemingly tasteless spirit become an American standard?
Vodka Comes to America
Vodka is officially America's favorite spirit. In fact, the United States is the largest vodka market in the world by revenue, spending nearly ten times as much on vodka as Russia does. But most of us don't know how (or when) Americans fell in love with this spirit, nor the intriguing immigrant story behind its rise to popularity.
Vodka’s American story is, fittingly, an immigrant tale. The 1917 Russian Revolution forced prominent Russian distillers to flee their homeland, relocating across Europe and eventually to the United States. They arrived just in time for Prohibition, when America went dry from 1920 to 1933.
Ironically, while today's trendy Prohibition-style cocktails celebrate pre-Prohibition recipes, actual Prohibition-era drinks often tasted terrible or cost a fortune, as whiskey and brandy require lengthy aging, which is hard to do clandestinely.
Vodka Finds Its Place: Post-Prohibition Boom
Enter Russian immigrant distillers, who became local heroes in communities across New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Their vodka was clear, smooth, and did not taste like rotgut. While pre-Prohibition cocktails showcased strong spirit flavors, the new era's drinkers sought recipes to mask questionable quality or intense flavors. Vodka, with its neutral profile, was perfect for this.
When Prohibition ended, immigrant vodka-makers capitalized on American drinkers' preference for cleaner-tasting cocktails. Notably, the first vodka legally sold in the U.S. was produced by Russian immigrant Vladimir Smirnov in Connecticut in 1934, less than a year after Prohibition ended. Brands like Smirnoff promoted vodka’s "tasteless" characteristic, a drink without the tell-tale smell of alcohol—a benefit for professionals socializing over lunch meetings, or parents looking for a stealthy tipple at breakfast.
This marketing paved the way for iconic American cocktails like the Bloody Mary and the Moscow Mule.
Today, craft distillers are exploring new expressions, textures, and nuanced flavors of vodka. At Living Spirits, we honor vodka’s heritage—clean, crystal clear, and, if you choose to enjoy it with breakfast, your secret’s safe with us.
A Beacon in Every Glass
The tale of vodka is woven into the fabric of American culture—emerging from the shadows to become a beloved spirit that fosters connections and moments of joy. And while it may be the simplest spirit on paper—true simplicity, done well, is a mark of mastery.
With Guiding Star Vodka, we honor that ideal: celebrating clarity, embracing purity, and distilling with intention.
This is vodka that lights the way. May it guide your toasts, brighten your table, and anchor gatherings in something honest and enduring.
Here’s to the journey.
Here’s to your Guiding Star.
Cheers! 🥂✨
