Nemiroff sees Ukrainian vodka uplift across export and travel retail

Ukrainian vodka Nemiroff has revealed it is seeing a growing appreciation for its eponymous spirit this year following the Ukraine-Russia war.

Speaking to the drinks business, Maria Vergeles, marketing manager (export markets and travel retail) at Nemiroff, said: “We have a Ukrainian product and most Russian brands are delisted from shops and chains and so now we are replacing them”.

Vergeles reassured: “As a Ukrainian product, with over 200 years of history and vodka-making experience,  we know what we are doing and that what we are making is very good”.

She highlighted: “Ultimately, the company is finding new ways to reach out and get people to try the vodka, often via cocktails and through tastings” and explained “there has been investment into marketing and we have a lot of supporting materials and events” to get the brand in front of people.

Vergeles told db: “We like investing in on-trade events and in the mixology and food pairing scene and we also have a brand ambassador that helps us with cocktails” explaining that there is still plenty of the global market to reach, but that the company feels confident that it will make progress this year.

Amidst the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a movement to boycott Russian vodka in bars and shops has risen. The issues many business owners faced surrounded the fact that vodka, which is produced all over the world, can hail from many different countries and, as such, simply ditching Russian-sounding brands was relatively unhelpful for all without alternatives. In a list last year, db listed 20 alternatives.