Ken Blake <Ken@invalid.news.com> wrote in
news:qljrphp7i7c8kduipseq2vpe0grlkgt27c@4ax.com:

> The word "organic" reminds me of Smirnoff Vodka. They used
> to (I don't know if they still do) fill bottles on an
> assembly line and have the line put labels on them at the
> end. Some labels said "Smirnoff" and some said "Relska."
> Relska was exactly the same as Smirnoff but sold at a lower
> price. The two names just catered to two different classes
> of customers.

That is absolutely untrue.

Smirnoff doesn't, nor has ever, made Relska branded vodka.

That's a preposterous assertion.

(However, if one doesn't want to pay Smirnoff prices, Burnett's is a great alternative
choice for a 'less expensive' vodka. It's even in a glass bottle. A local brand is pretty clean
too, 'Recipe 21'.)

On Thu, 19 Jan 2023 22:25:02 +0000, DanS
<t.h.i.s.n.t.h.a.t@r.o.a.d.r.u.n.n.e.r.c.o.m> wrote:

>Ken Blake <Ken@invalid.news.com> wrote in
>news:qljrphp7i7c8kduipseq2vpe0grlkgt27c@4ax.com:
>
>> The word "organic" reminds me of Smirnoff Vodka. They used
>> to (I don't know if they still do) fill bottles on an
>> assembly line and have the line put labels on them at the
>> end. Some labels said "Smirnoff" and some said "Relska."
>> Relska was exactly the same as Smirnoff but sold at a lower
>> price. The two names just catered to two different classes
>> of customers.
>
>That is absolutely untrue.
>
>Smirnoff doesn't, nor has ever, made Relska branded vodka.
>
>That's a preposterous assertion.

That's a preposterous reply to my post.

See https://kayolsen.com/pages/heublein-diageo/smirnoff-popov/, which
says "Also, during this time, Popov vodka and Relska vodka were added
to the portfolio as protectors of Smirnoff to ensure Smirnoff would
not be cannibillized by competitors. Popov and Relska also provided
economies of scale at the production facilities. Between these three
brands, the factories ran 24 hours a day/7 days a week."

Ken Blake <Ken@invalid.news.com> wrote in
news:uqpjshtq0e246v8r0hsppajv1lafhsiddi@4ax.com:

> On Thu, 19 Jan 2023 22:25:02 +0000, DanS
> <t.h.i.s.n.t.h.a.t@r.o.a.d.r.u.n.n.e.r.c.o.m> wrote:
>
>>Ken Blake <Ken@invalid.news.com> wrote in
>>news:qljrphp7i7c8kduipseq2vpe0grlkgt27c@4ax.com:
>>
>>> The word "organic" reminds me of Smirnoff Vodka. They
>>> used to (I don't know if they still do) fill bottles on
>>> an assembly line and have the line put labels on them at
>>> the end. Some labels said "Smirnoff" and some said
>>> "Relska." Relska was exactly the same as Smirnoff but
>>> sold at a lower price. The two names just catered to two
>>> different classes of customers.
>>
>>That is absolutely untrue.
>>
>>Smirnoff doesn't, nor has ever, made Relska branded vodka.
>>
>>That's a preposterous assertion.
>
>
> That's a preposterous reply to my post.
>
> See
> https://kayolsen.com/pages/heublein-diageo/smirnoff-popov/,
> which says "Also, during this time, Popov vodka and Relska
> vodka were added to the portfolio as protectors of Smirnoff
> to ensure Smirnoff would not be cannibillized by
> competitors. Popov and Relska also provided economies of
> scale at the production facilities. Between these three
> brands, the factories ran 24 hours a day/7 days a week."

Wow...You're right, I'm floored.

However, that doesn't mean that they were the same vodka, just with different labels.
(...as that was really what the outrage was.)

