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Moskovskaya Vodka stresses Latvian origin

Amber Beverage Group (ABG) has ‘set the record straight’ about its Luxembourg-based headquarters and Latvian vodka brand Moskovskaya.

Moskovskaya Vodka lineup
Moskovskaya Vodka is made in Latvia from ingredients sourced from the EU

Amber Beverage Group is a subsidiary of SPI Group (owner of Stoli), both founded by Yuri Shefler, who is the main shareholder of Amber Beverage Group.

Shefler said: “As the founder of the SPI Group, the holding company of Amber Beverage Group, I relocated all production to Latvia when I was forced into a conflict with Putin’s regime in 2000 and left Russia.

“I am grateful to Latvia and its people for providing a safe haven for the company. It has been a great journey, bringing close to €1.5 billion [US$1.7bn] paid in taxes to the state of Latvia.

“Today, the company stands for peace in Europe and in solidarity with the Ukrainian people.”

ABG has also reiterated the European heritage of its Latvian vodka brand, Moskovskaya.

Moskovskaya Vodka is produced at ABG’s Latvian distillery Latvijas Balzams in Riga.

The group said the vodka would continue to be produced in Latvia, part of the European Union (EU) and a Nato member.

All materials used to make Moskovskaya Vodka are sourced exclusively from EU countries.

Moskovskaya Osobaya Vodka is available at 38% ABV and 40% ABV strengths. Made from wheat, the vodka is triple distilled and filtered three times.

Jekaterina Stuģe, ABG CEO and board member, said: “We could not silently observe what is happening from the side lines.

“Military action in Ukraine is unacceptable to us, and our aim is to offer support to the people affected.

“Today more than ever we want to emphasise that Amber Beverage Group is a Luxembourg-headquartered, global company and that our business and our core brands, such as Moskovskaya Vodka, Riga Black Balsam and others, are international brands, made in Latvia, Estonia, Ireland or Mexico, mainly using production materials from European Union countries.”

Ukraine: new delivery routes

Riga-based distillery Latvijas Balzams has been forced to change some delivery routes for various materials because of the war in Ukraine.

Latvijas Balzams, which produces products including Riga Black Balsam and Latvian vodka Moskovskaya, has sourced a number of materials from Ukraine for several years, including corks, capsules, bottles, labels and shippers.

For the continuity of the company’s operations, parent company Amber Beverage Group (ABG) is temporarily sourcing these materials from other European Union (EU) countries: Poland, Lithuania, Estonia and Germany.

Last week, Global Data said Russian vodka was in a “precarious position” as brands faced widespread boycotting because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

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