LATVIA. Amber Beverage Group (ABG) has “set the record straight” on the production of its Moskovskaya vodka, emphasising that despite the name it is not a Russian vodka.
In a statement, the spirits specialist said: “Due to the brand’s name, the true provenance of Moskovskaya vodka may surprise many people.” ABG pointed out that its vodka features “100% European Union materials” and is produced in the group’s Latvian distillery, Latvijas Balzams, which opened in 1900.
ABG was one of the first regional businesses to offer support to the people of Ukraine, just days after Russia initiated military action in the country.
ABG has also encouraged the governments of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia to consider streamlining legislation to enable ABG and other companies to offer jobs to Ukrainian refugees by easing the process of obtaining work permits and supporting temporary residences.
ABG main shareholder Yuri 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 paid in taxes to the state of Latvia. Today, the company stands for peace in Europe and in solidarity with the Ukrainian people.”
Amber Beverage Group CEO and Board Member Jekaterina Stuģe added: “We could not silently observe what is happening from the sidelines. 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.”
Moskovskaya Osobaya vodka (38% and 40% ABV), which is triple distilled and triple filtered, features a green label to reflect the brand’s sustainability ambitions with regard to production, water conservation and responsible consumption.
ABG Global Brand Director Vodkas Benedikt Fimpel commented: “Beyond establishing values and our purpose, we are looking to take ownership of our distinct green colour and build rational benefits around it, especially by becoming a true green brand and company.”
The brand will launch its ‘green ambition’ this year and targets carbon neutrality within the next few years.
ABG pointed out that its Latvijas Balzams distillery has had to change the delivery routes of some materials because of the situation in Ukraine. For several years the company has used various materials, including corks, capsules, bottles, and labels, from the country.
To ensure the continuity of ABG’s operations, the supply of these materials is switching to other European Union countries including Poland, Lithuania, Estonia and Germany.
Note: As reported, The Moodie Davitt Report has announced the forthcoming publication of Travel Retail United – a fundraising publication to help provide emergency relief for the displaced women and families of Ukraine.
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