Vodka

May 26, 2014
In his first book, Weekly Standard senior editor Matus serves up a detailed history of one of the world’s most popular clear alcohols. Tracking the white spirit from its humble roots as a topical Russian medicine to its current status as, he argues, America’s single best-loved liquor, Matus covers every base possible along the way. Intriguing personal interviews with industry big shots and craft-distillery upstarts comprise the bulk of the text, placing faces on giant corporate stills like Grey Goose while also giving a voice to the industry’s smaller distillers like Tito’s Handmade Vodka. The story is fascinating, but each chapter reads more like a discrete essay than a part of a larger narrative. Still, the finished product goes down nice and smooth, providing great insight into the vodka industry in its current state.