In her new book, But Mama Always Put Vodka in Her Sangria , Julia Reed, a master of the art of eating, drinking, and making merry, takes the reader on culinary adventures in places as far flung as Kabul, Afghanistan and as close to home as her native Mississippi Delta and Florida's Gulf Coast. Along the way, Reed discovers the perfect Pimm's Royale at the Paris Ritz, devours delicious chuletons in Madrid, and picks up tips from accomplished hostesses...
Vodka is so much more than 007's famously shaken, not stirred martini of choice...it's a beverage that's spanned twelve centuries, shaped entire cultures, and helped more than a few of us endure life's inevitable ups and downs. But what IS vodka, anyway? Like, what is it made from? How is it different from other spirits? Did Russia really run out of vodka at the end of World War II??