RUSSIAN STANDARD, THE NEXT “GLOBAL VODKA BRAND.”

As the fourth fastest growing premium spirits brand in the world, Russian Standard Vodka has seen a lot of press lately. Not only did the brand grow 30% last year to 1.4 million case (according to Impact database), but it is currently involved in a New York lawsuit with Pernod Ricard over Stolichnaya’s origin.

The latest news now involves Bacardi. Russian Standard has brought Carlo Radicati on board as general director after recently heading Beverages & Trading LLC, the Russian distribution arm of Bacardi-Martini Group. Now, Carlo will oversee RS’s production, distribution and marketing worldwide.

Authenticity is RS’s selling point, as Roustam Tariko told the London Financial Times on Saturday (March 24). Russian Standard is one of the few premium vodkas made in Russia, which Roustam claims invented the spirit (although many would disagree). His line of thought is supported by recent ad campaigns that claim “Vodka is Russian,” conveying the message that Russian Standard is a “true vodka.”

Coincidentally, RS filed a lawsuit last October against Pernod for falsely advertising that Stoli comes from Russia. While Pernod claims Stolichnaya is distilled and produced in Russia, Russian Standard alleges it is actually distilled in Latvia.

“We are not interested to be a niche player,” Roustam told the FT, “We would like to be a global vodka brand.”