In Paris, Russian vodkas star next to famous luxury brands like Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana or Ladurée on rue Royale or a few steps from the Madeleine. In a hushed showroom at the far end of a courtyard, bottles designed by brands Stolichnaia and Moskovskaia in a very Soviet style stand alongside famous Russian doll-shaped Matriochka bottles and smart Katyusha ones labeled with naked pin-ups. As if they were art works, frames gilded in gold leaf exalt the bottles placed amid displays reminding one of some of the drink’s elements such as rye, a basic ingredient of the distillation, or charcoal that serves to purify the water used for the assemblage.
The Version Originale decorating agency, specialized in the displaying of spirits, created this dignified scenography for the association “Le Monde des Vodkas Russes” (“The World of Russian Vodkas”), the new owner of the premises.
Created last April with the union of three important vodka producers, KiN, Soyuzplodimport and Russian Imperial Collection, this association is responsible for promoting vodka in Europe where much work must still be done. Indeed, despite the Russian consonance of numerous brands, original Russian vodka represents today less than 1% of world exports. The Parisian platform therefore aims to pass on a culture of vodka prior to the arrival of Russian spirits on the international market.
It has already created a quality label the seal of which adorns the founding groups’ bottles. Other makers can obtain this certification provided they fulfill a number of criteria, such as an alcohol content of 40%, the national standard fixed at the start of the last century by the chemist Mendeleïev, a standard that very few foreign brands respect. The transparency of the assemblage and the quality of the basic ingredients also influence the awarding of the “Authentic Russian Vodka” label.
“Since the making of vodka is relatively standardized, the quality of the product depends on the details and marketing has a huge impact on whether it is bought or not. With Russian vodka, we want to pass on a regional taste, a taste of ecological ingredients in the absence of biological ones – a notion still inexistent in Russia – and above all our love for the product that in my view gives it a particular flavor,” explains Natalia Shvetsova, the charming and cultivated manager of the Parisian showroom.
This accent put on presenting a heritage was decisive in choosing the site for this vodka embassy in Paris.
“We chose Paris over London or Geneva because the French are experts in defending their own heritage” explains the manager. While waiting for Russian makers to adapt their marketing strategies and take on the international markets, “Le Monde des Vodkas Russes” organizes events for the press, tasting sessions and brings together a group vodka enthusiasts.
In the future, the association will welcome importers and do some traveling for special events. Russian brands target a fairly high-class sector, delicatessens, posh liquor stores and gastronomic restaurants. They hope to profit from the present trend towards drinks in Europe and in the United States where sales keep rising. They also wish to popularize the Russian way of drinking vodka: at a table around salted dishes in a festive atmosphere rather than in nightclubs mixed with Schweppes. Russia is thus attempting to diversify its exports with high added value products, as most of its foreign trade is for the time being related to raw materials. With a symbol as strong as vodka and clever promoting that stresses quality rather than quantity, there is little doubt that this venture will be a success.
