On that Vesco last week closed its acquisition of Ustjansky Distillery (Arkhangelsk region), "Vedomosti" said company president Vyacheslav Shiryaev. About purchasing managers aware of another alcohol plant area. According Shiryayeva on Ustjansky Distillery Vesco plans to start bottling elite vodka worth up to $ 200 per 1.5 liter bottle. "Our company is developing a project on trade in luxury goods, and vodka will be one of its elements" - explains Shiryaev. He said that the potential audience of the new vodka coincides with the company's client base. "We will offer the product to their customers - buyers of yachts and expensive real estate" - says Shiryaev.

Now Ustyansky plant produces cheap vodka "Ustyanochka" and "is in poor financial condition," said the head of Vesco. By May, he expects to bring production to break even and begin filling the new brand name of which still keeps a secret. "The peculiarity of vodka would be an unusual bottle, as well as in the use of clean Ustjansky water - explains Shiryaev. - The name of the plant we will leave the same, because it creates associations with taiga, north. He expects the company will sell 100 000-200 000 bottles of vodka a year. The entire project taking into account the cost of buying the plant could cost Vesco to $ 6 million, admitted Shiryaev.

Market participants warned that Vesco will be difficult to recoup the investment. "In order to produce the vodka, the plant is not necessarily buying," - says President TPG Kristall Sergei White Gold. He doubted that in Russia there are many willing to buy vodka for $ 200, but "to become a recognizable brand, it will take five or six years." According to the vice president of marketing RVVC (Vodka "Flagman") Herman Klimovsky, "millionaires prefer a vodka, whiskey or wine." "You can find a buyer and a bottle of vodka for $ 1000, but there will be unity," - said Stan Kaufman, brand manager "Vineksim" (vodka Putinka "). "Ustyansky distillery still produces 20 000-30 000 gave the vodka a year in the price range of 70-100 rubles. Price $ 100 and above - it superpremium, and this highly competitive segment, "- says Sergey Molchanov, Director General of Archangel distillery Alviz," group company "Synergy."

"I know not a lot of vodka at that price. For it was sold, this product must be a genius, "- says the owner of a restaurant" Pushkin "Andrew Dellos. According to him, over the past five years, he saw a lot of expensive vodkas, but most of them later fell into oblivion. "But I can only welcome the attempt to create a vodka haute couture - if she will have a unique taste qualities," - says the restaurateur, citing French Grey Goose (at retail for about $ 47,4 0,75).

The Russian market already knows the examples of the successful launch of premium alcohol. In late 2002, CEO Whitehall, one of Russia's largest alcohol importers, Mark Kaufman released to market vodka under his own name. According to the agency "Business Analytics", in major cities in the past year the share of brand Kauffman (price $ 27.7 per 0,5 l) amounted to 5,3% super-segment.