- Nikolai (vodka)
-
Nikolai is a brand of vodka on the market in the United States. The brand was originally launched and developed by Seagram, and has existed since at least 1963.[1][2] The Nikolai brand is currently owned and produced by the Sazerac Company, which purchased the brand rights from Seagram in 1989 (along with 16 other product lines).[3] The sale was preceded by an announcement in late 1988 by Seagram that it had decided to sell the brand.[4] However, the brand web site says that the brand was purchased in 1987.[5]
The Nikolai brand is available in 80, 90, and 100 proof bottlings.
The Nikolai brand has been marketed primarily as a value-oriented brand, advertised as being priced very reasonably while tasting like more expensive vodka.[1][2] The brand web site says that the brand is produced using a unique proprietary distillation technique and a special recipe to yield low congener vodka, and that the Sazerac Company has been faithfully adhering to Seagram's original formula for its production process.[5] The Sazerac Company classifies its vodka brand offerings into three categories: "super premium", "premium", and "standard". Nikolai is classified in the "standard" brand category.[6] The company says that the 90 and 100 proof bottlings are "best in class and among the largest-selling high-proof vodkas on the market."[5]
Bob Emmons, more well-known for his reviews of Tequila, has described Nikolai 80 proof as having "few flavors other than alcohol and a light burn".[7]
External links
- Sazerac vodka brands page
- Great Vodka - Nikolai - Nikolai vodka brand official webpage.
References
- ^ a b Advertisement, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Aug. 13, 1963.
- ^ a b Advertisement, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Dec 21, 1966.
- ^ "COMPANY NEWS; Seagram to Sell Rights to 17 Brands", The New York Times, Mar. 29, 1989.
- ^ Alison Leigh Cowan, "Seagram Will Pare U.S. Brands", Nov. 29, 1988.
- ^ a b c Great Vodka - Nikolai - Nikolai vodka brand official webpage.
- ^ Sazerac Company vodka brands web page
- ^ Bob Emmons, The Book of Gins and Vodkas, Open Court Publishing, 1999.
Categories:- American vodkas
- Distilled beverage stubs
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
