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Russian Standard makes and sells vodka and other alcoholic drinks to customers around the world.
Russian Standard is a drinks company built on one very Russian idea: making vodka that people trust enough to drink straight. Its flagship Russian Standard vodka comes in a few tiers, from an everyday bottle up to premium versions, and the company sells these to shoppers in more than 80 markets worldwide. It also owns or distributes other alcohol brands, so it is not a one-bottle business.
The money comes from selling bottles, mostly through bars, restaurants, and stores that stock the brand. Customers pick Russian Standard because it sells itself as a genuine, high-quality Russian vodka at a price that feels fair for the quality, which matters in a category where cheap and premium versions sit side by side on the same shelf. The company was founded in the late 1990s by Roustam Tariko, who built it into one of Russia's best-known vodka brands and expanded abroad, including a distillery in Saint Petersburg. The business is exposed to the messy parts of the drinks world. Vodka is a crowded market with giant rivals, and Russian Standard has faced pressure from Western retailers and distributors pulling Russian-made products after the war in Ukraine began in 2022, which hurt its access to some overseas shelves. It has also had to deal with sanctions and banking restrictions that make moving money and goods across borders harder.
What makes it interesting is how much of its identity rides on a single brand name that literally means "Russian standard." That is a strength at home, where the name signals authenticity, and a vulnerability abroad when being Russian becomes a liability. For a private company like this, the real question is whether it can keep selling premium vodka in foreign markets while managing the politics that come attached to its name.
Saved answer · last researched 15 Nov 2026