If you’ve ever been to a liquor store, then it’s very normal to see Russian vodka. Of course, there have always been brands from other nations, but it’s not unusual to see the likes of Russian Standard and Smirnoff dominating the shelf space.

However, in Total Wine & More (located in 98662) it seems that this will no longer be the case. Today the basic white label of Tower Vodka was king of the shelves and there was not a Russian bottle in sight!

Consumers are not quite convinced that this is a moral act or just simply virtue signalling, as there could be other reasons behind the boycott. It would seem odd to take a moral stand against Russia in May 2023. If the store disagreed with what they were doing from the get-go, then why stop selling now?

Although the exact reasons are unknown, it could be that sanctions are now powerful enough that Total Wine literally cannot get their hands on any Russian vodka. As soon as US warehouses run dry, it would be difficult to get more without direct business relationships set up. If a payment cannot be made to a Russian supplier, then it’s very unlikely you would be able to get your hands on Russian vodka.

Another possible reason is that due to the propped up Russian rouble, it now may be far too expensive to import Russian vodka. As the rouble is artificially high, Russian companies may be demanding too much money for their product, where as Tower vodka can be bought nationally for the same price as usual.

Some alcohol experts have pointed out that much of Russian vodka is not actually distilled in Russia and simply has a Russian name. Smirnoff for example has a Russian name and a red bottle, yet is owned by a British company and is bottled in Illinois.