On Mon, 06 Feb 2023 15:55:05 +0000, DanS
<t.h.i.s.n.t.h.a.t@r.o.a.d.r.u.n.n.e.r.c.o.m> wrote:

>Ken Blake <Ken@invalid.news.com> wrote in
>news:uqpjshtq0e246v8r0hsppajv1lafhsiddi@4ax.com:
>
>> On Thu, 19 Jan 2023 22:25:02 +0000, DanS
>> <t.h.i.s.n.t.h.a.t@r.o.a.d.r.u.n.n.e.r.c.o.m> wrote:
>>
>>>Ken Blake <Ken@invalid.news.com> wrote in
>>>news:qljrphp7i7c8kduipseq2vpe0grlkgt27c@4ax.com:
>>>
>>>> The word "organic" reminds me of Smirnoff Vodka. They
>>>> used to (I don't know if they still do) fill bottles on
>>>> an assembly line and have the line put labels on them at
>>>> the end. Some labels said "Smirnoff" and some said
>>>> "Relska." Relska was exactly the same as Smirnoff but
>>>> sold at a lower price. The two names just catered to two
>>>> different classes of customers.
>>>
>>>That is absolutely untrue.
>>>
>>>Smirnoff doesn't, nor has ever, made Relska branded vodka.
>>>
>>>That's a preposterous assertion.
>>
>>
>> That's a preposterous reply to my post.
>>
>> See
>> https://kayolsen.com/pages/heublein-diageo/smirnoff-popov/,
>> which says "Also, during this time, Popov vodka and Relska
>> vodka were added to the portfolio as protectors of Smirnoff
>> to ensure Smirnoff would not be cannibillized by
>> competitors. Popov and Relska also provided economies of
>> scale at the production facilities. Between these three
>> brands, the factories ran 24 hours a day/7 days a week."
>
>Wow...You're right, I'm floored.

OK. No big deal.

>However, that doesn't mean that they were the same vodka, just with different labels.
>(...as that was really what the outrage was.)

I learned that they were years ago. Could it be an urban myth? Yes,
but I don't think so.

Ken Blake <Ken@invalid.news.com> wrote in
news:31a2uhhe5qn1qfjr5nuok8fqj3p9a81g4s@4ax.com:

> On Mon, 06 Feb 2023 15:55:05 +0000, DanS
> <t.h.i.s.n.t.h.a.t@r.o.a.d.r.u.n.n.e.r.c.o.m> wrote:
>
>>Ken Blake <Ken@invalid.news.com> wrote in
>>news:uqpjshtq0e246v8r0hsppajv1lafhsiddi@4ax.com:
>>
>>> On Thu, 19 Jan 2023 22:25:02 +0000, DanS
>>> <t.h.i.s.n.t.h.a.t@r.o.a.d.r.u.n.n.e.r.c.o.m> wrote:
>>>
>>>>Ken Blake <Ken@invalid.news.com> wrote in
>>>>news:qljrphp7i7c8kduipseq2vpe0grlkgt27c@4ax.com:
>>>>
>>>>> The word "organic" reminds me of Smirnoff Vodka. They
>>>>> used to (I don't know if they still do) fill bottles on
>>>>> an assembly line and have the line put labels on them
>>>>> at the end. Some labels said "Smirnoff" and some said
>>>>> "Relska." Relska was exactly the same as Smirnoff but
>>>>> sold at a lower price. The two names just catered to
>>>>> two different classes of customers.
>>>>
>>>>That is absolutely untrue.
>>>>
>>>>Smirnoff doesn't, nor has ever, made Relska branded
>>>>vodka.
>>>>
>>>>That's a preposterous assertion.
>>>
>>>
>>> That's a preposterous reply to my post.
>>>
>>> See
>>> https://kayolsen.com/pages/heublein-diageo/smirnoff-popov/
>>> , which says "Also, during this time, Popov vodka and
>>> Relska vodka were added to the portfolio as protectors of
>>> Smirnoff to ensure Smirnoff would not be cannibillized by
>>> competitors. Popov and Relska also provided economies of
>>> scale at the production facilities. Between these three
>>> brands, the factories ran 24 hours a day/7 days a week."
>>
>>Wow...You're right, I'm floored.
>
> OK. No big deal.
>
>
>>However, that doesn't mean that they were the same vodka,
>>just with
> different labels.
>>(...as that was really what the outrage was.)
>
>
> I learned that they were years ago. Could it be an urban
> myth? Yes, but I don't think so.

I don't know.... I've drunk my share of Relska and Popov (and Kamchatcka, etc) in my
time, always nasty. But cheap.