The war between Russia and Ukraine has led to calls for boycotting vodka in the United States and Canada. Officials in Ohio, Utah and New Hampshire have called on liquor stores to remove the Russia-made product.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox directed stores in the state to “remove all Russian products”, calling Russia's invasion of Ukraine an "egregious violation of human rights" in a statement.
Videos and photos have been posted on social media showing bar owners and patrons pouring Russian vodka down the drain in show of support for Ukraine.
Reports said that patrons in Evel Pie in Las Vegas paid $300 to buy a bottle of vodka, but only so that it could be poured in a drain.
The boycott led to "Russian Vodka" trending on social media since it has long been one of Russia's most visible exports.
In Canada, Liquor Control Board of Ontario, the county's most populated province, announced on Friday that it would remove “all products produced in Russia” from its more than 600 stores.
News agency Reuters further reported that similar steps are being taken in the provinces of Manitoba and Newfoundland.
However, experts say that the move is largely symbolic as very few of the vodka brands that are sold in the United States are still produced in Russia. The distilling happens in multiple countries, like Latvia, Luxembourg, and even the US.
According to data from IWSR Drinks Market Analysis, a global firm that tracks alcohol sales, more than half of all vodka consumed in the US is actually made here.
Some users on Twitter and others talked about one such brand, called Smirnoff. Though the brand traces is origin to 19th century Russia, it has long been owned by British spirits giant Diageo and is manufactured in Illinois.
Some of the brands connected to Russia and sold in the US are Russian Standard and Green Mark.
