Kommersant: whiskey producer The Officer’s Choice will enter the Russian market

Alcoholic Siberian Group (ASG) has become the exclusive distributor of The Officer’s Choice and Sterling Reserve whiskey brands of the Indian manufacturer Allied Blenders & Distillers (ABD), writes newspaper “Kommersant”.

ABD is one of the largest alcohol producers in India, exporting its products to over 20 countries. The company’s products have not been presented in Russia before. The Officer’s Choice has been named the third most popular whiskey brand in the world in 2021 by Drinks International.

The ASG said in a commentary to the publication that the contract with the Indian company was concluded until October 2025, the specific sales volume was not agreed upon. They emphasized that against the backdrop of the withdrawal of a number of alcoholic brands from the Russian Federation and the rise in price of those remaining on the Russian market, about a quarter of the whiskey market at a price of 900-1200 rubles was released. for a bottle. India, according to them, produces 60% of the world’s whiskey.

Alexander Stavtsev, head of the WineRetail information center, noted in a commentary to the publication that retailers now have stocks of whiskey imported through parallel imports with the previously strong ruble, but as the ruble weakens, these drinks will rise in price. Therefore, new imported brands of whiskey may have long-term potential, but consumers are not well-versed in them and may refuse to buy an unknown brand, he warned.

After the start of the special operation in Ukraine, the United States and the EU countries imposed large-scale sanctions against Russia, which, among other things, affected alcoholic products. Thus, the United States completely banned the shipment of alcohol, and the EU limited the supply of alcohol for more than 300 euros per unit of goods. After that, the largest producers of alcoholic beverages Pernod Ricard (Chivas Regal, Jameson, Absolut, Ararat), Diageo (Bell’s, Johnnie Walker, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Smirnoff), Bacardi (Dewar’s, Martini), Brown-Forman (Jack Daniel’s, Finlandia) suspended the sale of products in Russia.

AKORT in August 2022 applied to the government with a request to include a number of alcohol brands in the list of permitted parallel imports. In mid-September, the same proposal was received from the Ministry of Industry and Trade. The list of goods allowed for import under parallel import included, in particular, the brands Moet, Hennessy, Jack Daniel’s, Jim Beam and others.