Shawnee Liquor Store Takes Russian-Themed Vodka Off Shelf Amid War In Ukraine

The war, and stories like that compelling people across the country to act in solidarity with Ukraine. In some cases, that means taking liquor off the shelves. 

Stoli is a vodka that originated in Russia back in 1901 before moving their headquarters to Luxembourg. The Owners of Uncorked Wine and Spirits in Shawnee said regardless, they are taking it off their shelf.  

“This is America, you are entitled to eat and drink anything you want to. If you want Russian vodka, you are just going to have to buy it somewhere else because we are not going to sell it to you,” said Terry Compton, one of the Owners of Uncorked Wine and Spirits. 

“It’s been a relatively pervasive movement throughout the liquor industry throughout the country from coast to coast everyone is taking the Russian liquor off the shelf,” he said. 

He said the move was prompted by Russia’s attack on Ukraine. 

“It is technically finalized in Latvia but the wheat and the initial distilled product, spirits come from Russia to Latvia where it is finished so you are still buying a Russian product,” said the Owner. 

If you go onto the Stoli website, it says it denounces Russian Aggression saying they “unequivocally condemn the military action in Ukraine.” 

“I don’t care if it is one single grain of wheat that goes into their production, if it is from Russia, we are not going to buy it,” said Compton. 

The store only has a few bottles left but has no plans to sell them.  

“We still have some if somebody wants it that bad, they can ask for it and I’ll sell it to them for about $1,000 a bottle,” he said. 

Instead, the store is introducing a new vodka from Ukraine. 

“We have located a vodka that from Ukraine it is khor and we will have that in stock on Thursday, and we will put those in the empty holes where the Russian vodkas were,” said the Owner. 

Compton said he will never sell Stoli again.