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A bottle of Smirnoff vodka

Smirnoff started as a vodka distillery founded in Moscow, by Piotr Arsenieyevich Smirnov. The Smirnoff brand is now distributed in 130 countries and includes flavored vodka and malt beverages. It is now owned by British drinks giant Diageo. Smirnoff vodka is both the best selling vodka and the best selling high-priced distilled spirit in the world as of March 2006. ^[1]

Piotr Smirnov first founded his vodka distillery in Moscow in the 1860s, under the trading name of PA Smirnoff. He died in 1910 and was succeeded by Vladimir Smirnov. The company flourished and produced more than 4 million cases of vodka per year.

During the October Revolution, the distillery was confiscated and the family had to flee. Vladimir Smirnov re-established the factory in 1920 in Istanbul. Four years later he moved to Lwów (formerly Poland, now Lviv, Ukraine) and started to sell the vodka under the contemporary French spelling of the name, "Smirnoff". The new product was a success and by the end of 1930 it was exported to most European countries. An additional distillery was founded in Paris in 1925.

In the 1930s Vladimir met Rudolph Kunett, a Russian who had emigrated to America in 1920. The Kunett family had been a supplier of spirits to Smirnoff in Moscow before the Revolution. In 1933 Vladimir sold Kunett the right to begin producing Smirnoff vodka in North America. However, the business in America was not as successful as Kunett had hoped. In 1938 Kunett couldn't afford to pay for the necessary sales licenses, and contacted John Martin, president of Heublein, who agreed to buy the rights to Smirnoff.

Thanks to the introduction of vodka cocktails and successful advertisement campaigns, Smirnoff increased in popularity both in the US and internationally.

During the 1990s one of Piotr Smirnov's descendants started producing Smirnov (Смирновъ in Ukraine) vodka in Ukraine, claiming to be "The Only Real Smirnov". After a number of lawsuits Smirnoff successfully claimed back the trademark, whilst in 2006 Diageo tied up a joint venture deal with the Смирновъ company. [1]

The Smirnoff company has the naming rights to the Smirnoff Music Centre, a concert amphitheatre in Dallas, Texas. They also sponsor the Smirnoff Underbelly, a major venue at the Edinburgh Fringe.

In the late 1990s Smirnoff introduced a series of new products onto the UK and later the European and North American market, which quickly became popular among young people, especially within the club scene (See "Alcopops"). There are two different products by the name of Smirnoff Ice. One, sold in the United States and France, is a citrus-flavoured malt beverage (5% ABV) sold in 'Original,' and 'Triple Black.' The other, sold in Europe (excluding France), Latin America, Australia and Canada, is a premixed vodka drink (4.7% (7% in Canada and Australia)o ABV).

In recent years, Smirnoff has launched many other malt beverage lines. Smirnoff Ice Twisted was a spin-off of the American Smirnoff Ice that featured flavors such as Mandarin Orange and Green Apple. Confusion in branding between Smirnoff Twist Vodka and Smirnoff Twisted Malt Beverage resulted in the decision to drop the "Twisted" from the flavored line of Smirnoff Ice. Current flavors include Watermelon, Wild Grape, Pomegranate Fusion, Arctic Berry (Blueberry), Green Apple Bite and Raspberry Burst.

The next line of Smirnoff's malt beverages to hit shelves was their "Raw Teas" in flavors like Peach and Raspberry. This product line has been marketed most notably with the "Tea Partay" music video and website. It is similar to the brand Twisted Tea.

The newest product from Smirnoff is Smirnoff Source, an ultra-premium beer-alternative created with alcohol and spring water released in May of 2007. It is citrus flavored and lightly carbonated with 3.5% ABV. It comes in pint bottles (16oz) only. Despite the lower-alcohol content, one 16oz bottle of Smirnoff Source contains more alcohol than a 12oz bottle of many popular American beers. Source is available in 15 northeastern U.S. states including Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Washington, DC, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. Source will also begin appearing in nightclubs in Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Miami.

A line of fruit flavoured vodkas with the "Twist" moniker appended on the end of the name have also been introduced. Flavors include Green Apple, Orange, Cranberry, Raspberry, Citrus (Lemon), Vanilla, Strawberry, Black Cherry, Watermelon, Lime, and, most recently, Blueberry.

Smirnoff trialed in the UK and Canada during 2004 a new blend of vodka entitled Smirnoff Penka. Marketing and distribution was handled by The Reserve Brands of Diageo plc. As of 2007 Penka continues to be available in the UK [2].

