Crystal clear taste of vodka Stock Polska

crystaL cLear taste of vodka

Stock Polska is a high-profile producer of clear vodka and vodka-based products. The company is an important part of the Stock Spirits Group, a leading spirits business in central and eastern Europe. Dariusz Balcerzyk reports.

Stock Polska, combining tradition with modern international standards, is Poland’s leader on the flavoured vodka-based liquor market and comes second in the category of clear vodkas. The company’s history dates to 1906, when Emil Plage, a well-known industrialist and visionary from Lublin, Poland, decided to establish the first spirit distillery in his town. Those were the origins of Polmos Lublin, known today as Stock Polska.

Thanks to the dedication of his successors, the company survived both world wars and, as a result, resumed production in 1944. However, during the Communist regime the nationalisation of private manufacturers went ahead, and the company was seized in 1951 by the National Alcohol Monopoly. Much later came political changes in Poland, resulting in a process of gradual change for the status of the company. Following these changes, the company survived and indeed thrived, becoming the leading manufacturer in the speciality vodka market and one of the most important players in the branded drinks market.

Strong presence

Since 2007 the company has been a part of the Stock Spirits Group, a leading producer of branded spirits in central and eastern Europe, with a portfolio of more than 45 brands across a broad range of spirits, including vodka, vodka-based flavoured liqueurs, rum, brandy, bitters and limoncello. The Stock Spirits Group has sales and marketing operations in Poland, the Czech Republic, Italy, Slovakia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Croatia. It also distributes spirits in more than 50 other countries through third-party arrangements. The group operates two main production and bottling sites, in Lublin, Poland and in Plzen, Czech Republic. It also operates a small distillery in Prádlo, Czech Republic, and has an ethanol distillery plant in Rostock, Germany.

The group’s revenue in Poland in the first half of 2018 was €67.1 million compared to €64.5 million last year, which is a growth of 4.0 per cent. For the Polish market, total vodka market volumes declined by -1.0 per cent in the six months to the end of June 2018 versus +1.2 per cent last year. The decline is driven by the contraction of the clear vodka market by -3.0 per cent, whilst flavoured vodka continues to grow (+5.3 per cent to the end of June 2018). The value of the vodka market also declined compared to last YTD by -0.5 per cent (2017: +1.5 per cent), which is possibly a reflection of the relatively high temperatures this year. In marked contrast to the marginally declining overall vodka market, Stock Polska achieved strong growth in both retail volume (+7.3 per cent) and retail value (+5.3 per cent YTD), and is now the fastest growing major player in the vodka market by volume and value YTD.

Stock Polska cooperates with both international corporations and local companies. It selects its partners very carefully and prefers long-term relationships. The company is a reliable partner, which enables it to establish a permanent cooperation with such market leaders as FOB-Décor (a manufacturer of closures from steel and aluminium sheet, which is a part of Tradepol Group), and Stölzle Czestochowa glass factory (a part of the Stölzle Glass Group which manufactures high-end packaging glass) to name just two.

A strong portfolio

What makes Stock Polska stand out from the competition is a rich portfolio of more than 40 brands across a broad range of spirits products. The company specialises in both flavoured vodka-based liquors such as Żoladkowa Gorzka, Saska and Lubelska, and a fast-growing portfolio of clear vodkas, including Żoladkowa de Luxe, Stock Prestige, Amundsen, Orkisz as well as Zubr and 1906. The company’s portfolio also includes liqueurs and brandy.

Flavoured vodkas lead the way

Flavoured alcohols are becoming increasingly popular with Polish consumers. This year’s sales in the category increased by 10.4 per cent compared to the corresponding period last year. Stock Polska launched recently two new flavours from its Zubr brand, one of the leading vodkas in the economy-class vodka in Poland: Zubr Cytrynowy (lemon) and Zubr Wisniowy (cherry). Not long before, two new additions, Lubelska Gruszkowka (pear) and Lubelska Jezynowka (blackberry), had hit the shops, taking the total range to nine flavours. The two new flavours were the favourites identified from a wide variety tested through consumer research. In March 2018, three new Saska flavours joined the Stock Polska product range: Hazelnut with a hint of caramel, Orange with a hint of bourbon and Coffee with a hint of brandy.

It is also worth noting that Saska Cherry with a hint of rum and Saska Quince, both vodka-based liqueurs, won Superior Taste Awards at the prestigious 2018 International Taste & Quality Institute Awards in Brussels, which is one of the world’s leading organisations dedicated to certifying the taste of food and drink products. n

For more information, visit: www.stockspirits.com