There is such a colloquial expression: “To get drunk“ into firewood ”, which, like“ drink into the trash ”, denotes an ironic statement of the extreme degree of intoxication. It is not known whether the creators of the Drova vodka meant this, but they pour the drink into original bottles that resemble logs in shape, emphasizing the semantic viability of the name. The manufacturer – directly on the label, focuses on the environmental friendliness and naturalness of products, on reliable protection against falsification. One of the characteristics of naturalness is the traditional cleaning system – using charcoal: birch, walnut, oak, cedar.
The trademark owner is Organic Vodka Group, the Russian representative of Saimaa Beverages Oy Ltd, whose Saimaa vodka is well known in the CIS countries. Drova bottle design was developed by RUNWAY BRANDING branding agency in 2011. Even then, Organic Vodka Group, as part of the federal promotion strategy, signed agreements on the sale of its products with large Russian retail chains: Karusel, Pyaterochka, Azbuka Vkusa, Auchan. The total volume of deliveries amounted to 704 decalitres.
At first, vodka was produced only at the Finnish plant in the city of Lappeenranta, especially for the Russian consumer. But then the company’s management decided to entrust the release of the drink to Russian colleagues. As Sergey Kleshchukov, General Director of Organic Vodka Group, says: “The bet was made on highly qualified specialists from Russia. And we set out to create a product case that would satisfy the tastes of different types of consumers.”
The license for the production of vodka was received by the Nizhnelomovsky Distillery, owned by United Penza Distilleries LLC. Initially, in 2011, it was planned that the production volume would be about 10 million liters per year, but the production did not cope with the volumes and today produces only half of the planned.
Another Russian manufacturer, Agat Distillery LLC, was recently a large enterprise in the Moscow region. Its premium alcoholic products are popular in Russia. In addition to vodka, Agat produced beer, wines and low-alcohol drinks. Soft water from the natural spring “Klyuchevsky spring” was used in the production. The plant owns an analytical laboratory equipped with modern technicians, including a German gas chromatograph, which allows you to control product quality.
But the company began to suffer losses, and in 2017 a bankruptcy case was initiated. They tried to sell the property “under the hammer”, they organized auctions twice, but there were no applications for the purchase of the plant. Therefore, production has been suspended for the time being, the Drova vodka in stores is stocks, products of the last years of production. In January 2018, a bankruptcy trustee of the enterprise was appointed, Olga Zvonkova became it. The new manager, having enlisted the support of creditors, applied to the Moscow Arbitration Court with a proposal to extend the bankruptcy proceedings in respect of Agat Distillery LLC for a period of 6 months. The decision has not yet been made.
Types of vodka Firewood
Drova vodka has a traditional strength of 40%, is served chilled to 5-12 ° C and goes well with meat and fish snacks, pickles, fish soup, pancakes and other traditional dishes of Russian cuisine. With moderate use, it does not cause headaches and signs of a hangover.
- Drova Hazel Charcoal Filtration (purified with hazelnut charcoal). Transparent drink of premium class, with a mild taste and delicate aroma, in which nutty notes are heard. Experts associate softness and rounded taste with filtration through the charcoal of walnut wood.
- Drova Birch Charcoal Filtration (purified with birch charcoal). Crystal-clear premium class drink with a delicate fresh aroma and a sweetish aftertaste, which is explained by the use of birch sap and honey in the recipe.
- Drova Oak Charcoal Filtration (purified with oak charcoal). Thanks to filtration through oak charcoal, the drink acquired a slight astringency in taste and a pleasant woody aroma.
- Drova Cedar Charcoal Filtration (purified with cedar charcoal). Premium vodka with the addition of pine nuts tincture. The transparent-clear drink has a delicate forest aroma with coniferous notes. Mild delicate taste with honey and nut nuances.
