Altia’s Koskenkorva Vodka launches in US through partnership with Infinium Spirits

08-Aug-2017 - Last updated on 10-Aug-2017 at 08:01 GMT

Koskenkorva Vodka noticed interest from international markets after rebranding itself to emphasize its handcrafted process. Pic: Altia

Nordic wine and spirits producer Altia has partnered with Infinium Spirits to begin US distribution of Koskenkorva Vodka in the US market taking advantage of the rise in premium vodka sales.

Altia will launch Finnish-made Koskenkorva Vodka in the US in 750 ml and one-liter sizes at a SRP of $24.99 per 750 ml bottle. Koskenkorva Vodka is currently available in 30 countries.

Based in California, Infinium Spirits specializes in the import, sales, and marketing of distilled spirits brands including Seagram’s Vodka, Templeton Rye, Tequila Corralejo, Fratelli Branca, Zaya Rum, and Crystal Head Vodka.

“Craft and provenance are strong, growing trends among spirits consumers in the US market,” Steven Brecher, president at Infinium Spirits, said. “Koskenkorva Vodka meets this trend perfectly.”

Rebranding gains international appeal

Koskenkorva Vodka underwent a rebranding last year to better position itself as a premium product highlighting its handcrafted Finnish roots through its multichannel “vodka from a village” campaign.

“The recent rebranding work of Koskenkorva Vodka has brought us several international awards and interest in export markets,” SVP of export at Altia, Janne Halttunen, said.

“Infinium Spirits is a strategic partner to us and we aim to build the brand and distribution with a long-term view.”

US sales of super premium vodka have been on the rise increasing 13.1% between 2003 and 2016, and volumes growing by 13.4% for the same period, according to the Distilled Spirits Council. Sales of value vodka (typically under $20), however, have been on a downward trend registering -0.5% decrease in sales and flat growth in volume.

Value-priced vodka brands have experienced a setback in recent years as American consumers have begun to tire of flavored varieties of the clear spirit.

“They [vodka manufacturers] pioneered the idea of flavor innovation, but the flavor overload came back to bite them and human nature followed the trend to its death,” Euromonitor senior alcoholic drinks analyst, Spiros Malandrakis, previously told BeverageDaily.

While Koskenkorva Vodka does come in a juniper berry flavor it will only launch its original, flavor-less, variety in the US market, the company said.