Kubanskaya

Kubanskaya is a Russian, flavoured brand of vodka or nastoyka with a touch of lemon. 40% alcohol. Bottle volume 50cl. The highly recognizable label [1] on the bottle depicts a Cossack on a horse. The original Kubanskaya was produced by the renowned Kristall vodka factory in Moscow, the origin of Stolichnaya vodka. The beverage became insanely popular among expatriates living in Moscow during the 1990s, due to its pleasant taste and the relatively low hangover risk. Another major factor leading to this popularity was the cult song Kubanskaya [2] by the Zelenograd rock group NTO Retsept [3]. This song, in turn, was inspired by the brief cameo this vodka made in the underground novel Moscow-Petushki. The 1998 Russian financial crisis triggered an exodus of the Moscow expats. Consequently, Kristall ceased production of Kubanskaya. Kubanskaya vodka is still for sale in Russian stores, but is produced by less-known factories. While the taste resembles the taste of the original Kristall brand, connaisseurs are able to taste the difference.