Russian Standard
Encyclopedia
Russian Standard Vodka is a major Russian
premium vodka
brand.
company of Rustam Tariko. The Russian Standard, later called Original, vodka established the brand as one of the top premium vodka brands in the Russian market. Its new Russian, Soviet-free identity, turned (unusually for a premium beverage) an advantage in the rapidly developing market of the 1990s Russia.
Two years after a successful Russian market launch, international expansion was started. This was accompanied by the launch of Russian Standard Platinum product in 2001 and the luxury brand Imperia in 2004. The original product was re-christened Original.
In 2006, a new distillery with 4 million cases/yr capacity was opened in Saint Petersburg
.
Marketing emphasizes the 100% Russian mantra - being produced by Russian recipe, from only Russian raw materials, distilled and bottled in Russia.
Russian Standard aroused controversy when it questioned the Russianness of its chief international rival Stolichnaya. The then Stolichnaya was distilled in Russia but bottled in Latvia
. Stolichnaya distributor, Pernod Ricard
, responded by insisting that Stolichnaya is an authentic Russian vodka, as nothing is added or removed during the bottling.
In a 2006 overview of Russian premium vodkas for Vanity Fair
, the "Imperia" product stood alone with a top A+ grade.
Higher-end products add more purification steps.
Winter grains from Russian Steppes
are milled and fermented. The raw spirit
is distilled four times for the Original and Platinum variants while the Imperia spirit is distilled eight times.
The spirits are blended with a glacier water from Lake Ladoga
. Proximity of Lake Ladoga was one of the main reasons for the company's decision to establish its distillery in Saint Petersburg. The lake's underground sources provide one of the softest waters naturally available.
The product is then filtered four times through charcoal
. Platinum receives two more filtrations through silver
and Imperia two more filtrations through quartz
from the Ural Mountains
.
After final filtration, the spirits spend 48 hours in relaxation tanks, are bottled and packaged. As a quality vodka contains only water and ethanol
, it generally does not mature or age and its shelf life is limited only by packaging.
's 1894 formula.
While his university dissertation was on reactions between alcohol and water, the recipe for the imperial 40% vodka standard came to be 50 years earlier during his childhood. This myth was debunked in 2009 by Russia Today.
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
premium vodka
Vodka
Vodka , is a distilled beverage. It is composed primarily of water and ethanol with traces of impurities and flavorings. Vodka is made by the distillation of fermented substances such as grains, potatoes, or sometimes fruits....
brand.
History
The brand was introduced as the "Russian Standard" vodka in 1998 by the Russian StandardRussian Standard Corporation
Russian Standard Corporation is a holding company owned by the businessman Roustam Tariko.It holds the stock of the following companies:*Russian Standard Company, the producer and distributor of Russian Standard Vodka....
company of Rustam Tariko. The Russian Standard, later called Original, vodka established the brand as one of the top premium vodka brands in the Russian market. Its new Russian, Soviet-free identity, turned (unusually for a premium beverage) an advantage in the rapidly developing market of the 1990s Russia.
Two years after a successful Russian market launch, international expansion was started. This was accompanied by the launch of Russian Standard Platinum product in 2001 and the luxury brand Imperia in 2004. The original product was re-christened Original.
In 2006, a new distillery with 4 million cases/yr capacity was opened in Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
.
Market position
According to the manufacturer, in 2009 the brand was active worldwide in 70+ markets with sales over 2 million cases/yr.Marketing emphasizes the 100% Russian mantra - being produced by Russian recipe, from only Russian raw materials, distilled and bottled in Russia.
Russian Standard aroused controversy when it questioned the Russianness of its chief international rival Stolichnaya. The then Stolichnaya was distilled in Russia but bottled in Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
. Stolichnaya distributor, Pernod Ricard
Pernod Ricard
Pernod Ricard is a French company that produces distilled beverages. The company's eponymous products, Pernod Anise and Ricard Pastis, are both anise-flavoured liqueurs and are often referred to simply as Pernod or Ricard...
, responded by insisting that Stolichnaya is an authentic Russian vodka, as nothing is added or removed during the bottling.
In a 2006 overview of Russian premium vodkas for Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair (magazine)
Vanity Fair is a magazine of pop culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast. The present Vanity Fair has been published since 1983 and there have been editions for four European countries as well as the U.S. edition. This revived the title which had ceased publication in 1935...
, the "Imperia" product stood alone with a top A+ grade.
