FUN FACT - Birthplace of Vodka in America – Bethel, Connecticut

Origins (1934)

In 1934, Russian immigrant Rudolph Kunett founded the first commercial vodka distillery in the United States at 77 South Street, Bethel. This was the humble U.S. birthplace of Smirnoff Vodka.

Smirnoff in America

Kunett purchased the U.S. rights to Smirnoff from Vladimir Smirnov. Though Americans weren’t big vodka drinkers at the time, this Bethel plant laid the foundation for vodka’s rise in the U.S.

From Bethel to the World

By the late 1930s, Hartford’s Heublein, Inc. bought the rights and rebranded vodka as “white whiskey—no taste, no smell.” Clever marketing plus cocktails like the Bloody Mary and Moscow Mule turned vodka into a household staple.

Legacy in Bethel

•  The South Street building later became home to Topstone Rubber (Halloween masks) and

Vaghi Woodworking.

•  A quirky “UFOs Welcome” sign on its facade became a beloved local landmark.

•  Today, Smirnoff is a global brand owned by Diageo (based in nearby Norwalk), but its roots remain proudly in Bethel.

https://bethel-ct.gov/america250

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FUN FACT - Birthplace of Vodka in America – Bethel, Connecticut