Stolichnaya

Infobox Beverage
name=Stolichnaya


type=Vodka
manufacturer= FKP Soiuzplodimport
origin= Russia
introduced= 1901
discontinued=
proof= 40-100
related= List of vodkas
variants= Variants

Stolichnaya (ru-name|Столичная|Stoličnaâ, also known as Stoli) is a Russian vodka produced from wheat and rye grains in Russia.

Description

This vodka starts with wheat grains. Artesial water from the Kaliningrad region is added to these grains to begin the fermentation which takes about 60 hours. Once fermentation is complete the resulting liquid is distilled four times to a strength of 96.4% ABV. This spirit is then diluted to bottling strength with more artesial well water which ultimately gives the vodka its smoothness. It is then filtered through quartz sand, activated charcoal, and finally through woven cloth. [citeweb|accessdate=2008-10-05|date=2007-10-08|url=http://www.wineandalcohol.com/alcohol/stolichnaya-vodka|title=Stolichnaya Vodka|publisher= [http://www.wineandalcohol.com Wine and Alcohol] ]

The brand's logo features the words "Stolichnaya vodka" in gold cursive script, over a drawing of a former Moscow landmark, the Hotel Moskva, where Stalin once stayed and the site of one of the first Metro stations in the capital. ("Stolichnaya" is the adjectival form of "stolitsa" ["столица"] , meaning "capital".) [citeweb|accessdate=2008-10-05|date=1991-06-02|publisher=The New York Times|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CEFDF123BF931A35755C0A967958260|title=SUMMER PLACES: THE SUPER VODKAS|author=WILLIAM GRIMES]

History

Stolichnaya has its origins in the Moscow State Wine Warehouse No. 1 which was opened in 1901 by the authorities to ensure higher quality vodka production. Fact|date=March 2008 Since 2001, Stolichnaya trademark has been an object of a dispute between the SPI Group and the government of Russia. [citeweb|accessdate=2008-10-05|date=2004-11-21|author=Abigail Townsend|title=Who's Stoli now? Allied Domecq in Russian dispute|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/whos-stoli-now-allied-domecq-in-russian-dispute-533977.html|pubilsher= [http://www.independent.co.uk The Independent] ] In 1972, the Pepsico company struck a barter agreement with the then government of the Soviet Union, in which Pepsico was granted exportation and Western marketing rights to Stolichnaya vodka in exchange for importation and Soviet marketing of Pepsi-Cola. [citeweb|url=http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=267835&area=/insight/insight__economy__business/|title=Pepsi's comeback, Part II|accessdate=2007-07-21|author=Robert Laing|publisher= [http://www.mg.co.za Mail & Guardian online] |date=2006-03-28] This exchange led to Pepsi-Cola being the first foreign product sanctioned for sale in the U.S.S.R. [citeweb|url=http://www.pepsico.com/PEP_Company/History/index.cfm#|title=PepsiCo Company History (1972)|publisher=PepsiCo, Inc|accessdate=2007-07-21]

After the breakup of the Soviet Union Stolichnaya vodka continued to be produced for export in several of the ex-Soviet republics, including Kazakhstan and Ukraine. Fact|date=March 2008 The bottles retained their Soviet-era labels.

In August 1991, the Soviet patent office revoked the Soviet agency's right to use the Stolichnaya name in Russia. [citeweb|accessdate=2008-10-05|date=1992-11-20|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CEEDC1339F933A15752C1A964958260|title=COMPANY NEWS; JUDGE REJECTS STOLICHNAYA TRADEMARK SUIT|publisher=The New York Times] This led to numerous lawsuits, including what companies could market vodka under this name in the United States. On November 20, 1992, a federal judge ruled that PepsiCo would maintain the exclusive right to the name in the United States, as allowing others to market under the name would bring a "risk of irreparable harm" to the trademark. [citeweb|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CEEDC1339F933A15752C1A964958260|publisher= [http://www.nytimes.com The New York Times] |accessdate=2007-07-21|date=1992-11-20|title=Company News; Judge Rejects Stolichnaya Trademark Suit]

In 2002, A Moscow court ruled that Russia would get back the rights to the Stolichnaya brand name from Soyuzplodimport (SPI). [citeweb|accessdate=2007-07-21|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/1794734.stm|publisher= [http://www.news.bbc.co.uk BBC] |date=2002-02-01|title=Russia toasts Stolichnaya victory]

Varieties

Stoli is available in many varieties, including [citeweb|accessdate=2008-10-05|url=http://www.allbusiness.com/company-activities-management/product-management-branding/5208199-1.html|publisher= [http://www.allbusiness.com allbusiness.com] |title=Stoli Razberi Hits One-Million-Case Milestone|date=2004-08-31] :
*Stolichnaya 80 proof (red label)
*Stolichnaya 80 proof (cristall or gold)
*Stolichnaya 100 proof (blue label)
*Stolichnaya Elit ("ultra-luxury" i.e. ultra-filtered)
*Stoli Blakberi (Blackberry)
*Stoli Blueberi (Blueberry)
*Stoli Citros (Citrus)
*Stoli Cranberi (Cranberry)
*Stoli Ohranj (Orange)
*Stoli Peachik (Peach; formerly named Stoli Persik)
*Stoli Razberi (Raspberry)
*Stoli Strasberi (Strawberry)
*Stoli Vanil (Vanilla)

References

See also

*Vodka

External links

* [http://www.stoli.com STOLI.COM] - The official site for Stolichnaya Vodka