Kaliningrad, Russia’s seaport city, has provided approval for the construction of a whiskey distillery.

Sale of hard liquors such as whiskey have declined due to the current economic crisis. Further, import of whiskey has seen a huge drop since the Ukraine crisis began, reported newsweek.com.

Although whiskey has never been a popular drink in Russia, distillery owners expect that locally made whiskey will find sufficient buyers in the domestic market.

“It could provide for up to 35 percent of Russia’s whiskey consumption.”

Alliance-1892 winery and cognac distillery general director Igor Kudryavtsev is one of the primary investors in the project.

Once operational, the whiskey distillery is expected to produce five million litres a year.

The distillery is reportedly being built with an investment of approximately $15m.

It is likely to create up to 200 jobs.

The distillery, which will be located in the Chernyakhovsky district, will be built in two years.

Kudryavtsev was quoted by the website as saying: "It could provide for up to 35 percent of Russia’s whiskey consumption."