Belvedere (vodka)

Belvedere is a brand of Polish rye vodka produced and distributed by LVMH.^[1]

It is named after Belweder, the Polish presidential palace, whose illustration appears on its bottles. It is produced exclusively in Poland in the town of Żyrardów and has worldwide distribution.^[2] The brand was launched in the United States in 1996 as a "luxury" liquor and is widely regarded to be the worlds first ‘super premium vodka.' ^[3]

History

Production began in 1993 at the facility located at Polmos Zyrardów, Poland. The facility was constructed in 1910 and was originally known as the 'Distillery and Rectification of Spirit and Vodka’. In 2001, the factory in Poland was privatized with Millennium LLC being the main shareholder. In 2002 40% of Millennium was acquired by the luxury group LVMH^[4] and in April 2005 this stake was raise to 100%.^[5]

Criticism

On March 23, 2012, Belvedere Vodka's Twitter and Facebook pages posted a branded image that was attacked for seemingly making light of rape. The image featured a man playfully restraining a woman who appeared to be trying to flee, and the slogan, "Unlike Some People, Belvedere Always Goes Down Smoothly."^[6] The image was published on the social media sites for roughly 45 minutes before being pulled.

References

External links

• Official website