# A question about Soviet vodka brands... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** liquor-alcohol\ **Created:** [January 12, 2013, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-soviet-vodka-brands/646958 "2013-01-12T12:58:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2013, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-soviet-vodka-brands/646958/1 "2013-01-12T12:58:40Z")
…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? ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2013, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-soviet-vodka-brands/646958/2 "2013-01-12T14:45:41Z")
Interesting article from the Globalist about the subject [here](http://www.theglobalist.com/storyid.aspx?storyid=3030). Apparently there were really only 2 brands: Stolichnaya and Moskovskaya. ---
**Author:** ![Cayuga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Cayuga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cayuga)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2013, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-soviet-vodka-brands/646958/3 "2013-01-12T15:36:26Z")
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! ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2013, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-soviet-vodka-brands/646958/4 "2013-01-12T16:40:33Z")
Moved to Cafe Society. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2013, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-soviet-vodka-brands/646958/5 "2013-01-12T17:36:36Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2013, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-soviet-vodka-brands/646958/6 "2013-01-12T17:57:29Z")
> [@bump](#): > > it was decent vodka, with a tad of a baking soda-ish flavor. In Soviet Russia, _you_ get _vodka_ baked. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2013, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-soviet-vodka-brands/646958/7 "2013-01-13T01:02:57Z")
Interestingly, all Stolichnaya vodka sold in the USA is actually made in Latvia. Why this, I don’t know ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2013, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-soviet-vodka-brands/646958/8 "2013-01-13T01:51:50Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![St.Barthgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b782af/32.png) [@St.Barthgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/St.Barthgirl)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2013, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-soviet-vodka-brands/646958/9 "2013-01-13T02:06:19Z")
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… ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2013, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-soviet-vodka-brands/646958/10 "2013-01-13T02:55:44Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > Interestingly, all Stolichnaya vodka sold in the USA is actually made in Latvia. Why this, I don’t know Something about a trademark dispute between the Russian government and SPI. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2013, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-soviet-vodka-brands/646958/11 "2013-01-13T14:36:15Z")
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