Your Vodka's Probably Not Russian
Feb. 27th, 2022 12:34 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
canyonwalkerPeople are reacting in ways big and small to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. One of them is throwing out vodka. Several states have banned the sale of Russian vodka, and various bar owners have posted video of themselves pouring bottles of vodka down the drain. Should you throw away your vodka, too, in solidarity? Probably not, because your vodka's probably not Russian.
Many prominent brands of vodka in the US have never been Russian. For example, Absolut and Svedka are from Sweden. Ketel One is from Netherlands. Grey Goose is French. Belvedere is from Poland. Tito's and Skyy are American.
Even popular vodkas with Russian-sounding names are not actually Russian. Smirnoff is made in America now. Stolichnaya, the brand my Russian-native friends in college always bought— Shtoly, as they called it— moved production in 2000 to Latvia, a NATO member country. Years ago these brands were Russian. Consolidation in the beverage industry into a small number of multinational giants changed that.
Many prominent brands of vodka in the US have never been Russian. For example, Absolut and Svedka are from Sweden. Ketel One is from Netherlands. Grey Goose is French. Belvedere is from Poland. Tito's and Skyy are American.
Even popular vodkas with Russian-sounding names are not actually Russian. Smirnoff is made in America now. Stolichnaya, the brand my Russian-native friends in college always bought— Shtoly, as they called it— moved production in 2000 to Latvia, a NATO member country. Years ago these brands were Russian. Consolidation in the beverage industry into a small number of multinational giants changed that.
