By the mid sixteenth century Poznan, in western Poland, was regarded as the country's most important centre of vodka production. According to early documents, 49 distilleries were established there and by the 1580's merchants from all over the country came to buy vodka there.In 1823 Hartwig Kantorowicz established a new, modern distillery in Poznan. That same year a Polish newspaper announced a competition to find the finest clear vodka in Poland. When Kantorowicz presented his vodka, the president of the judging panel proclaimed it "Exquisite!" The rest of the panel agreed, and it was named the best vodka in Poland. Thrilled by the words used to describe his vodka, Kantorowicz decided to call it, "Wyborowa" which literally translates as "Exquisite" in English.In 1927 Wyborowa became the world's first vodka to register its brand name internationally. Wyborowa went on to become a celebrated brand of Polish vodka, both at home and abroad. Awarded over 22 gold medals and several other trophies at the world's most prestigious international fairs, Wyborowa continues to win acclaim throughout the world.More recently the brand has experienced various challenging situations which proved that the brand equity was strong enough to overcome the economic and political turbulence in twentieth century Poland. A flagship brand during the Communist regime, Wyborowa subsequently became one of the key players in the International Vodka market with sales over 9 million litres in 2003. Wyborowa is produced from 100% rye grain, using a double-step distillation process, which gives it a distinctive sweet flavour and a creamy, elegant texture. This exceptional character distinguishes Wyborowa from other vodkas, and is highly valued by experts and connoisseurs all over the world.www.Wyborowa.com
