…That’s the story behind Kalashnikov Vodka, a new drink that was launched in September (2004). It’s the result of four years’ hard work by the founder John Florey, two of which were spent trying to track down General Mikhail T Kalashnikov himself. The journey began when, after acting as a representative for Russian chess-player Gary Kasparov, Florey was approached by a brand management outfit to expand its portfolio of products associated with the country…
http://startups.co.uk/kalashnikov-vodka-john-florey/
Lt-General Kalashnikov said he was launching the vodka because he wanted to continue “the good name” of his gun.
“I’ve always wanted to improve and expand on the good name of my weapon by doing good things,” he added.”We wanted that vodka to be better than anything made, up until now, in both Russia and England.”
http://news.sky.com/story/297784/kalashnikov-vodka-goes-on-sale
Kalashnikov Vodka is the brainchild of British entrepreneur John Florey, who got the idea of approaching the general while representing the Russian chess grandmaster Gary Kasparov.
It took Mr Florey two years to track down the general and persuade him to lend his name to the vodka, made at a distillery in St Petersburg. The general, however, is not just a figurehead. He has had points to make about every aspect of the product, from the design of the bottle to the spirit inside.
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