LOS ANGELES (KNX) — Before dumping out vodka in solidarity with Ukraine, there’s one thing consumers should understand. Most vodka in the United States is not actually from Russia. Smirnoff? Nope. Absolut? Nope. Svedka? No again. In truth, one of the only commonly shelved vodka in the U.S. with direct ties to Russia is Stolichnaya…which is actually distilled in Latvia.
“Everybody thinks that [the vodkas] are Russian and, if you think about it, a lot of the American vodkas are non-Russian vodkas. They made their claim by trying to capture that Russian namesake,” said Bump Williams. “It’s kind of coming back to haunt a lot of them now.”
Williams is the founder and president of BWC Consulting, which works with hundreds of distributors and retailers in the U.S.
He and Branden Powers, a managing partner at Evel Pie and The Golden Tiki in Las Vegas, Nev., joined KNX In Depth to discuss the vodka-dumping phenomenon.
In Vegas, Powers is putting the vodka-dumping to good use - in the form of monetary aid for Ukraine.
His bars are having customers buy bottles of Russian Standard vodka for $300 to dump it and have the proceeds benefit the Red Cross efforts in Ukraine.
“We were working with the [Red Cross]...but we’re actually now deciding to work with the World Central Kitchen,” Power said. “So 100% of those proceeds go directly to help the humanitarian efforts within Ukraine.”
Power said he and his team were hoping to be a catalyst for Ukrainian aid, to spark ideas in others to help the country as the Russian invasion continues.
“I want to make a point too, that what we’re doing is not in any way against the Russian people,” Power said. “It’s 100% targeted toward Putin, and everything that we’re doing, we’re here to help people.”
Elsewhere in the U.S., Other bars have the same sentiment. In Grand Rapids, Mich., Bob’s Bar has a “Support Ukraine” sign up and is dumping all of its vodka.
Owner Bob Quay told WBBM if the U.S. is putting up sanctions against Russia, so will he.
“It blew up,” he said, explaining that after posting about the decision on social media, he had an influx of new customers. “We’ve got people coming in who’ve never been in the bar before.”
How to support Ukraine
International Committee of The Red Cross (ICRC)
Support from the ICRC to people of Ukraine comes in the form of emergency assistance, including food, water and other essential items. Hospitals and healthcare are also provided to those in need. To learn more about their work and how you can help, click here.
UNICEF
As the crisis continues, UNICEF is working to help "hundreds of thousands" of children and families access essential services, food, and water. To learn more about their work and how you can help, click here.
Doctors Without Borders
Access to healthcare has been difficult to access since long before Ukraine's most recent crisis with Russia began - leaving many with little access to medical care. Medecins Sans Frontieres/Doctors Without Borders is working with volunteers, organizations and health care professionals to give access to facilities and medications. To learn more about their work and how you can help, click here.
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