Potent protest: Bars drop Russian vodka, promote Ukraine’s

Some bars and liquor shops suppose they’ve discovered a potent method to punish Russia for invading Ukraine: They’re pulling Russian vodka off their cabinets and selling Ukrainian manufacturers as an alternative.

“I woke up yesterday morning, and I saw that Russia had invaded Ukraine. You wonder what you can do,” stated Bob Quay, proprietor of Bob’s Bar in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

“The US obviously is putting on sanctions. I thought I would put on sanctions as well.”

So he rid his cabinets of the previous Soviet model Stolichnaya and began selling Ukraine’s Vektor.

“We have a sign above it that says: Support Ukraine.”

Quay introduced the transfer on Facebook, and “it blew up. We’ve got people coming in who’ve never been in the bar before.”

Stoli, owned by the Russian-born tycoon Yuri Shefler, is definitely made in Latvia. On its web site, Stoli Group says it “stands for peace in Europe and in solidarity with the Ukrainian people.”

The Southern Spirits liquor retailer in Indian Land, South Carolina, is doing a booming enterprise within the Ukrainian vodka Kozak after pulling Russian manufacturers off its cabinets.

“It’s selling out a lot faster than we thought,” stated basic supervisor Drew Podrebarac. “It’s been awesome.”

The Magic Mountain ski resort in Londonderry, Vermont, posted a video on Twitter exhibiting an worker pouring Stolichnaya down the drain and saying: “Sorry, we don’t serve Russian products here.”

Governors entered the fray, too. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine directed the state’s Commerce Department to stop the acquisition and sale of Russian Standard, the one Russian vodka offered in Ohio (below the model names Green Mark and Russian Standard). New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu signed an govt order requiring state liquor retailers to take away Russian-made and branded alcohol, as did Utah Gov. Spencer Cox.

In Canada, the Liquor Control Board of Ontario on Friday introduced that “all products produced in Russia will be removed from LCBO channels,” together with 679 of its shops throughout the province

It additionally promised to simply accept the return of any Russian merchandise and declared that it “stands with Ukraine, its people, and the Ukrainian Canadian community here in Ontario.”

In Grand Rapids, Quay stated he might by no means promote Russian merchandise once more. And he’s taken one other step: “I’ve ordered a Ukrainian flag, and that will be going up next week.”