Is it Russkaya? Is it any good? Vodka is my drink of choice. I have two Russian colleagues. One of them recommends Russian Standard vodka and the other, strangely, Absolut. I guess it's like asking different Americans what the best whiskey is.
shareMost likely Stolichnaya, a common Soviet brand. Vodka is never good. Some go down better than others, but none of them are what I consider good.
Also, nobody in Russia or the former Republic would ever drink vodka like it was shown on the show. It's always served cold, because otherwise it would be absolutely intolerable. Furthermore, they're typically accompanied by a chaser. Salted tomatoes are the preferred choice; however they were a commodity, so it's not unlikely they wouldn't be chasing the shots down with them. At any rate, some form of chaser is followed with a drink in almost all cases. It's also never served in a whiskey glass. They're served in shot glasses. In Soviet culture, a shot may be referred to as "50 gram or 100 grams", meaning a single or a double shot. It's also nearly universal to make a toast before you drink. The toasts could be as menial as saying, "to us," but they're always stated nevertheless.
I'd say pickled cucumber is/was the most common chaser.
The most common toast, full of irony, - to health - za zdarovie.
Most American TV shows use the Polish version 'na zdarovie' when depicting Russians - because err.... ignorance is a bliss.
Between the stereotypes and negative connotations, we never catch a break.
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