If your favorite spirit is vodka, then you’re in luck! October 4th is celebrated annually as National Vodka Day.
While the history of the day is unknown, it’s definitely a day worth celebrating! No matter how you enjoy your vodka – in a cocktail, or over ice – make sure you enjoy responsibly!
Keep reading for interesting vodka facts, ways to celebrate this spirit focused national day, and a list of vodka based cocktail recipes at the bottom of the page.
National days of the year are a fun way to celebrate odd and unusual foods, animals and items that you come into contact with.
Be sure to check out my national day’s guide for more fun days to celebrate. If you’re a fan of National Vodka Day, make sure you check out National Cocktail Day – It’s another fun one!
What is vodka made from?
Vodka is made of water and ethanol (aka alcohol, grain alcohol, ethyl alcohol, etc). It is typically made from fermented grains and potatoes.
However, fermented grains and potatoes are not the only thing vodka is made from. More recently some brands have made vodka from things like fruit, honey and sap.
There is some debate as to where this liquor was first invented. Vodka first originated in either Russia or Poland. However, as the documentation at the time was sparse, we can’t be sure where vodka’s true origin lies.
Vodka facts
Brush up on your knowledge of vodka with these interesting vodka facts. Some may surprise you!
- According do DISCUS, the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, vodka accounts for 31% of all liquor sales.
- The word “vodka” comes from the Slavic word “voda” which, literally translated, means water.
- There is a 3.7 million dollar bottle of vodka called Billionaire Vodka from Leon Verres which is adorned with 3,000 million diamonds. The recipe for this vodka also requires that the vodka is run over millions of dollars of real diamonds after being filtered multiple times.
- Vodka can be gluten free. Many vodkas are made from grains, but not all are! A popular gluten free vodka is Titos – this vodka is corn based.
- Vodka is lighter than water because ethanol is less dense than water. However, even though it’s lighter than water, it won’t float because vodka is water soluble (it mixes well with water).
- Beginning in the 1980s, vodkas sold in the US had to be a minimum of 80 proof. They are required to be 40% alcohol by volume.
- There is an area considered the vodka belt in Europe. It encompasses Northeastern Europe and Scandinavia (minus Denmark).
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How to celebrate National Vodka Day
Would you like to celebrate National Vodka Day in a special way? Try one of these ideas.
- Take a tour of a distillery to learn more about this spirit. Check out this handy list of distilleries to find a distillery near you.
- Invite your friends over for brunch and make a Bloody Mary bar. Use this Bloody Mary recipe to make the a pitcher of the drink, and put it on a table with lots of garnishes and extra hot sauces so your guests can make a Bloody Mary to suit their taste.
- Feeling adventurous? Head out to your favorite bar and ask the bartender to make you a surprise drink that has vodka in it!
- Try infusing your own vodka. It’s easy, only requires a few ingredients, and will elevate the taste of your mixed drinks.
- Use vodka to make a Halloween drink. The Witches Brew drink is a great one to try. It has an eerie blue color.
- Spread the word on social media using the hashtag #NationalVodkaDay. Here is a tweet to get you started:
More October 4 national days
Did you enjoy learning about National Vodka Day? Well you’re in luck, October 4 is host to more than just one national day!
Here is a complete list of all the October 4 national days:
- National Vodka Day
- National Golf Lover’s Day
- National Taco Day
- National Cinnamon Roll Day
- Improve Your Office Day
- National Ships in Bottles Day
- Ten-Four Day
- World Animal Day
- International Toot Your Flute Day
More national days in October
There are close to 2000 national days in the year and over 150 of them are celebrated in October.
To see them all, have a look at this post to discover more about the national days in October, as well as the October word search printable of national days for puzzle fans.
Is food your thing? Each day of the month has a food or drink associated with it, too. Check out all the October food holidays here.
Be sure to also check out these national days in October:
- National Black Cat Day – Learn more about these beautiful felines to celebrate their national day.
- National Pumpkin Cheesecake Day – Honor the day by checking out our recipe for pumpkin cheesecake muffins!
- National Pasta Day – Check out this post a list of delicious pasta recipes to honor the day.
- National Cake Decorating Day – If you are wanting to decorate a cake, to celebrate this national day, look no further than this post filled with cake decorating tips!
- World Pasta Day – Head to this post to learn about 20 popular types of pasta and their ideal sauce pairings.
Pin this post on National Vodka Day for later
Would you like a reminder of this post for National Vodka Day? Just pin this image to one of your drinks boards on Pinterest so that you can easily find it later.
Watch our October national food and drink days video on YouTube.
Celebrate this October 4 National Day by making one of these delicious vodka based cocktails. Enjoy responsibly! Garnish this Halloween Bloody Mary Cocktail with a whimsical lime devil garnish instead of the traditional stalk of celery. The drink is slightly spicy with a bit of a kick. This Ghostbuster cocktail will have you singing "I ain't 'friad of no ghosts all night long! This vampire cocktail is fruity and fun. Top it off with a licorice spider garnish to put your guests in a spooky mood. This simple Love Potion Cocktail is easy to make and so pretty to look at, too. It's the perfect choice to share with a loved one for Valentine's Day. The classic cosmo is a drink made popular by the ladies on Sex and the City. The drink is cheery and easy to make at home. This whimsical Easter cocktail is a power house of alcoholic flavors, with curacao, champagne and vodka all in one drink. Garnish it for Easter with allsorts and marshmallows.Vodka Cocktail Recipes for National Vodka Day
About the author
Since graduating from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Jess has been living and working in Los Angeles, CA. She is a freelance writer, specializing in content related to fashion, food and drink and film industry topics. Find out more about Jess here.