Vodka & Co.

Royal vodka is to get a new bottle again this spring – for the third time in this decade. What is behind this constant urge to change? Competition is the best answer. Over one quarter of the spirits manufactured world-wide are vodkas. Hundreds of new brands appear every year which forces older brands to adapt continuously. The primary target group of vodka is the 18-45 age group, including women. It’s no wonder that a vodka intended specifically for women (Damskaya) has already appeared. The range of flavoured vodkas is growing, especially in the fruit flavoured segment. Marketing is the other area where innovation is frequent. Russian sounding names are popular like Gorbatscoff (a hundred year old brand) and Jeltzin, or Kalashnikov (recently created brands). The design of the bottles used by some expensive brands like Oval or Americana is like that of perfume bottles. Vodka can be distilled from almost anything, though it is usually made from grain. For example, the French Idôl vodka is distilled from grape. Cleanness is still an essential requirement which is often emphasised. It is no surprise that bio vodkas like Rain or 360 have also appeared in recent years.