Vodka was invented by Poles
For several centuries beverages differed significantly compared to the vodka of today invented in the 8th century, as the spirit at that time had a different flavour, colour and smell and was used originally as medicine, as it contained very little alcohol about 14 per cent, as this amount can be attained by natural fermentation. The still, after distillation burning of wine , increased purity and increased alcohol content was invented in the 8th century.
Polish Vodka has been produced from the early Middle Ages and the world’s first written mention of the spirit Vodka was in 1405 from Akta Grodzkie recorder of deeds, in the court documents from the Palatinate of Sandomierz in Poland. The word Wodka referred to chemical compounds such as medicines and cosmetics cleansers while the popular beverage currently known as Vodka was called Gorzalka ( derived from the old Polish verb Gorzec meaning “ to burn” which is also the source of Ukrainian Horilka. The word written in Cyrillic appeared first in 1533, in relation to a medical drink brought from Poland to Russia by the merchants of Kievan Rus.