Summary
Wodka Gorbatschow is a German vodka brand. It has been produced in Berlin since 1921. Since 1960, it is owned by the Söhnlein Rheingold AG, a part of the Henkell & Co. Sektkellerei KG, which is owned by Dr. Oetker since 1996.
| Type | Vodka |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Henkell & Co. Sektkellerei KG |
| Country of origin | Berlin, Germany |
| Introduced | 1921 |
| Alcohol by volume | 37.5% (standard bottle) |
| Proof (US) | 80 |
| Related products | List of vodkas |
| Website | Official website |
History edit
Lev Leontyevitch Gorbachev was the operator of a vodka distillery in St. Petersburg, Russia.[1] During the October Revolution, Gorbachev left his homeland along with his family for Berlin, where he started to produce vodka on April 28, 1921.[2] The brand name, the onion-domed bottle and the blue label were registered by the L. Gorbatschow & Co. as a trademark in 1923.
In 1938, Gorbatschow Liköre J. Kramer & Co. was aryanized as a Jewish company and taken over by pharmacist Otto Ludwig Heinen, who became a member of the Waffen-SS in 1939. Due to various charges, Heinen was sent to SS-Totenkopfverbände and classified as exonerated during denazification in 1946.[3]
Arthur Barth, who had entered the company Gorbatschow-Liköre Dr. Heinen & Co. before the end of the war, became director after Heinen moved back to his hometown Munich. In 1960, the company Gorbatschow-Wodka Arthur Barth was acquired by the Söhnlein Rheingold KG corporate to become marketed nationwide.
Since 1975, the brand's slogan is Des Wodkas reine Seele (English: The pure soul of vodka), alluding to the cliché of the Russian soul. The campaign was launched after Soviet vodka brands had successfully entered the West-German market.[4]
Products edit
There are different types and bottling sizes of Wodka Gorbatschow. The most common is the 0.7-liter bottle with blue label and 37.5% abv.
| Variant | Label | ABV | Launch year | Filling size | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wodka Gorbatschow | Blue | 37,5 % | 1 L; 0.7 L; 0.2 L; 0.1 L; 40 mL Miniatur; 3 L Magnum | ||
| Wodka Gorbatschow 40% | Blue | 40% | 1l | Only for export | |
| Wodka Gorbatschow 50% | Black | 50% | 1 L; 0.7 L | Intended only for the gastronomy | |
| Wodka Gorbatschow 60% | Red | 60% | 1 L | Only for export | |
| Wodka Platinum 44 | Blue | 44% | 2003 | 0.7 L; 3 L Magnum | Different production method & bottle shape |
| Wodka Gorbatschow Citron | Yellow | 37,5 % | 2008 | 0.7 L | Slightly flavored with lemon |
| Gorbatschow & Lemon | 10% | 2010 | 0.33 L can | Mixed drink in the style lemon vodka | |
| Gorbatschow & Orange | 10% | 2014 | 0.33 L can | Mixed drink in the style orange vodka | |
| Gorbatschow & Maracuja | 10% | 2016 | 0.33 L can | Mixed drink in the style maracuja vodka |
References edit