Very intresting information. Unfortunally, I am not expert at types of vodka and spirit (I don't drink almost), I know only that M.I. Mendeleev had patented The Vodka in 19 century. 40% was mentioned in that do***ents. Also I did not see vodka without 40%. There is a lot of other drinks with different %, but 40% had Vodka only. May be it is a tradition of drink industry. I heard about spirit as a fuel, but it was methanol. It didn't become the general fuel because:
1. The raw material of methanol was natural gaz,
2. When methanol burned it made very much of water steam which was harmful for metal.
About cost of ethanol I don't know, but I think if the spirit had cost same dino or little bit more the greens would had already insisted on auto fuel changing.


Yes, the samogon occures in the Russian regions.

 

the 40% is a goverment rule that calcuates tax on alcohol content. the perfect mix is said to be 38% but too hard to calculate tax in EU. the Russian vodka 40% quality standard was established by Tsar Alexander III in 1894, 500 years after 1st doc records found in Poland.

Poland was using vodka before year 1400 . Today, Lituhunia and Poland sell 40% but one can also find 50% Vodka, which is even easier to calculate tax.

the оковита is not sold retail. to get it, you have to know someone that makes it and will trade before they cut it down to the 40% with distilled water.

how i know all this? As you, I dont drink except that i have to take it for medicinal purposes, and Vodka has the lowest chemical (congeners) that gives headaches. so i found the best Vodka and I find the best quality, distilled purest, comes from Eastern EU or Scandinavian countries.

 

Thank you for the lesson is Vodka. As to the original question what where the road test conditions and was driver a professional or just someone with a drivers licence?

 

Nice segue, from MPG to alcohol content per given volume.