Black Death Vodka returns to US after ban
Black Death Vodka is set to return to US bars and retailers after being banned by the then-Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms in the late 1990s.
The brand launched globally in 1987 and was selling more than 120 million bottles and cans in 60 countries by 1995. However, the brand came under fire from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms for 'promising poison and plague but delivering only vodka'. “Now is the right time for Black Death to return,” said Bob Miller, chief commercial officer for Black Death Drinks. “On our first rodeo in the 1990s people really were not as mentally liberated as they are now. “Today, almost everybody has a personal opinion they are not afraid to air and tattoos and skulls are mainstream, whereas in the 1990s they were symbols of rebellion and angst. “We have been copied hundreds of times as other brands try to capitalise on our image. Black Death Vodka has an incredible history and the authenticity of who we are and what we stand for make it the perfect time to return to the states.” The vodka’s origins are said to date back to 1906 in Siglunes in the North of Iceland, where the ancestors of bartender Valgeir T. Sigurðsson traded moonshine with passing boats. This recipe was eventually refined to create Black Death Vodka. Black Death Vodka will initially be available in off-premise and on-premise outlets across the New York Metropolitan and New Jersey markets at an RRP of US$19.99. A number of spirits brands have found themselves in hot water with marketing authorities in recent years – as this list of outrageous banned booze adverts shows.
