Very cold, room temperature or some another way?
We’ll be going to a Russian-themed dinner tomorrow night and are bringing along a bottle of Stoli. Don’t know what the recommendation method of consumption (other than repeated shots) is.
Do different social groupings of Russians (Mafiya bosses, Kremlin bureaucrats, factory workers, etc.) drink vodka in different ways?
How do you like to drink it (if at all)?
I keep a bottle of Stoli in the freezer. If I do shots, it’s ice cold. Alternate sips or shots with bites of pickled herring and onion on toast points.
Ice cold, with just a sprinkling of black pepper.
Either that, or mixed with Kahlua and Coca-Cola to create a Black Russian. 
I used to keep my vodka ice cold in the freezer, because I used to drink it largely as a sipper, and I didn’t like the way the ice would dilute it so quickly if I started with room temp vodka.
Now that I use vodka primarily as a mixer (vodka cranberry, screwdriver, vodka tonic, vodka martini in roughly that order), I just leave it out on the bar room temperature. I don’t drink it often enough to justify the freezer space.
For your theme night, I’d suggest the freezer, and I’d suggest drinking it as unadulterated as possible (I’d also suggest putting a number of rocks glasses -and to a lesser degree shotglasses- in the freezer beside the bottle). Whether that be shots or sipping is up to your tastes, but just drink it clean.
(Interesting etymological diversion: vodka is a diminutive form of the word voda, or “water.”)
I’ve got something reminicent of this which makes a nice centerpiece as well as a dandy way to keep shots of vodka ice cold.
I know you’re doing a Russian theme, but since we’re talking vodka, ditch the Stoli, which is overpriced anyway, and go with Chopin. Potato vodka just tases better.
Take a 1/2 gallon milk container (or OJ container) and open up the pointy part on top. Place the bottle of Stoli in the center of it, and fill it almost to the top with water. Place upright in the freezer, until the water is totally frozen. Peel off the container, and carefully use an ice pick to round the corners. Keep in the freezer until ready to serve.
Keeps the vodka nice and cold, and is a neat presentation.
Olive
Traditionally, in Russia, you drink vodka cold. You don’t sip it, either – drink big gulps, as though it were water.
And, yes, alcholism was a major problem. 
You could always try something I had at an event – shot glasses made of ice.
Keep the Stoli and a fleet of glasses in the freezer. Drink it cold and clean.
“Was”?
Freezer. Use heavy shot glasses, also from the freezer, so the warmth of your hand won’t take the chill off. Drink quickly.
If you’re interested, after your Russian theme, in a truly sippable vodka, my personal fave is a Dutch vodka, Ketel One. A bartender friend is frequently accused of watering it down, it’s so smooth; very little of that throat-clutch you get from most vodka. Loverly; my favorite for drinking straight.
Worst vodka out there? But a triumph of advertising? Absolut. Nasty antifreeze shit. Blech.
Monopolova from the freezer over ice in a coffee cup with a lime wedge. I have no idea how the Russkis do it, but that’s my fave.
I have had some Russian friends in the past and almost all of them stored vodka in a deep freeze. You will have to wait for it to warm up a bit as a sub-zero shot can do terrible things to your throat. And almost all of them had serving sets similiar to the one Cluricaun posted. And I agree, potato vodka is just better.
on another note, I have recently discoverd a new vodka made in Denmark I believe. It’s called Fris (pronounced freeze) it’s six times distilled by freezing and is abnormally smooth. I don’t use chasers half the time with this stuff, and it makes a hella good vodka tonic.
And my vodka of choice (again keeping in mind I’m more of a mixer man now) is an English label: Three Olives. Half the price of the premiums, and though there is definitely a slight bite drinking it clean, it mixes just as smoothly as any other.
In Soviet Russia, vodka drinks you.
When I was in Russia, we drank vodka in shots, at room temperature, or cold. Neat, no adornment.
As chasers, we had fresh vegetables (cucumbers, celery, carrots) sliced on a plate, and dipped them into a little mound of kosher salt.
Thanks, everybody. The dinner was a big success - we had a lot of fun, and drank a fair bit of vodka. I had three shots - right out of the freezer, in chilled shot glasses, with Russian nibbles (caviar, bread, pickles, hard-boiled eggs,etc.).
Spasebo!
Well, I’m glad it went well. But for future reference, there’s a very specific way of drinking shots that some Russians have taught me and have implemented at countless parties since.
At my last job we did this ritual about 2 or 3 times a week. Frequently I could drink 5 or 7 shots and wake up feeling great the next day. And I’m not much of a drinker.
Oh, and I have been at parties with bottles presented the way Olive, The Other Reindeer describes. It is awfully pretty, especially when a few small flowers are thrown in the water prior to freezing.
I don’t agree with the serving style (I prefer Martini Enfield’s ice cold with cracked peppercorns, or white russians, or vodka with some fruit juice). I do heartily recommend the vodka, though. Good stuff, and pretty cheap.
That just sounds nasty. A Black Russian is just Vodka a Kahlua. Who told you there was suppose to be Coke in it??
(I wish we had a vomit smiley!)
I feel I should point out that Stoli is about 1/2 step above paint thinner and must be served cold to kill the taste. A trrue premium vodka can be sipped at room temp.