With a new CEO at its helm and ambitious development plans in the pipeline for the Baltic market, 2015 looks set to be an interesting year for Stolichnaya. Stoli Group appointed Robert Cullins as its new CEO in February, who confirmed the group is considering a number of acquisitions of new spirits brands. This is in addition to the group creating a holding company to manage its “ambitious development plans” in the Baltics late last year. The creation of Amber Beverage Group will see producer JSC Latvijas Balzams, SPI Distribution Latvia, SPI Distribution Estonia, Bennet Distributors in Lithuania, beverage retailer Latvijas Balzams in Latvia and Bravo Alco in Lithuania combine under one umbrella alongside a new logistics company. In what appeared to be a year of tightening up its operations, distribution of Stolichnaya vodka in South Africa was switched from RGBC to KWV as part of a deal with the latter to help it expand into a further eight markets in the region. While these figures do not take its sales into account, 2014 also saw the launch of Stolichnaya’s third and final expression in its ultra-premium elit pristine water series, which carries an RRP of US$3,000. Its Andean edition, distilled from water sourced from a natural spring in the foothills of the Andes, is bottled at 40% abv and comes in a hand-cut Glencairn crystal bottle designed to refract light and “enhance the liquid’s clarity”.