A new Polish vodka uses “Communist nostalgia” as a twist on the no-frills look. Wódka, distilled by Polmos Bialystock in eastern Poland and imported by Panache Imports, New York, N.Y., features a slightly distressed-looking label with simple graphics, deliberately flawed printing in red ink and a seal framed by two curved sheaves of wheat. The label, along with the plainness of the bottle and closure, calls to mind the grim austerity of the Communist era, which fits the product’s back story: It was distilled by a state-owned monopoly that, under Communism, controlled most vodka production in Poland. Wódka carries a suggested retail price of $8.99 for a 750-milliliter bottle.
