While it may be just one of many bottles on a bar shelf, vodka is a little different from most spirits, and not just because it significantly predates the likes of rum, whiskey, tequila, and gin.

If you enjoy a tasty, refreshing summer cocktail or mocktail, why not grow your own? No, you’re not likely to grow the spirits -- although they do come from plants (vodka from potatoes, tequila from ...