Moskovskaya Osobaya (“Moscow Special”) vodka, now produced by Soyuzplodoimport, is one of Russia’s most venerable and celebrated spirits. This rye-based vodka allegedly gets its famous clarity and hint of sweetness from the “soft waters of the Russian rivers.” Moskovskaya is often touted for its exceptionally smooth taste, clear finish, and lack of burn and is a popular choice for consumption in the traditional Russian manner: chilled and served neat in a shot glass. Moskovskaya vodka’s recipe was famously concocted by Dmitry Mendeleev, creator of the periodic table of elements, who used chemical principles to establish the standard for vodka throughout Imperial Russia. Moskovskaya was the first vodka to be patented, in 1894. The brand, which like all vodka was suspended during the early Soviet years, was resurrected in 1925 and was the premium 40 percent ABV vodka until the introduction of Stolichnaya some fifteen years later (a 1950 Soviet price list has regular vodka at 50 rubles/liter, Moskovskaya Osobaya at 56.60, and Stolichnaya at 61.60). See Stolichnaya. Moskovskaya remained a Moscow favorite and was a stalwart performer in the export market, regularly earning prestigious medals and prizes at international competitions.
See also vodka.
Preiskurant no. 119. Moscow: Ministerstvo Torgovli Soyuza SSR, 1950.
Pokhlebkin, William. A History of Vodka. Translated by Refry Clarke. London: Verso, 1992.
Trommelen, Edwin. Davai! Russians and Their Vodka. Translated by David Stephenson. Montpelier, VT: Russian Information Services, 2012.
Soyuzplodoimport corporate website (Russian language). http://spimport.ru (accessed February 21, 2021).
By: Jennifer Eremeeva
Moscovskaya vodka, from a 1957 Soviet liquor catalog aimed at the domestic market. Source: Wondrich Collection.