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The Time Pepsi Owned A Navy
So, I have to admit I missed this because I was still fairly young and there was no internet, but did you know that at one point the sixth largest navy in the planet was owned by…
…Pepsi.
And it’s a story that has to do with some bizarre geopolitics and a lot to do with vodka.
Remember When…
…Stolichnaya was basically the only Russian vodka available in the U.S. I don’t, but I’ve heard mention.
See, Soviet Russia lacked the hard currency to fuel their people’s Pepsi habit. So they came up with a very reasonable idea.
They would trade drinks for drinks. Stolichnaya was made by a state owned company at the time, so the Russian government could legitimately use it as a commodity.
And Americans liked it. So, fair deal. The Russians got their soda and the Americans got their vodka and everyone was happy. Well, ish. Stoli is not my favorite…
The point is this was a very reasonable deal.
Until Americans stopped buying Stolichnaya.
No, 2013, Was Not the First Stolichnaya Boycott
Do you remember in 2013 when there was a boycott called of Stolichnaya because of Russian anti-gay policies? And how ridiculous it was…