Peter Smirnoff was the man who gave us this legendary clear drink.

He began producing his own vodka in the 1800s, which was said to be so good, Czar Alexander III made Smirnoff his official distiller.

By the 1900s, Smirnoff was mass-producing his vodka, but the Russian Revolution proved to be cruel to the alcohol industry and his distilleries were closed and seized.

He fled to Turkey where he began production again, but once the Great Depression rolled in, he once again had to let go of the family business. In 1934, Rudolph Kennett bought the company from Smirnoff. I guess the upside is Peter Smirnoff’s name will live on through his vodka.