The story
Founded by Pyotr Arsenievich Smirnov in 1860, in Moscow.1
Pyotr Arsenyevitch Smirnov (9 January 1831 – 29 November 1898) founded his vodka distillery in Moscow under the trade name PA Smirnov in 1864, pioneered charcoal filtration in the 1870s, and by 1886 had captured two-thirds of the market in Moscow by virtue of the first use of newspaper advertising while suppressing clerical calls for temperance by generously contributing to the clergy. Russian royalty reportedly regarded Smirnov as a favourite. When Pyotr died, his third son Vladimir succeeded him. The company flourished and produced more than four million cases of vodka per year.
When the Tsar nationalized the Russian vodka industry in 1904, Vladimir Smirnov was forced to sell his factory and the brand. During the October Revolution of 1917, the Smirnov family fled the country. In 1920, Vladimir Smirnov established a factory in Constantinople (present day Istanbul). Four years later he moved to Lwów (then in Second Polish Republic, now Lviv in Ukraine). He renamed the vodka "Smirnoff". It sold marginally well but not nearly as it had in Russia prior to 1904. Although an additional distillery was founded in Paris in 1925, sales remained far less than that produced in Russia.
In the 1930s, Vladimir met Rudolph Kunett, a Russian who had emigrated in the 1920s to New York City, and had succeeded in business. The Kunett family had been a supplier of grain to Smirnov in Moscow before the Revolution. In 1933, Vladimir sold Kunett the rights to Smirnoff vodka production and sales in North America. Kunett then returned to the United States, quit his sales job, and established his first North American distillery in Bethel, Connecticut, after the end of Prohibition in 1933. However, the business in North America was not as successful as Kunett had hoped. By 1938, Kunett could not afford the sales licenses, and contacted John Martin, president of Heublein, a company that specialized in the import and export of liquors and foreign foods. Using the $14,000 that the Heublein company made from a new product that ended up saving them from bankruptcy, Martin bought the rights to Smirnoff in 1939. His board thought he was mad. Americans were traditionally whiskey drinkers unfamiliar with vodka and so sales were slow. Sales picked up considerably after Heublein advertised it as a "white whiskey" with "no taste, no smell" sealed with whiskey corks.In 1982, the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company acquired Heublein Inc. for $1.4 billion. Its successor, RJR Nabisco, sold the division to Grand Metropolitan in 1987. In 1985 Heublein Corporate Audit Manager Hanson J Kan had recommended to Heublein that it acquire the Grand Metropolitan IDV Smirnoff licensee and its global locations. Grand Metropolitan merged with Guinness to form Diageo in 1997.
Since the 1990s
During the 1990s, one of Pyotr Smirnov's descendants started producing Smirnov (Смирновъ) vodka in Russia, claiming to be "The Only Real Smirnov." After a number of lawsuits, Smirnoff successfully reclaimed its trademark, while in 2006 Diageo concluded a joint venture deal with the Smirnov company.
The Smirnoff company had the naming rights to the Smirnoff Music Centre, a concert amphitheater in Dallas, Texas, from 2000-08. It also sponsored the Smirnoff Underbelly, a major venue at the Edinburgh Fringe.
In the late 1990s, Smirnoff introduced a series of products into Great Britain and, later, into European and North American markets which quickly became popular among young people, especially within the club scene (see "Alcopops").
Two different products are sold under the name "Smirnoff Ice". One, sold in France and the United States, is a citrus-flavoured malt beverage (5.0% ABV) with variants "Original" and "Triple Black". The other product, sold in Europe (excluding France), Latin America, Australia, and Canada, is a premixed vodka drink; its variants are "Original" and "Black Ice" (or, in some markets, "Triple Black" or "Double Black"), ranging from 4.5% in the United Kingdom to 7% ABV in other markets.
The Smirnoff Ice marketed in the United States contains no vodka, according to the official Smirnoff website. It more closely resembles beer than vodka, primarily because it is brewed. However, outside the United States and countries which receive American-made vodka, it does contain Smirnoff Vodka No. 21.
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"Smirnoff Ice Twisted" was a spin-off of Smirnoff Ice that featured such flavours as Mandarin Orange and Green Apple. Confusion between Smirnoff Twist Vodka and Smirnoff Twisted Malt Beverage resulted in the decision to drop the "Twisted" from the flavoured line of Smirnoff Ice. It is sold in 22 oz. (650 ml) bottles and six-packs of 12 oz. (355 ml) bottles.
The next line of Smirnoff's malt beverages to be produced was "Raw Tea", similar to the brand Twisted Tea. It came in flavours such as Lemon, Peach, Raspberry and Green Tea. This product line was marketed most notably with the "Tea Partay" music video and website. It was sold in six-packs of 12 oz. (355 ml) bottles. It was discontinued in sometime in 2009.
"Smirnoff Source", a lightly carbonated alternative to beer, was released in May 2007. It is citrus-flavoured, made with alcohol (3.5% ABV) and spring water, and sold in 4-packs of 1-quart (947 ml) bottles.
A line of 22 flavoured vodkas (based on the No. 21 Red Label) with the "Twist" moniker appended on the end of the name have also been introduced. Flavours include Green Apple, Orange, Cranberry, Raspberry, Citrus (Lemon), Vanilla, Strawberry, Black Cherry, Watermelon, Lime, Blueberry, White Grape, Melon (Honeydew/Cantaloupe), Pomegranate, Passion Fruit, Pear, Peach, Pineapple, Mango, Coconut, and, most recently, Amaretto.
In 2004, Smirnoff trialled a new blend of vodka in the UK and Canada called Smirnoff Penka. Marketing and distribution were handled by The Reserve Brands of Diageo plc. As of 2007 Penka is no longer available in the UK.
In a 2005 New York Times blind tasting of 21 vodkas, Smirnoff won as the "hands-down favorite".
In 2010, Smirnoff introduced the Cocktail Range. Pomegranate Martini with Meyer Lemon-flavoured Liquor and pomegranate juice, Mojito with a dash of mint and Kaffir lime and Grand Cosmopolitan with cranberry juice. Tuscan Lemonade and Savannah Tea were later added. In 2014, Smirnoff introduced Smirnoff Sours vodkas, available in Fruit Punch, Watermelon, Green Apple, and Berry Lemon.
A 2013 study found that Smirnoff malt beverages were the second-most popular brand specific alcohols consumed by underage youths in the United States.
In 2016, Smirnoff introduced two new Smirnoff Ice flavours: Electric Mandarin and Electric Berry. Also in 2016, Smirnoff introduced the new Spiked line, available in Original, Screwdriver, and Hurricane Punch, as well as their Sourced line of fruit juice vodka, available in Ruby Red Grapefruit, Pineapple and Cranberry Apple.
In 2019, Smirnoff Ice partnered with luxury brand Cremsiffino.
In 2020, Diageo introduced sugar-free Smirnoff Ice, with 4.5% ABV.
Smirnoff was mistakenly targeted for boycotts during the Russian invasion of Ukraine; however, despite its Russian origin, the brand is owned by British company Diageo and for the US market is manufactured in Illinois.
From Wikipedia’s article on Smirnoff, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4