Hey! Glad you're here. Let me introduce myself...

My name is Alexandr Gorokhovskiy, I am a drinks industry professional with twenty years of experience in international spirits marketing, advocacy, and education. During my corporate career, I have worked with many great brands such as Jameson, Absolut, Ballantine’s, Chivas Regal, Royal Salute, Aberlour, The Glenlivet, Beefeater, Avión, Olmeca Altos, Havana Club, and Martell. This last assignment brought me to my new hometown of Cognac (France), where I now run an independent consultancy providing brand equity building services for various drinks companies. 

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I am an active member of Food Studies Research Network of the European Institute for the History and Culture of Food (IEHCA), University of Warwick's Drinking Studies Network, Association for the Study of Food and Society, Alcohol and Drugs History Society, and European Business History Association, and a regular contributor to various academic conferences and publications on food and drink history. 

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Bottled Histories is a personal project stemming from the deep interest in the history of alcohol that I have developed during nearly two decades in the spirits business – a passion that eventually led me to embark on a PhD program at Erasmus University Rotterdam, where I am currently writing a thesis on the origins of Russian vodka. But it is not just the early days of vodka that fascinate me. I believe that when viewed through the prism of alcohol, the entire history of mankind starts playing with new colours (pun intended😉). This blog’s purpose is to share with you the different stories that I uncover in the process of my research. Hope you'll enjoy the read!