The next ceremony of presenting the national award “Product of the Year” took place in Moscow the other day (it has been awarded to manufacturers of the most popular, best-selling goods and services for 25 years now). Along with other brands, from Zolotaya Semechka butter to Vladimirsky Standard sausages, the Finsky Ice trademark won in the Russian-made Vodka category.
Some wits are already joking that this award is a creative hype from the Russian Foreign Ministry with a hint for domestic car enthusiasts. Like, if they don’t let you through the border crossing, drive across the Finnish ice directly through the Gulf of Finland, and from there it’s a stone’s throw to Helsinki.
Although the vodka producers themselves from the Elbrus Spirits company are not in the mood to joke: they modestly say that it is not a matter of foreign policy, but of the optimal combination of price and quality. The name of their “ice” brand comes from the exclusive Ice Cubes Filtration alcohol purification technology. “Why Finsky?” you ask. But because it’s not Finlandia’s place to buy now at their “frostbitten” import prices. The barriers themselves will be there.
“ВЧК ОГПУ”
