You're Taking Vodka Shots Wrong — Here's The Russian Rule To Remember

If you've ever watched a movie like "The Hunt for Red October," which centered around Soviet-era Russia, you no doubt picture a lot of serious-seeming vodka drinking when you think of drinking Russian style. From the images on screen, the Russian approach to drinking appears focused, potentially on the fate of the world, and done in high volume. But, instead of the roughly 1.5-ounce standard American shot, traditional Russian shots tend to be served in smaller 1-ounce pours.

Though there isn't a regulated standard for what constitutes a shot, the more modest proportions of Russian vodka shots are not a fluke. Culturally, drinking vodka in Russia is an activity done in a communal setting, always with food, and replete with toasts — all on repeat. By drinking smaller shots, you can prolong the experience. This gets to the heart of Russian drinking culture, which is about getting to truly know someone at their core (all certainly helped by vodka's lubricating effects). Just don't pour Smirnoff for your shots, which experts agree is not smooth enough for drinking straight.

In Russia, vodka is often served in "ryumochnaya," or vodka rooms. Unsurprisingly, the name comes from the Russian word for shot glass. Traditionally, vodka is served with food, particularly "zakuski," or cold appetizers. These zakuski are often small plates of pickled, salty, or smoked foods ranging from pickles to smoked fish or even meat and onion-filled dumplings called pelmeni.

In keeping with smaller vodka shots accompanied by food, the goal is not so much to get drunk as it is to bring down the walls and appreciate the company you keep. Plus, the benefit of multiple diminutive shots means more chances for flowery toasts, or just the simple Russian "budem," or "we will." If you want to get in on the action, but just can't handle the hard stuff straight, you could opt for a lemon drop shot, which cuts the vodka with a mixture of equal parts simple syrup and lemon juice.

Drinking vodka Russian style also bodes well for extending the life of a bottle of vodka since a standard bottle only yields 16 to 17 shots if you offer a more generous American pour. Though larger shots, even up to 2 ounces in some places, are common today and work well for mixed drinks, they aren't conducive to a lengthy night if you're drinking liquor neat. By embracing the Russian approach to vodka, which has been part and parcel of their culture for hundreds of years and is almost a national symbol, you're poised to get to know your drinking comrades better, hang in for the longer haul, and hopefully be bright eyed the next day by eating small tidbits along the way.