Vodka is likely the world's oldest, and certainly the world's simplest and purest spirit. With it's origins lost in the mists of time and much debated by the Polish and Russians, vodka distillation surely dates back to at least the middle ages. Its simple purity and largely neutral flavour make it an essential staple in any bartender's kit, a fundamental component in countless cocktail recipes the world over. In its debated homelands, it is widely enjoyed served neat and ice cold as an aperitif, digestif, with food, in celebration or for almost any other imaginable occasion.