Founded in 1992 by pioneering Russian businessman Roustam Tariko, Russian Standard is one of Russia’s fastest-growing and most dynamic companies, with over 12,000 employees.
One of Russia’s fastest-growing and most dynamic companies
Chairman's message
"Welcome to Russian Standard. We are a group of consumer- focused companies with market-leading brands in Russia, Ukraine and Hungary and a presence in more than 85 markets around the world. It is with great pride that I personally ensure that Russian Standard products are of the highest quality and offer the best possible consumer experience."
The Mission
They provide affordable luxury to everyone.
Russian Standard's ambition is to build a global company of leading consumer brands.
Through intuition, we have a deep understanding of what consumers want. Through innovation, we create products and services that revolutionize markets.
Their ambition is to provide affordable luxury to everyone
Roust
Their first venture, Roust Inc., quickly became a leading distributor of premium spirits brands. We then set out to fulfill its founding mission by creating brands that reflect a new standard of quality and innovation. In 1998, Russian Standard Vodka was launched as Russia’s first premium vodka, quickly becoming the number-one premium vodka in Russia.
A mission to create brands that reflect a new standard of quality and innovation
Russian Standard Vodka
Today, Russian Standard Vodka’s brands – Original, Platinum, Gold and IMPERIA – dominate the premium vodka segment in Russia and are exported to more than 85 markets around the world. Russian Standard Vodka is Russia’s only truly global consumer brand.
Russia's only truly global consumer brand
Russian Standard Bank
In 1999, Roustam founded Russian Standard Bank, which quickly became the leader in the Russian consumer finance market, pioneering retail banking and credit cards in Russia. In 2003, Roustam founded Russian Standard Insurance, which is one of Russia’s leading credit life insurers.
Pioneer of retail banking and credit cards in Russia
Gancia
In 2011 Russian Standard acquired a majority stake in Gancia, a legendary Italian producer of sparkling wines and vermouths founded in 1850.
Italy’s original sparkling wine and vermouth
Production
Production of the Russian Standard Original is based on a four-step protocol:
mashing and fermenting
distillation and rectification
filtration and relaxation
bottling and packaging.
Higher-end products add more purification steps.
Winter grain from Russian steppes is milled and fermented.
The spirits are blended with water from Lake Ladoga. The proximity of Lake Ladoga was one of the main reasons for the company's decision to establish its distillery in Saint Petersburg. The lake's underground sources provide one of the softest waters naturally available.
The product is then filtered four times through charcoal.
Mendeleev myth
The marketing claims that, "In 1894, Dmitri Mendeleev, the greatest scientist in all Russia, received the decree to set the Imperial quality standard for Russian vodka and the 'Russian Standard' was born",[9] or that the vodka is " compliant with the highest quality of Russian vodka approved by the royal government commission headed by Mendeleev in 1894."
This, however, is based on a popular myth that Mendeleev's 1865 doctoral dissertation "A Discourse on the combination of alcohol and water" contained a statement that 38% is the ideal strength of vodka, and that this number was later rounded to 40% simplify the calculation of alcohol tax. However, Mendeleev's dissertation was about alcohol concentrations over 70% and he never wrote anything about vodka. Furthermore, the 40% standard strength was introduced by the Russian government already in 1843, when Mendeleev was nine years old.
Variants
Russian standard vodka
Original product launched in 1998
Raw ingredients: winter grains from Russian Steppes, glacial water from Lake Ladoga
Distilled four times and filtered four times through charcoal
Russian standard gold
Notes of vanilla, caramel, and spearmint
Added ingredient Siberian ginseng extract
Russian Standard Platinum
Higher-end product, launched 2001
Filtered additional two times through silver.
imperial
The luxury brand launched in 2004
Distilled additional four times.
Filtered additional two times through quartz.