Production
Production of the Russian Standard Original is based on a four-tier protocol:- mashingMashingIn brewing and distilling, mashing is the process of combining a mix of milled grain , known as the "grain bill", and water, known as "liquor", and heating this mixture...
and fermentingFermentation (food)Fermentation in food processing typically is the conversion of carbohydrates to alcohols and carbon dioxide or organic acids using yeasts, bacteria, or a combination thereof, under anaerobic conditions. Fermentation in simple terms is the chemical conversion of sugars into ethanol... - distillationDistillationDistillation is a method of separating mixtures based on differences in volatilities of components in a boiling liquid mixture. Distillation is a unit operation, or a physical separation process, and not a chemical reaction....
and rectificationRectification (chemistry)Rectification :* For the process of repeated distillation see Rectified spirit* For the process in cell membranes see GHK_flux_equation#Rectification... - filtrationFiltrationFiltration is commonly the mechanical or physical operation which is used for the separation of solids from fluids by interposing a medium through which only the fluid can pass...
and relaxation - bottling and packaging.
Higher-end products add more purification steps.
Winter grains from Russian Steppes
Pontic-Caspian steppe
The Pontic-Caspian steppe is the vast steppeland stretching from the north of the Black Sea as far as the east of the Caspian Sea, from western Ukraine across the Southern Federal District and the Volga Federal District of Russia to western Kazakhstan,...
are milled and fermented. The raw spirit
Distilled beverage
A distilled beverage, liquor, or spirit is an alcoholic beverage containing ethanol that is produced by distilling ethanol produced by means of fermenting grain, fruit, or vegetables...
is distilled four times for the Original and Platinum variants while the Imperia spirit is distilled eight times.
The spirits are blended with a glacier water from Lake Ladoga
Lake Ladoga
Lake Ladoga is a freshwater lake located in the Republic of Karelia and Leningrad Oblast in northwestern Russia, not far from Saint Petersburg. It is the largest lake in Europe, and the 14th largest lake by area in the world.-Geography:...
. Proximity of Lake Ladoga was one of the main reasons for the company's decision to establish its distillery in Saint Petersburg. The lake's underground sources provide one of the softest waters naturally available.
The product is then filtered four times through charcoal
Charcoal
Charcoal is the dark grey residue consisting of carbon, and any remaining ash, obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. Charcoal is usually produced by slow pyrolysis, the heating of wood or other substances in the absence of oxygen...
. Platinum receives two more filtrations through silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
and Imperia two more filtrations through quartz
Quartz
Quartz is the second-most-abundant mineral in the Earth's continental crust, after feldspar. It is made up of a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon–oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall formula SiO2. There are many different varieties of quartz,...
from the Ural Mountains
Ural Mountains
The Ural Mountains , or simply the Urals, are a mountain range that runs approximately from north to south through western Russia, from the coast of the Arctic Ocean to the Ural River and northwestern Kazakhstan. Their eastern side is usually considered the natural boundary between Europe and Asia...
.
After final filtration, the spirits spend 48 hours in relaxation tanks, are bottled and packaged. As a quality vodka contains only water and ethanol
Ethanol
Ethanol, also called ethyl alcohol, pure alcohol, grain alcohol, or drinking alcohol, is a volatile, flammable, colorless liquid. It is a psychoactive drug and one of the oldest recreational drugs. Best known as the type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, it is also used in thermometers, as a...
, it generally does not mature or age and its shelf life is limited only by packaging.
Mendeleev myth
The marketing casually mentions that the production conforms to the scientist Dmitri MendeleevDmitri Mendeleev
Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleev , was a Russian chemist and inventor. He is credited as being the creator of the first version of the periodic table of elements...
's 1894 formula.
While his university dissertation was on reactions between alcohol and water, the recipe for the imperial 40% vodka standard came to be 50 years earlier during his childhood. This myth was debunked in 2009 by Russia Today.
Variants
- Russian Standard Original
- Original product launched in 1998
- Raw ingredients: winter grains from South Russia, glacial water from Lake Ladoga
- Distilled four times and filtered four times through charcoal
- Russian Standard Platinum
- Higher-end product, launched 2001
- Filtered additional two times through silverSilverSilver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
.
- Russian Standard Gold
- Limited edition
- Added ingredient Russian Ginseng
- Russian Standard Vodka Citrus
- A ready-to-drink (RTD) pre-mixed alcoholic beverage with 6.5% ABVAlcohol by volumeAlcohol by volume is a standard measure of how much alcohol is contained in an alcoholic beverage .The ABV standard is used worldwide....
, Australia-only produc
- A ready-to-drink (RTD) pre-mixed alcoholic beverage with 6.5% ABV
- IMPERIA
- The luxury brand, launched 2004
- Distilled additional four times.
- Filtered additional two times through quartzQuartzQuartz is the second-most-abundant mineral in the Earth's continental crust, after feldspar. It is made up of a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon–oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall formula SiO2. There are many different varieties of quartz,...
.
- Aurora
- Luxury brand