Smirnoff Vodka

The Smirnoff  vodka distillery was founded in Moscow in 1860 by Pyotr Arsenievich Smirnov, the son of illiterate Russian peasants. 

Pyotr Smirnov pioneered charcoal filtration in the 1870s capturing two-thirds of the Moscow market by 1886. His brand was reportedly the tsar's favorite.

When he died, he was succeeded by his third son Vladimir Smirnov.The company flourished and produced more than 4 million cases of vodka per year. It is widely considered the world’s biggest selling vodka.