Probably should have let Neil handle this one, but what the hey. I feel like we should cue the banjo music from Deliverance…albeit played with a Balalaika.
So what’s the dealeo? In Russia, the country that we most often think of when we consider vodka, there appears to be a serious debate going on about which brands can lay claim to being called "Russian." This is important because the drink’s association with its country is a big part of its branding. And right now, there are two vodka companies competing for the title of Russia’s authentic beverage. The fight is between Stolichnaya and, well Stolichnaya, the latter (or is it the former) being produced by a company called Russian Standard, who says that the other Stolichnaya is not authentically Russian. The details…well, you can read about them here…I’m still a bit confused to be honest. But the whole thing seems to come down to ownership of the name both inside and outside the country.