North Americans are beginning to boycott Russian vodka to protect that country’s invasion of Ukraine, according to Fox News.
Liquor stores across the United States and Canada are pulling the popular products from their shelves and tossing their stocks out, according to the report.
VODKA REBELLION: Bars, liquor stores in US, Canada say no to Russia's famous export. https://t.co/STBUJkIOpp pic.twitter.com/V0OFhkO12e
— Fox News (@FoxNews) February 26, 2022
In Canada, Russian liquor is being removed from nearly 700 stores across the province of Ontario alone, with the provinces of Manitoba, New Brunswick, British Columbia and Newfoundland following suit.
Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy directed the Ontario Liquor Control Board to instruct stores to remove Russian vodka and other alcoholic products, Canadian Press reported.
“Ontario joins Canada’s allies in condemning the Russian government’s act of aggression against the Ukrainian people and we strongly support the federal government’s efforts to sanction the Russian government,” Bethlenfalvy said. “We will continue to be there for the Ukrainian people during this extremely difficult time.”
British Columbia halted imports on Russian alcohol, according to Deputy Premier Mike Farnworth, who told Canadian Press, “Our province stands with those who understand Europe’s peace following two world wars depends on respecting international law.”
The Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation removed Russian products from its shelves and website because of the “terrible events taking place.”
In the United States, liquor store and bar owners in Wichita, Kansas, Bend, Oregon, Grand Rapids, Michigan and the States of Ohio and New Hampshire, among others, pulled Russian vodka off their shelves. Some of them filmed themselves pouring it on to the ground in a visual protest of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
Today I directed @OhioCommerce to cease both the purchase & 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 & Russian Standard Vodka.
— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) February 26, 2022
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said there were an estimated 6,400 bottles of vodka made by Russian Standard currently for sale in the 487 liquor agencies across the state.
