…a question at the intersection of my ignorance of liquor and the Soviet economy.
That is: If you were an average Soviet citizen, say in the 1970s, what kind/s of Vodka could you buy? Were there anything like “brands,” as westerners are familiar with them (I know Stolichnaya existed, and was at least exported, during the Soviet era), or just a common generic “VODKA (4 L)” jugs at the state-owned store, or what?
Interesting article from the Globalist about the subject here.
Apparently there were really only 2 brands: Stolichnaya and Moskovskaya.
Stolichnaya came in a variety of flavors, though — at least in stores that Westerners were allowed into. I don’t remember if Moskovskaya was available in those stores as well.
Hunter’s Vodka was the best. Flavored with mountain grass and honey. Yum!
Moved to Cafe Society.
Colibri
General Questions Moderator
Don’t know about what was available, but I did have some ca. 1995 Moskovskaya, and it was decent vodka, with a tad of a baking soda-ish flavor.
In Soviet Russia, you get vodka baked.
Interestingly, all Stolichnaya vodka sold in the USA is actually made in Latvia. Why this, I don’t know
I had always heard that because it was a constant & reliable source of hard currency Stolis was for export only. I first heard of it after the KAL007 shoot-down. There was a small, short-lived movement for American taverns to boycott it.
I’m pretty sure that agrarian farmers made Moonshine-style Vodka in Stills, and that there was a black market/barter system to procure/trade for it…
Something about a trademark dispute between the Russian government and SPI.
There was also a story that the low end rotgut for sale to the proloteriat was actually ethanol synthesized from natural gas-nasty stuff, loaded with fusel oils and poisons. Good buzz though