Values and History

As part of the vodka production reform in the beginning of the 20th century, it was decided to build a new vodka factory in Kaunas, with the mission of boosting the region’s economy. Thus, “Kaunas State Wine Warehouse No. 1” was erected in 1906 at the intersection of what are now Bažnyčios Street and Girstupio Street.

After declaring independence from Russia, the Lithuanian government devoted particular attention to economic recovery, and the Kaunas warehouse was considered one of the most important economic units. The warehouse provided large orders for glass factories, carpenters and printing houses, so its operations were taken care of at the highest ¬¬— state — level.

When Lithuania was occupied by Soviet Russia, all of its manufacturing plants were nationalized. In 1948, a decision was made to merge the Kaunas warehouse with the STUMBRAS liqueur factory owned by Mykolas Velykis. Thus, the largest beverage producer in Soviet Lithuania was formed. This entity was later joined by neighboring distilleries and took on the joint name STUMBRAS.

Once Lithuania regained its independence, the distillery began operating as a state-owned company until it was privatized by the MG Baltic concern in 2003. With the arrival of the new owners, all of the main brands were updated, millions were invested into their marketing, and new products such as THE NINES Sweet, THE NINES Citrus and STUMBRAS VODKA Centenary released which proved to be a success in the market. In addition, the technological base was completely revamped, allowing the factory to become one of the most modern companies in the Baltic countries.

Since 2008, STUMBRAS has highly intensified its export operations. Currently, the company sells its products in over 30 countries of the world. Exported production includes vodka, bitter, liqueur and brandy. The company constantly invests in the consolidation of its brands abroad and significantly focuses on both the taste and appearance of beverages. The packages of brands such as LITHUANIAN VODKA and STUMBRAS VODKA have been awarded gold medals at the most prestigious European design competitions.