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.

Wodka Gorbatschow
TypeVodka
ManufacturerHenkell & Co. Sektkellerei KG
Country of origin Berlin, Germany
Introduced1921
Alcohol by volume 37.5% (standard bottle)
Proof (US)80
Related productsList of vodkas
WebsiteOfficial website

History

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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

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Wodka Gorbatschow 0.1 liter

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% 1 L 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

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  1. ^ GORBATSCHOW
  2. ^ Wodka Gorbatschow, history
  3. ^ Haase, Philipp T. (2021-01-27). "Otto Ludwig Heinen". Beamte nationalsozialistischer Reichsministerien (in German). Retrieved 2022-02-13.
  4. ^ "Seele und Hits". Der Spiegel (in German). 1977-04-24. ISSN 2195-1349. Retrieved 2022-02-15.