From cocktails to sauces, vodka is as much a staple at the bar as it is in the kitchen. A splash of vodka can unlock the secret to juicy fried chicken or the best pasta sauce you've ever made and is ...

While it may be just one of many bottles on a bar shelf, vodka is a little different from most spirits, and not just because it significantly predates the likes of rum, whiskey, tequila, and gin.

Brian Freedman is a wine, spirits, travel, and food writer; event host and speaker; and drinks educator. He regularly contributes to Food & Wine, and his first book, Crushed: How A Changing Climate Is ...