Odessa was one from the first cities in the Russian Empire, that got a success to such noble drink as cognac. From 1803, the supplying of the best cognacs of French production from the prominent houses began through the city port.
In 1840 in Odessa (South Palmyra as they said) a cognac, that was named here French vodka, became an extraordinarily popular. The handicraft industry of that drink began to develop actively, that led to the necessity of founding of the real cognac production in Odessa .
In 1863 Nikolay Shustov founded own distilling enterprise and the trade mark "Shustov". The wines, liqueurs and tinctures were producing under this brand. The enter into the market took place in the conditions of a hard competition, that's why there was a goal to make the products of high quality. 
After Shustov's three sons in 1896 entering into the successful business the firm was transformed into "The Association of Cognac and Vodka Plants, storages of Russian vine wines of Nikolay Shustov and Sons". The Association expanded its business all over the Empire.  But exactly Bessarabia and Odessa were under the special Shustovs' attention - as a perspective place for the development of own cognac production and import of the products through Odessa port.
The wine plant of the Association, that was on the Bugaievka district in Odessa, produced the first Odessa cognac named "Phoenix" in 1897. 
In 1899 the Joint-stock company of the black Sea wine, lequeur and cognac production was created in Odessa. His founders were going to "build and exploit in Odessa city the plants for production of cognac from the vine wines". For these purposes the Association purchased a place on the 23, Melnichnaya street, where the Odessa cognac plant would appear later.