NC joins Russian liquor boycott. Which vodka brands aren’t Russian?
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What to know about Russian vodka, Ukranian vodka and local distilleries
As Gov. Cooper urged local liquor stores to stop selling Russian vodka, here’s what you should know.
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Many bars, restaurants and liquor stores — including in North Carolina — are pledging to stop selling Russian-made alcohol in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but that doesn’t mean you’ll have to go without many popular brands.
Still, the governing body over liquor sales in North Carolina has said it will be suspending the sale of some Russian-made products in accordance with an executive order from Gov. Roy Cooper. While vodka is heavily associated with Russia, data from the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States shows that only about 1.2% of the imported vodka in the U.S. is from Russia.
Here’s what to expect when you head to a North Carolina ABC store and what to know about popular vodka brands before you buy:
Why are North Carolina ABC stores dropping Russian-made liquor?
The North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission announced Monday that it “has suspended the availability of spirituous liquor products in North Carolina which are produced by Russian entities” and that “Russian-produced Special-Order products are also no longer available.”
“These suspensions will remain in effect until further notice,” the commission’s statement said.
That move came shortly after Cooper issued an executive order in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine calling on “state entities” to “review all existing contracts and operations to determine whether they directly benefit any Russian Entities” and “take all reasonable steps to terminate that contract or operation.”
In his executive order, Cooper said “Russia has … inflicted and will continue to inflict significant harm and suffering on the people of Ukraine.”
Ending the sale of Russian-made goods is meant to impose economic consequences on the regime of Russian President Vladimir Putin, although economists have said the prohibition of Russian vodka sales won’t have much of an impact on the Russian economy because most vodka in the U.S. isn’t Russian-made.
North Carolina’s decision is also meant to show solidarity with Ukraine and Ukrainian people who live in the state, state Sen. Michael Garrett, a Guilford County Democrat, previously told McClatchy News.
Which vodkas are made in Russia?
Although Russian vodka makes up a relatively small percentage of vodkas available in the U.S., some brands are still Russian-made, including:
Russian Standard
Beluga Noble Russian Vodka and Beluga Noble Russian Gold Vodka
Zyr Russian Vodka
A spokesperson for NC ABC did not immediately return a request for comment from the Observer on which specific brands were previously stocked in state stores.
Non-Russian vodkas
If you’re a vodka fan, you don’t have to give it up completely to show solidarity with Ukraine. Many popular vodka brands are not based in Russia, including:
Absolut Vodka, which is Swedish
Ciroc, which is French
Grey Goose, which is French
New Amsterdam, which is American
SKYY Vodka, which is American
Smirnoff, which is American
Svedka, which is Swedish
You can even choose this time to step up your support of North Carolina distilleries — check out our roundup of locally-made vodka and other spirits.
Is Stoli Russian?
One of the brands that’s been most commonly mistaken as Russian amid recent boycotts is Stoli vodka.
The brand said in a statement on its website that “Stoli vodka brands and its owner Yuri Shefler were exiled from Russia nearly two decades ago.”
Stoli is now “manufactured and bottled in Riga, Latvia,” according to the company’s statement, and the company has operations “in Ukraine and across many of the bordering countries,” not Russia.
“The safety and security of our Ukrainian team is our top priority. We are monitoring the situation closely and are already moving swiftly and decisively to provide support where needed, both to our people on the ground as well as partners … We stand now with all Ukrainians and Russians calling for peace,” CEO Damian McKinney said in the statement.
This story was originally published March 1, 2022 at 1:46 PM.
