Ukraine crisis: US, Canada stores get rid of Russian vodkas

Several liquor stores across the United States and Canada have got rid of Russian vodka stocks to protest against the Russian invasion of Ukraine since Thursday. 

Videos of liquor store and bar owners emptying bottles of vodka and taking stocks off the shelves surfaced on social media.

Governors of US states – Ohio, New Hampshire, Ohio and Pennsylvania – ordered the government-run liquor stores to stop selling Russian vodka and distilled spirits in solidarity with Ukraine after Russian invasion of the country.
 
Governor of Ohio Mike DeWine tweeted, “Today I directed Ohio Commerce to cease both the purchase and sale of all vodka made by Russian Standard, the only overseas, Russian-owned distillery with vodka sold in Ohio. Russian Standard’s vodka is sold under the brand names of Green Mark Vodka and Russian Standard Vodka.”
 
He added that around 6,400 bottles of vodka made by Russian Standard are for sale in Ohio across 487 liquor agencies as of February 27 and also stated that retailers have been asked to pull off these vodkas from their shelves with immediate effect.

Canadian Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy said that he has directed the provincial Liquor Control Board in Canada’s Ontario to have Russian vodka and other alcoholic products removed from stores, New York Post reported. The NLC liquor store of Canada also joined the boycott.
 
“The Newfoundland and Labrador Liquor Corporation, along with other Liquor jurisdictions throughout Canada, has made the decision to remove products of Russian origin from its shelves. These include Russian Standard Vodka and Russian Standard Platinum Vodka,” the NLC Liquor Store said in a tweet.

Manitoba Liquor Marts also made a similar announcement. “Among the thousands of products we carry, only two came from Russia – one vodka, Russian Standard Vodka, and one single-serve beer, Baltika 7 Premier Lager. We have removed those two products from shelves in all Manitoba Liquor Marts,” it said in replies to a couple of tweets.

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