Exclusively designed bottles and glass decanters

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Vodka: chic, exquisite and popular
Clear, high-proof and exquisite: vodka is one of the most widely spread alcoholic beverages worldwide and super-premium vodkas are the latest trend. The manufacturers of this popular drink have now started to present their products in exclusively designed bottles or even glass decanters. “Parliament Vodka” also came with up a surprising and completely new bottle relaunch in late 2007.

Cognac and whisky producers have long managed to enthuse and win over the global gourmet community with their select products. This is now also an aspiration of vodka manufacturers who increasingly present their luxury products in ornately designed glass bottles.

Vodka is the only distilled clear beverage enjoying growing popularity and, hence, constantly rising sales figures for years now. Premium vodka is a high-quality spirit appreciated and relished by more and more connoisseurs not only neat but also flavoured with herbs or fruit. This is why the bottles of this exquisite beverage have become accordingly chic, exclusive and extraordinary.

“Parliament” boasting a new bottle design

The “Parliament Vodka” brand has also posted uninterrupted growth since 2001 and therefore ranks among the leading international premium vodkas today. Its new look was designed to reflect the character of this authentic Russian vodka even better than before. The elegant bottle design aims to signal highest quality and Russian provenance at a glance: the bottle is ashlar-shaped with refined, rounded edges. It tapers towards the bottom resting on a massive glass base. The label is transparent to ensure nothing blocks the view of the pure beverage while partially English, partially Russian lettering in clear blue and silver runs across the bottle front. This embodies the unique combination of traditional origins, on the one hand, and the international focus of this vodka, on the other. The eye-catcher is a true-to-detail illustration of the Kremlin Palace in Moscow. Right below reference is made to the unique feature of “Parliament”: the milk cleaning step in the manufacturing process.
“Parliament” is produced in accordance with the original vodka recipe from the Tsar’s days and is manufactured today at the Urozhay Distillery in Moscow using state-of-the-art technology. In the special biologically-based refinement process milk is added to the vodka, which is said to absorb all undesirable micro-substances in the distillate as it coagulates.

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Smart glass bottles in response to the boom

However, other producers have also realised the importance of proper packaging for their rarities. Such as the vintage vodka by Kauffmann. This is a real luxury product of which only 25,000 bottles are produced each year with packaging reminiscent of an XL fragrance flacon: the bottle design – unique in its flowing shape – was customised for Kaufmann. The bottles are manufactured at the well-known French glass factory “Saint-Gobain” and “wrapped” in an elegant gift box in Russia. In 2003 this original packaging received a gold medal in the national “Packaging – Russia’s Star” contest.

“Diva”, the vodka produced by American company Blackwood Distillers, also attaches great importance to matching packaging to its exquisite contents. “Diva” is said to be the world’s first vodka to be filtered with pure diamond dust – which is why the transparent flacon is decorated with multi-coloured Swarovski crystals. The only vodka produced in Switzerland – Xellent – even comes in a ruby-red bottle.

Be it heavy, transparent glass cylinders, exquisite bottles in blue glass or elaborate embossing: innovative bottle designs are a key feature of the super-premium vodkas. Let alone the endless variety of colours and shapes.

Appearances do count!

After all a good vodka is not qualified by its ingredients alone – water, cereals, potatoes or the spices, aromatic oils, herbs and fruit for special flavours. The wide variety of sorts and brands also requires this segment to address shoppers at the retail shelf directly with packaging. Bottles should make a special statement!

Incidentally, vodka consumption has also constantly gone up in Germany since 2000 which is why this trendy spirit already ranks second in the “spirits charts” after semi-sweet liqueurs. Be it stirred or shaken, drunk neat, mixed with various other beverages or used as a cocktail ingredient: vodka obviously appeals not only to super agents like James Bond.

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