Packaging,
packaging, packaging - that's the key to quirky marketing
success in the spirits industry not unlike it is location,
location, location in real estate. When I pulled the bottle
of Medea vodka out of the box, I beheld the first programmable
vodka bottle in the world. Yes, programmable, like in computerized.
But I'll get back to that in a minute.
This
stuff got me to thinking, and the question it posed is: what
is the most expensive vodka and why? Super premiums of all
sorts range from $30.00 to $40.00, but that is really just
the starting point for the insanity. Weighing in at $100.00
per bottle is Diaka, a Polish vodka, that comes in a Swarovski
crystal- encrusted bottle and the vodka is filtered through
100 diamonds some of which weigh in at a carat each. Now,
I believe diamonds are the hardest things on the planet, so
I am at a total loss as to how they might filter anything
but that's over the top marketing for sure.
Seriously
upping the ante is Diva Vodka that can set you back anywhere
from $60 to $1.6 million - yes, million. You see, each bottle
of Diva Vodka contains a tube filled with 48 expensive crystals
that can be used as a garnish or fished out and possibly turned
into jewelry. The crystals include: cubic zircon, smoky topaz,
pink tourmaline, amethyst, citrine and peridot and go right
up to diamonds. The unique combination of crystals defines
the price of each bottle.
In
my opinion, the winner of this outrageous contest is Russo-Baltique
Vodka from Russia, which can be yours for a mere $1,300,000.00
per bottle. Nearly all of this vodka's value is in the packaging.
The flask, a replica of the radiator guard used for the Russo-Baltique
cars, is made from gold coins minted between 1908 and 1912
and melted down and weighs in at nearly 20 pounds of pure
gold.
Those
dates commemorate the time the company manufactured its first
car. The flask cap is made from white and yellow gold and
contains a diamond-encrusted replica of the Russian Imperial
Eagle. The bottle is encased in bulletproof glass 30 centimeters
thick, so not a single precious drop will escape. And included
at that price, absolutely for free, is the Dartz Prombron
SUV touted to be one of the fastest multi-terrain armored
vehicles in the world. It features parts made by General Motors
and has a whopping 8.1 liter engine under the hood and it
is seriously ugly and over the top. Now, that's marketing!!!!!
But
back to the beautiful, computerized Medea vodka bottle, which
at $40.00 is starting to look like a relative steal. I have
to admit, I am a nerd and a geek at heart and love all things
computerized. Having worked in Silicon Valley for over 10
years and through several start-ups, I am a fanatic fan boy
of this stuff. I run a high end gaming rig at home with two
32" 3D HDTV's for monitors and still thoroughly enjoy
run and gun video games, so this was right up my alley. When
you press a button on the side of the neon blue label it reveals
a scrolling screen with lit up neon letters and words going
by touting the message you have programmed into the sign.
There are multiple lines available and you can insert your
name, a friend's name, or any message you like and I do mean
any message you like. It's like standing in Times Square at
night and looking up at the flashing signs, way cool and totally
over the top. I have never seen anything like it before.
I
almost hate to open the sucker up, but that's my job, so I
did. This is a true neutral grain spirit. The nose is quiet
with no alcohol aromas upfront and really no discernible smells
of any kind. It's not watery or thin but presented with maybe
a very slight, yet pleasant, earthy smell and gave the impression
of having a firm body. Again very neutral in the mouth, with
a good mouth feel and no bite and a vague hint of sweetness
but so vague that it seemed to be playing hide and seek.
Straight
up upon swallowing it leaves a tingling sensation in the back
of my throat, but again so mild that I wouldn't really call
it peppery or spicy, just tingly. That tingle subsides very
quickly, inducing me to repeat the experiment and enjoy the
whole process over and over until I finally poured some over
the rocks. It really opens up and is just a pure pleasure
to sip. It's unbelievably smooth with a wonderful mouth feel
and its neutrality is very inviting. On top of that you get
to play with the bottle and let it entertain you. You definitely
get your money's worth with Medea vodka.
By George Brozowski
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