Alkon

History

The manufactory was founded in 1897 by an outstanding merchant Ivan Korsakov. The merchant took into consideration the fact that the native citizens of ancient Novgorod were reputed for great skills in producing excellent vodka, which amused overseas connoisseurs of alcoholic beverages since 13th-15th centuries. He also took into consideration a splendid water constitution of Lake Ilmen and other water sources that surround Veliky Novgorod.

At first the merchant Ivan Korsakov had his own distillery in his house, and in the year of 1897 he opened "The first Novogorodian state wine storehouse" within the program of governmental wine monopoly.

In 1899 8 workers were employed at the distillery. Korsakov expanded the production and opened one more manufactory in Borovichy (Novgorod region). Afterwards these distilleries belonged to the merchant's heritors.

"The storehouse" had been successfully producing Russian vodka by the times of the World War I. After that production and selling of vodka to the public was forbidden.

Since 1914 to the October Revolution state hospital was placed in the storehouse's building. In December 1916 the Empress Alexandra Feodorovna with her daughters visited it with meritorious purposes. After the revolution the manufactory's spaces were occupied with governorate spirit storehouses. Spirit was produced for medical and army needs till 1924.

On 1 October 1924 the manufactory was renamed into Novgorod Distillery No.1 and began to produce vodka with the purpose of struggling with home brewing. The first vodka the distillery produced was 20% ABV Russkaya Gorkaya. The first party was produced on 9 October and sold in the manufactory's store on the following day.

In the year of 1925 the manufactory was again renamed, this time into Novgorod Distillery No.5, and joint with Staraya Russa and Borovichy Distilleries. In this year Distillery No.5 began to produce 40% ABV Russkaya Gorkaya, and in 1932 – 40% ABV vodka Pshenichnaya, classical Russian vodka made from wheat.

Especially extensive development of distillery's work belongs to pre-war period. In 1936 a new department of liquor beverages was created. In 1937 the number of employees was about 200, and the distillery produced 335 thousands liters in the last quarter. At that period the manufactory produced about 60 beverages and sold them in 70 manufactory's stores in Novgorod, Pskov and Leningrad provinces. In 1938 Novgorod Distillery made the top three at the All-Russia Tasting among 500 alcohol producers for the high quality of beverages.

During the World War II distillery workers produced bottles with flame liquid for the front line, which Germans named as "Molotov cocktail". Till the beginning of fascist occupation of Novgorod on 19 August 1941, in short period, 70 thousand of bottles have been produced at the distillery which worked 24-hour on three-shift basis.

By the moment of liberation of the city from the fascists the manufactory was seriously destroyed with hostile bombardments. Novgorod was included in the list of cities subjected to foremost reconstruction. The distillery began to reborn together with the city. The reconstruction of the destroyed manufactory began in July, 1944; few months later production of 40% ABV vodka in casks began. Famous "front 100 grams" were sent to military units.

For many years the distillery was working according to the national USSR standards. During perestroika period and for the several next years the manufactory has made a significant leap: modern technological equipment produced by the leading foreign companies has been installed, the recipes of unique original beverages have been formulated, store chain has been opened and distribution trade has been developed.

The wine storage and wine department with a capacity of 600 thousands of decaliters were opened in 1960. The range of beverages was more than 60 products (red wines, brandy, liquors) prepared from natural raw material purchased in France and Spain. Wine warehouse was built in 1964, bottling department – in 1966.

In the year of 1981 Yuri Ivanovich Bobryshev became the head of the distillery. In these years it began to turn out its own trademark products. The first recipe of the company's original beverage, nastoyka Novgorodskaya Yubileyanaya was devised in 1982 especially for the date of the 1125th Anniversary of Novgorod.

In the year of 1992 the manufactory got the status of Public corporation and a new name PLC Alkon. Yuriy Ivanovich Bobryshev was its CEO till 2007.

In the year of 1996 Alkon together with the Dovgan protected manufacturing company established a special program which helped to effectively protect beverages from counterfeiting. For implementation of this program the distillery mastered the production of new elite vodka assortment under the Dovgan trademark.

