Dive Brief:
- Stoli Group is returning to the U.S. with an expanded portfolio after its American subsidiary filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2024.
- Stoli reached a settlement with its Stoli Group USA creditor, allowing distribution in the U.S. to resume. At the time of its Chapter 11 filing, the company owed $84 million in debt.
- The maker of Stoli vodka and Kentucky Owl is “moving forward with a renewed focus on growth,” which will include adding at least five new products and exploring U.S. production of Stoli flavored vodkas.
Dive Insight:
Stoli is returning to the U.S. with a refreshed portfolio as the spirits industry faces headwinds from declining consumption and consumers turning to other options like ready-to-drink canned cocktails.
Stoli Vodka and Elit Vodka will both return to the U.S., but the spirits company is also bringing new products to the country for the first time, including Moskovskaya vodka, Rooster Rojo and KAH tequilas, as well as The Irishman and Writers’ Tears Irish Whiskey and Bayou Rum.
In addition to the new items, Stoli also wants to produce flavored vodkas in the U.S., as well as the brand’s ginger beer, a new nonalcoholic mixer.
Upon its return, Stoli is relying on its already-in-place distribution partners and is in discussions with additional ones, the company said. The spirits company’s inventory is already in place, which it said will allow the company to resume sales as it works on “building a consistent, long-term presence across the country.”
“This next chapter is about more than returning to market. It’s about giving our partners a broader portfolio, investing in our brands and creating new reasons for consumers to choose Stoli,” Marina Troyanovskaya, chief commercial officer for Stoli Group, said in a statement. “Our products are already here, we have longstanding partners who know our brands, and we’re focused on reconnecting with consumers across the country.”
Stoli filed for bankruptcy in 2024 when it was facing multiple complex challenges, including the Russian government seizing two distilleries and a ransom attack that stressed IT systems. Stoli was also not immune to challenges from declining alcohol consumption that have weighed on the sector as a whole.
