Eligijus Masiulis, the former Transportation and Communications Minister of Lithuania was caught red-handed for taking a bribe of EUR 90,000 from an influential business conglomerate … read morein 2016. The money was found hidden in a vodka box, but Masiulis claimed it was a loan by coming up with a handwritten contract. The court case became a test of the rule of law in Lithuania as powerful business conglomerates could easily buy political influence and win the case. The nation was furious and justice eventually prevailed. Masiulis was sentenced to jail for accepting a bribe on October 22, 2023. Pakruojis Manor Distillery and Not Perfect Lithuania saw an opportunity to create a special drink to celebrate this, but had to do it very quickly while the case was still fresh in the nation’s mind. In just 72 hours after Masiulis was sentenced to jail, they created, designed, produced and got into stores a special commemorative drink called “Paskoline” or “Loan Bitter” in English. The bottle came in a specially designed box with a unique cut-out window that made it look like a prison cell. The box was big enough to accommodate EUR 90,000 and came with a loan agreement in case the police showed up.
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