In the year of 1997 Alkon Distillery celebrated its century anniversary. A lot of grand guests took part in the jubilee, among them grandniece of Count Witte, who was a famous statesman of the end of the XIX – the beginning of XX cc and the initiator of wine monopoly introduction.

By the beginning of 2000 Alkon has produced more than 40 original beverages prepared according to the age-old recipes and created several trademarks such as Sadko, Spasskaya, Lubava – Berry Honey, etc.

At present time PLC Alkon is a modern, fast-growth distillery. Sergey Yurievich Bobryshev has been CEO of Alkon since 2007. Hi-tech methods of quality control, progressive management, great work on trademarks development and positioning are successfully combined with keeping up classical production technologies, the major rule of which is the usage of only natural components.

Production

The majority of operating production lines were projected especially for Alkon by the world leading facility designers. The new high-tech equipment allows to improve constantly the material processing, bottling of product and quality control as well as to protect manufactured goods from counterfeiting.

Alkon has an industrial-engineering laboratory. It is one of the few certified and independent testing laboratories in Novgorod region. Laboratory employees maintain control on all the stages of product manufacturing components.

Brands

Awards

Russian and world-leading experts and tasters confirm high quality of all the Alkon beverages. During last years PLC “Alkon” original beverages has won 105 medals (67 of them are gold), 13 honorary diplomas, 5 grand prizes, 4 platinum quality marks, 3 golden quality marks “Russian brand-2003”.

Vodkas Veliky Novgorod, Novgorodskoe Veche, Novgorodskaya Osobaya; nastoykas Novgorodskaya Yubilejnaya, Sadko, Lubava, Charodejka; liquor Lada, balsam Drevnerussky won medals and first place diplomas at Russia-wide review-contest (Moscow) in 1995.

These beverages were also awarded with prizes of international exhibitions Autumn wine fair in Saint Petersburg in 1995 and 1996.

In 1996 Alkon was awarded with the prize of MONDE SANS FRONTIERE association (France) - Golden Bunch, for the participation in its program "Vintners. Partnership for the sake of progress".

Vodkas Veliky Novgorod, Sadko, balsam Drevnerussky, nastoyka Novgorodskaya Yubilejnaya and the family of beverages under the Sadko trademark are awarded with “Grand Prize”.

PLC Alkon showed its beverages at the international exhibition "Take it to the third millennium" – the final stage of the national program of the best Russian goods, services and technologies promotion in 1999-2000. All the exhibited beverages (vodka Veliky Novgorod, balsam Drevnerussky, nastoyka Novgorodskaya Yubilejnaya, nalivka Yurjevskaya) won Platinum Quality Marks – the superior award of the exhibitions called "All-Russia Mark (III millennium). Quality mark of the 21st century".

In the beginning of 2000 PLC Alkon was acknowledged as one of the best Russian enterprises. At the exhibition "Prodexpo-2000" within the national project "Russian enterprises. Traditions and modernity" the distillery was awarded with Honorary Diploma "For the excellent quality of products and production culture".

In 2003 PLC Alkon became the one and only alcohol producer, possessing the superior award for the production quality "Golden Eagle".

Interesting facts

Literature

1. Бобрышев Ю.И., Золотарёв В.В., Ватковский Г.И., Гагарин М.М., Смирнов А.П. История винокурения, продажи питей, акцизной политики Руси и России в археологических находках и документах XII-XIX вв. — М. : Кругозор-наука, 2004. — p. 160. — ISBN 5-900888-18-5.
2. Романов С. История русской водки — М. : Вече, 1998. — p. 448. — ISBN 5-7838-0202-6.
3. Сергиенко Н.Н., Бобрышев Ю.И., Никулин Ю.А., Мазалов Н.В. Смирнов А.П. Русская водка — М. : Издательство фирмы «Кругозор», 1998. — p. 364. — ISBN 5-900888-05-3.
4. Новгородский винно-водочный завод. - Историческая справка №477 от 15.07.1992. - Государственный архив Новгородской области.