Numbering and additional information such as brewing place and bottling place are available at the bottom of the bottle. Depicted here is the number 63 - Smirnoff Twisted V Green Apple

• 21 - The Classic Smirnoff Red Label Vodka
• 21 (Norsk) - The Classic Smirnoff Red Label Vodka Cut With Norwegian Berries
• 27 - Smirnoff Silver Label Vodka
• 55 - Smirnoff Black, small batch vodka
• 57 - Smirnoff Blue Label Vodka
• 63 - Smirnoff Twisted V Green Apple
• 64 - Smirnoff Ice Pomegranate Fusion Malt Beverage
• 66 - Smirnoff Ice Raspberry Burst (USA)
• 66 - Smirnoff Twisted V Raspberry
• 71 - Smirnoff Ice Malt Beverage ('spin' in South Africa)
• 73 - Smirnoff Black Ice Malt Beverage ('storm' in South Africa)
• 74 - Smirnoff Ice Triple Filtered
• 75 - Smirnoff Ice Double Black (New Zealand)
• 83 - Smirnoff Ice Wild Grape
• 85 - Smirnoff Twisted Raspberry (Canada)

It is a common misconception that Smirnoff Red Label Vodka purchased in plastic containers is of lower quality, this is untrue however and both the varieties purchased in glass and plastic containers are numbered the same, at 21.

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Smirnoff Electric Cabaret

For the past two years The Smirnoff Co. has organised Smirnoff Electric Cabaret a night that showcases and celebrates some of the most original nightlife and entertainment around. Described as exhilarating, eclectic and progressive, the first Smirnoff Electric Cabaret took place on 12 October 2006 at London’s Koko[3] and featured an exciting mix of acts including Fischerspooner, champion beatboxer Foz, contemporary mime artist Johann Lipowitz and man-becomes-balloon Bruce Airhead.

Smirnoff Electric Cabaret will be returning to Koko, in Camden on 22 November 2007. The night will once again feature hand-picked contemporary cabaret acts and performers including aerial acrobats, magicians and beat-boxers. Acts scheduled to perform include US indie-rockers OK Go, DJ Kissy Sell Out the 23 year-old electro wizard currently taking UK clubs by storm, Parisian rockers Fancy and Belgian electronic outfit Goose. In addition to live entertainment the event will also feature original Smirnoff signature cocktails and introduce unique ways of serving drinks including the chance to choose a drink by scent, using specially-designed ‘snifters’ (hand-blown glass nosing tubes)and drinks tapas for a new take on cocktail tasting.

• Smirnoff vodka has been featured in many of the James Bond movies over the last 40 years, beginning with Dr. No, and continuing intermittently through to 2006's Casino Royale. Stolichnaya and Absolut have also made casual appearances and Finlandia vodka was promoted in 2002's Die Another Day. In the original Ian Fleming novels, James Bond actually preferred Polish or Russian vodka, during which time the only brand available in the West would have been Stolichnaya [4]. He is also known to have even drunk Wolfschmidt on one occasion.
• Smirnoff Ice is mentioned in the Arctic Monkeys song "Red Light Indicates Doors Are Secured" off the album Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not.
• Smirnoff Ice is mentioned in the Jamie T song "Alicia Quays" off the album Panic Prevention.
• Smirnoff Ice is mentioned in the Hadouken! song "Liquid Lives" (original version).
• Smirnoff Ice is regularly consumed in the movie Evil Alien Conquerors.
• In the 2006 hollywood movie "Beerfest", German characters make fun of US characters by telling them "Go home to your strip malls and drink your Zimas and Smirnoff Ice"

Smirnov (Russian Смирновъ) can be seen as the Russian version of Piotr Smirnov's Smirnoff vodka. It is made by the Smirnov Trading House, a company owned as part of a joint venture by Russia's A1 / Alfa Group and Diageo, owner of the Smirnoff Brand.

The full title of the Smirnov Trading House is The Trading House of the Heirs of the P.A. Smirnov.

Smirnov was launched in 1991 by Boris Smirnov, an offspring of the original producer of the spirit, Piotr Smirnov. After many lawsuits with Smirnoff's parent company, which resulted the Diageo brand being banned in the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Russian brand became a sister product to Smirnoff, as well as Johnnie Walker, Captain Morgan and Jose Cuervo in Diageo's portfolio of drinks due to $50 share-offer for 75% of the Russian firm.

• Sea (Smirnoff advert)
• Vodka war in the European Union

• Smirnoff - Official site
• Newsweek - Vodka Taste Test
• Vodka wars
• Independent - Smirnov joint venture
• CNN Vodka wars