Gorbatschow Wodka KG
Best-selling vodka from original Russian recipe
A vodka recipe’s journey from St. Petersburg to Berlin
Long before World War I, Leontowitsch Gorbatschow founds a vodka distillery in St. Petersburg and his products become extremely popular there. In 1917, the October Revolution is in full swing and many people are unsure of what the future will bring if they remain in Russia. The Gorbatschow family opts to leave for the west, and it brings its original vodka recipe with it, hoping it will form the cornerstone of a new livelihood elsewhere. On 28 April 1921, the immigrants receive a license to make and sell vodka. In Berlin, the family opens the business L. Gorbatschow & Co. Russische Spirituosen Handelsgesellschaft (Russian Spirits Trading Company) using the German transliteration of their Russian name.
Berlin's insider vodka made with special production methods
It is above all Russian émigrés who appreciate Wodka Gorbatschow, which made using a very special process. Double filtering over charcoal gives it its characteristically pure and mild taste, which soon earns the vodka a great reputation among the people of Berlin. In 1923/24, the company applies for trademark protection for its name logogram, Gorbatschow, and introduces the slim tower-shaped bottle with the blue label, for which the brand is still known today. For 30 years, Wodka Gorbatschow largely remains confined to Berlin, where it acquires the status of insider knowledge.
Number 1 throughout Germany
Ownership of the company changes hands several times until the majority stake in the company goes to Söhnlein Rheingold KG in 1960. Söhnlein expands the sales network across West Germany, doubling sales of the vodka within just a few years. In 1969, Söhnlein buys up the remaining shares in Gorbatschow Wodka KG, and just six years later, the brand tops the German vodka market.
Constantly improving production and appearance
In 2003, Wodka Gorbatschow Platinum 44 is launched. Manufactured in a unique fourfold cold filtration process, the brand wins scores of international awards for quality. Triple cold filtration is used to make the classic Wodka Gorbatschow brand in 2007, and the bottle’s design is overhauled. The latest addition to the range comes in 2008 in the form of Wodka Gorbatschow Citron, which adds a dash of lemon to the familiar taste of Wodka Gorbatschow. Connoisseurs love the brand’s dedication to quality. In Germany, the brand regularly comes out on top both in the vodka segment as well as in the total spirit segment.
