MAKHACHKALA, April 17 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's North Caucasus republic of Daghestan, famous for its cognacs, plans to open a whisky distillery, a spokesman for republic's Industry Ministry said Thursday.
"The estimated cost of the project, which should be recouped in three years, is 220 million rubles [$9.4 million]," the spokesman said.
He said that 50 million rubles ($2.15 million) have already been invested in the project, and that so far 45 people have been employed at the factory, while 200 more working places will be created in the near future.
Alibek Irazikhanov, the director general of the Whisky of Russia company, said the first batch of whisky from the distillery will go on sale in Russia in three years.