Sierra Madre GmbH, based in Hagen, has been known since 1994 as an innovative import and distribution company for spirits. Its portfolio includes well-known national and international brands from segments like rum, gin, whisky, tequila, mezcal, and brandy. Since August 2024, the first vodka brand has been added to the range: With Finlandia, which has been part of the Coca-Cola Group since 2023, Sierra Madre has secured one of the most famous, purest, and smoothest vodkas, closing the previous gap in their portfolio.
About Drinks spoke with Sierra Madre Managing Director Timo Fischer about the brand, its unique qualities, the products, the distribution launch, and future plans.
Since August, Sierra Madre has also taken over the distribution of Finlandia Vodka. Can you tell us about the brand?
Timo Fischer: Since 2023, the brand has belonged to the Coca-Cola Group; before that, it was owned by Brown-Forman. Although Coca-Cola has spirits in its portfolio in other countries, it doesn’t in Germany to avoid mixing their non-alcoholic beverage range with spirits. That’s why they partnered with us as their distributor. We started with this responsibility on August 1, 2024.
Finlandia Vodka is produced in Koskenkorva, Finland (50 km north of Helsinki) using low-oil barley and the Rajamäki spring water. The area surrounding the spring, covering 1,200 hectares, is a protected nature reserve.
The alcohol is produced through a 50-hour process with over 200 distillation cycles. Thanks to the filtration of the water through glacial moraines, no further industrial filtration is necessary, and all minerals remain intact. This makes Finlandia one of the purest and smoothest vodkas in the world.
What is the strategy for Finlandia’s distribution launch in Germany?
Timo Fischer: We’ve never integrated a brand as quickly as we did this time. We actually only had four weeks. Initially, the focus was on assessing the situation, maintaining distribution, and speaking with active customers. At the same time, we began reaching out to new customers, informing them, and offering the product directly.
For 2025, we’re planning new SKUs: 500 ml and 1,750 ml, POS material, displays, and gift packaging. Our marketing will then ramp up with specific campaigns and actions to promote the brand. We are planning several festivals and trade fairs where the brand’s presence will be highlighted.
Let’s talk about Finlandia Vodka Classic: What makes it special? How does it differ from other products?
Timo Fischer: Finland has always been known for its great product identity, which helps us a lot. The natural filtration, the minerals, and the 50-hour production process with over 200 distillations make the product special.
How do you assess the vodka market in Germany right now? What’s the potential – for Finlandia as well?
Timo Fischer: Vodka remains one of the largest and strongest spirit categories in Germany. So, it’s an important market. It’s clear that there are countless vodka products on the market at the moment, which means it won’t be easy for us.
However, we are firmly convinced that Finlandia Vodka has always been and will continue to be a high premium-level product. While the brand’s popularity and recognition have declined in recent years, we plan to change that. We intend to revive the brand, make it visible again, and bring it closer to consumers.
