Drinking Culture

In the US, hardly anyone drinks vodka neat from a small glass, the way it's done in Poland or Russia. American drinking culture revolves around the cocktail. The Moscow Mule in its copper mug represents this better than any other drink. The Vodka Martini and the Bloody Mary shape the picture just as much as the neat pour.

The mug is no accident. Copper conducts cold efficiently, keeping the drink icy longer. Bartenders from Hollywood to New York turned the mug into the bar's signature piece back in the 1940s. Order a Moscow Mule today, and almost anywhere you'll be served in that mug, not an ordinary glass.

Fixed toasts like the Russian 'Na zdorovie' are barely known in American cocktail culture. Instead, a quick 'Cheers' does the job. People often clink several glasses at once, whether at a Happy Hour after work or over a Bloody Mary at weekend brunch. Strict serving measures or drinking games, as found in some European pubs, are unusual here. Anyone loudly toasting in Russian or Polish is more likely to draw puzzled looks than approval in an American bar.

Craft distilleries like 44° North or Grand Teton invite visitors to their own tasting bars on-site, often right next to the fields where the potatoes grow. For many visitors, tasting on location is part of the trip. A look at the operation before the first sip replaces the formal toast in this region. In this way, a single afternoon here connects field, factory, and glass.