The French drinks group’s Wyborowa vodka also fell by 14% to 1.5m cases. Meanwhile, Brown‐Forman experienced a 19% drop in volumes for Finlandia, which fell to 2.4m cases. The 10 botanicals, which include juniper from Tuscany, coriander from Morocco, lemon peel from Spain and cubeb berries from Java, are hand selected by BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Master of Botanicals Ivano Tonutti to create the gin’s fresh, bright taste.

Bacardi’s Grey Goose also failed to sustain sales, falling to 2.9m cases after a 17.9% decline last year, while its Eristoff brand plummeted by 31.4% to 1.1m. Find out more about the sustainability commitments of Bacardi and its vision to become the most environmentally responsible global spirits company at https://www.bacardilimited.com/corporate-responsibility/environment/ Nemiroff attributed part of its success, particularly during the fourth quarter of 2020, to the revamping of its entry‐level range. BOMBAY SAPPHIRE, the world’s number one premium gin, is created with a unique combination of 10 botanical ingredients sourced from around the globe. In the historic still houses of the BOMBAY SAPPHIRE distillery in Hampshire, England, spirit vapour passes through perforated copper baskets filled by hand with the 10 botanicals. Through this signature distillation process, called vapour infusion, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE perfectly captures the natural, aromatic flavors of each botanical which results in the gin’s fresh, bright taste. Awarded a double gold medal in the 2017 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE is consistently recognized for crafting the finest quality gin. For more information, please explore www.bombaysapphire.com. Commenting on the brand’s financial results in March this year, Yuriy Sorochynskiy, Nemiroff CEO, said: “Such incredible results were impossible without strong teams and trustful partners around the world. 2020 was a challenging year for many companies and the spirits industry in particular.

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Bacardi worked closely with its suppliers to help them achieve For Life certification. To be certified, suppliers must commit to continuous improvement in the following areas: Eristoff has been positioned as a premium vodka that is accessible in terms of price. Its marketing campaigns often play on the themes of night and the wolf, drawing connections between the nocturnal animal and nightlife culture, aiming to appeal to young adult consumers who are active in social scenes and nightlife.

Nemiroff also said at the time that its De Luxe, Inked Collection, and Lex ranges saw sales rise by ‘1.5 times on average’, with double‐digit growth in select markets. The brand believes this provides further evidence that the trend towards premiumisation and mindful drinking is having an effect. Made from 100% grain spirit, Eristoff vodka is triple distilled and then charcoal filtered, a technique first established in 18th century Russia.Diageo’s Ketel One also saw sales slip by 1.4% to 2.7m cases, while Ciroc’s volumes also declined by 7.6% to 1.7m cases. Diageo‐owned Chrome Vodka is also hovering close to the million‐case threshold after a 9.2% fall took its total volumes to 1.1m cases. Eristoff Vodka (air-wrist-off) originated from Georgia and was first created for Prince Eristavi of Duchy of Racha in 1806.

Other noteworthy successes among the top vodka brands last year include last year’s Vodka Brand Champion, Global Brands‐owned Morosha, which reported a 13.5% increase to 7m cases. BOMBAY SAPPHIRE is part of the portfolio of Bacardi Limited, with global headquarters in Hamilton, Bermuda. Bacardi Limited refers to the Bacardi group of companies, including Bacardi International Limited. Only the finest quality botanicals are selected by Ivano and his work does not end there. The For Life certification awarded by Ecocert S.A., the world’s leading specialist in the certification of sustainable practices, recognizes the commitment of Ivano and Bacardi to only work with suppliers who act responsibly and ensure a sustainable future for farmers, their communities and the environment. Some brands – such as Beluga Group’s Arkhangelskaya – soared in 2020. Arkhangelskaya reported an 80.7% spike in sales last year, growing from 1.6m cases in 2019 to 3m in 2020. But, as always with our annual report, the Champions are never based solely on who can demonstrate the biggest growth; there are myriad other factors at play. Nemiroff’s success came despite difficulties for the brand in global travel retail, where it is one of the top‐three vodka brands. Nemiroff’s sales more than halved in global travel retail in 2020 because of Covid‐19. However, the brand hopes to see recovery in the channel in 2021.Pernod Ricard also had a difficult time in 2020, with Absolut down by 14.1% to 9.6m cases in 2020, compared with 11.2m the year before. For a category that struggles to grow total volumes year after year, vodka’s million‐case‐selling brands were arguably among the most resilient of all the spirits sectors covered in The Brand Champions 2021 report. The Eristoff logo of a wolf howling at a crescent moon represents the Persian name for Georgia, Gorjestan, meaning "land of the wolf". Today, Georgia is still home to the grey wolf, which for hundreds of years has been a part of Georgian culture and folklore. Stablemate Khortytsa also had a stellar year, and passed the 10m case mark (10.4m cases in 2020) for the first time after a 6% increase.