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Why Not Just Drink It?

Vodka has been enjoyed since at least the early Middle Ages, and is well known as one of the world's most popular spirits. Its versatility in mixing and high alcohol content have made it extremely popular in cocktails, and it is still widely enjoyed 'neat' (straight up) in much of Eastern and Northern Europe. Vodka also has a long history of use as medicine, having been sold by druggists to cure everything from infertility to colic and the plague. While some of those historic promoters were half-cocked, it's true that vodka has a wide range of potential uses beyond serving as a relaxer and social lubricant. Why would you want to do anything else with vodka but drink it? It is widely available, effective and less toxic than many of the chemical alternatives you might use for these tasks.