While it may be just one of many bottles on a bar shelf, vodka is a little different from most spirits, and not just because it significantly predates the likes of rum, whiskey, tequila, and gin.

KOTKA, Finland — Heini Alajaaski doesn't understand what all the fuss is about. For her, vodka (or "viina" in Finnish) is mostly about having a good time, not what it's made of. But battle lines have ...