Today I listened to a podcast about Russia from an English-speaking Latvian. He says that vodka consumption is down because Russians are switching to a bath oil called Boyaryshnik. It is a lot cheaper than liquor, is not subject to taxes, and the alcohol content ranges from 75 to 93 percent. But that doesn’t mean it is safe. 49 people died after drinking a batch from Irkutsk that was made with poisonous methyl alcohol by mistake.
“” “” Today I listened to a podcast about Russia from an English-speaking Latvian. He says that vodka consumption is down because Russians are switching to a bath oil called Boyaryshnik. “” “”
Old news. First, Boyaryshnik is not a bath oil but a BAA drops one supposed to add into a drink for health effect.
Second, the thing you are talking about was common during Gorbachev’s prohibition when vodka was banned and Boyaryshnik still present at pharmacies as a medicine. That’s like 30+ years ago.
I suspect some ‘conservative’ old alcoholics might have developed taste for it at the time but nowadays it doesn’t make sense to substitute both due to availability of liquors and price of medicine is not compatitive comparing to liquor too.
All in all I don’t believe Boyaryshnik has even 1% of market comparing to classic liquor even considering the latter is much smaller nowadays.