The history of vodka is deeply entangled in European geopolitics, Cold War-era spycraft, and a trademark dispute so old it predates the printing press. In the late 1970s, Poland made a claim before the International Trade Court that since vodka was first brewed within its borders, only Polish distilleries had the right to call their product “vodka.” Everyone else had to use the slightly-less-marketable term “bread wine.”

Even the Russians. Unsurprisingly, this move didn’t sit too well with heads of the USSR’s bread-wine industry, who hired a historical ringer to dig through musty old tomes for proof that they were the originators of the world’s most popular breakfast liquor. While the court sided with the Russians, the trade war over vodka has continued to this day, with accusations of forgery and recriminations and the threat of thermonuclear war hanging over the whole proceeding. In order to put all this sordid business to rest, we sent VBS correspondent Ivar Berglin on whirlwind tour of the Eastern Bloc to determine once and for all whose great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandparents actually came up with vodka. You can watch Wodka Wars here.