If you’ve read my book, Vodka: How a Colorless, Odorless, Flavorless Spirit Conquered America (Lyons Press), you’ll know this country has Americanized the Russian spirit much as we Americanized certain Mexican and Italian foods. Smirnoff, after all, is manufactured in the United States. American Harvest comes from Idaho. The ever-popular Tito’s is from Texas. So if Russia ever threatens to withhold its vodka products in a trade war, we’ll be fine—unless you absolutely cannot do without, say, Russian Standard. I explained all this to Angela Johnson of the Wall Street Journal.