Created in 1864, Smirnoff No. 21 Vodka is now the number one-selling premium vodka brand in the world, and is distributed in over 130 countries.
The success of Smirnoff is based on a long history of innovation. Founder Pyotr Arsenievich Smirnov founded a distillery in Moscow under the trading name PA Smirnoff, and pioneered column charcoal filtration in the 1870s. He built a premium product that by 1886 had captured two-thirds of the Moscow vodka market. After the Russian Revolution, Pyotr's son Vladimir was sentenced to death by firing squad – three times. And three times he was reprieved. On being sentenced a fourth time Vladimir fled to Paris, where he attempted to rebuild his father's brand using the French spelling of the vodka, Smirnoff.
With people increasingly excited by Smirnoff, a new cocktail emerged. Thanks to some work from Smirnoff executives in the US in the 1940s, and with Smirnoff No.21 as the base, the Moscow Mule was invented. Ginger beer and lime were mixed along with the premium vodka. As a result, sales of Smirnoff No.21 doubled and the cocktail sparked a vodka craze. The Bond films brought both vodka and Smirnoff firmly into the mainstream, thanks to 007's signature request for a "Vodka Martini, shaken not stirred". Smirnoff vodka featured in the very first Bond film, Dr No, in 1963.
Try out great new variations on Smirnoff, and taste the latest chapter in a true history of pioneering spirit.
Please remember to drink Smirnoff Responsibly
