Gorbachev Name Boosts Vodka Sales
Soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev, pursuing a relentless campaign against alcohol in his own country, has unknowingly boosted sales of a vodka bearing his name in West Germany, a company spokesman said Friday.
While demand for other vodkas has slumped this year, sales of the Gorbatschow brand have rocketed by more than 22% since the new Kremlin chief came to power and widened the producer’s market share from around 14% to 20%.
The name of the vodka company, founded by a Russian emigrant in Berlin in 1921, is the same as the German transliteration of the Soviet leader’s surname.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
