| Monopolowa | |
| Abv: | 40% |
| Type: | Vodka |
| Manufacturer: | Gessler |
| Origin: | Poland (now produced in Austria) |
| Introduced: | 1782 |
| Proof: | 80 |
| Related: | List of vodkas |
Monopolowa, originally a Polish brand, is a vodka made in Austria by Gessler. It is distilled from potatoes and is marketed under the brand name of J. A. Baczewski.
"Monopolowa" means "under monopoly", in this case referring to a privilege given to the szlachta (nobility) in Poland, giving them exclusive rights to produce and sell vodka in their territories.
Monopolowa was produced by J. A. Baczewski, a distillery founded by Jewish merchant, Lejb Beczeles, from 1782 until World War II.[1] After the war, Gessler, an Austrian company, bought the licence and the rights to production. In 1990, the Starogard Gdański based branch of Polmos, a privatized offshoot of the former state-owned monopoly, started to produce several of J.A. Baczewski's products under license from Altvater Gessler - J.A. Baczewski International (USA) Inc. However, in the late 1990s, that license was terminated and production in Poland was halted.