Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1787
F or young Russian-American entrepreneur Oleg Lazano- vitch, enjoying vodka is all about good flavor and the passion behind its creation, not a high price tag that makes it unreachable for consumers. His own labor of love, Rus- kova—a six-times-distilled spirit in an elegant clear bottle boasting a bright red star—was created with the slogan "Pay for the Vodka, Not the Glass," in honor of top quality that's affordable. "Vodka is about great quality, its origin," says the 32-year-old Lazanovitch, currently a Sunny Isles Beach, Florida resident. "Americans still believe that the best vodka comes from Russia. Yet a lot of other imported brands are only distilled in the claimed country of origin, but are locally bottled. Ruskova is absolutely authentic, dis- tilled and bottled in Russia; the third point is definitely the price." Lazanovitch developed Ruskova with partner Mike Roberts—a former brand manager for Schieffelin in New York and founder of The Action Group, a bever- age marketing firm that represents Patrón tequila in nine southeastern states— with the dream of creating Oleg Lazanovitch, creator of Ruskova vodka. Brand Spotlight Labor of Love Oleg Lazanovitch's Ruskova is "the small brand that could" story and photo by Aurora Rodríguez an affordable product perfect for enjoying alone, yet smooth enough to mix in crafty and innovative cocktails such as the fizzy-sweet Champagne Ruskova (strawberry brandy, Ruskova and champagne). Lazanovitch and Roberts started AnSon Imports in 2005, visiting nine distilleries in Russia to find the perfect blend of ingredients to bring to the United States. They found what they were looking for at the state-of-the-art distillery in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia's second- largest vodka producer. The result of their efforts is a product that was introduced to the American market in 2006 and is now available in 35 states, sold at under $20 for a 1.74- liter bottle. Lovers of artisanal spirits who don't necessarily enjoy vodka will be surprised by the smooth citrus notes of Ruskova. Lazanovitch's favorite way to sip it—usually at Runyon's, one of his favorite restau- rants in Coral Springs—is chilled in a short glass. Ruskova is distilled in a pot still, the same method used for single malt scotches and small- batch bourbons, giving every sip near-perfect balance. "Ruskova is distilled six times to achieve this kind of smoothness and unique taste," notes Lazano- vitch. The vodka is created from fresh, hand-picked proprietary grains, using water from an un- derground spring located in an environmentally clean area of the Russian countryside. Recently, the brand won a Double Gold medal at the 2009 San Francisco World Spirits Competi- tion. It has been rated 90 points by THE TASTING PANEL's Anthony Dias Blue, received a Gold Medal and Best Buy from Chicago's BTI and was recognized as a "Fast Growth Brand" by its industry peers—honors of which Lazano- vitch is rightfully proud for his "small brand that could." "We are most proud of the fact that as a small player in a game against giants of the industry we have carved out a successful niche for ourselves, despite our competi- tors' spending millions of dollars to establish themselves," beams Lazanovitch. For more information on Ruskova, go to www.ruskova.com. 26 / the tasting panel / august 2009