Alabama liquor stores pull Russian-sourced spirits from shelves

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - The administrator of the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board confirmed Monday afternoon that ABC Stores immediately complied with Gov. Kay Ivey’s directive to remove Russian-sourced products from store shelves.

Ivey asked ABC Board Administrator Mac Gipson for the immediate removal of Russian liquor from ABC Stores, citing the ongoing attack on Ukraine by Russian forces. The governor’s letter to Gipson is below.

Gov. Kay Ivey is asking that the state's ABC Stores remove Russian liquor from shelves due to... — Gov. Kay Ivey is asking that the state's ABC Stores remove Russian liquor from shelves due to the ongoing attack in Ukraine.(Source: Gov. Kay Ivey's office)

“This is a small, but meaningful way to take action and show the people of Ukraine we support them while also firmly stating our opposition to the unnecessary humanitarian crisis Russia has inexcusably created,” Ivey said. “I encourage all Alabama citizens and businesses to explore ways they can show support for Ukraine and discourage Russia for continuing this unreasonable siege on a neighboring country.”

“Fortunately, we carry very few Russian-sourced products so we were able to act quickly,” Gipson said.

The ABC Board confirmed that Russian Standard vodka is currently the only Russian-sourced liquor that it had for sale, and that it’s not a major seller, so there’s not much of the product on-hand. The ABC Board was working to determine a dollar amount for the product over the last year.

Gipson confirmed that the products removed from store shelves will either be returned to the manufacturer/distributor/broker or warehoused until further notice.

Gipson noted that there are a number of alcohol and liquor brands that are often mistakenly-associated with Russia, some of which have Russian-sounding names but that are made in the United States or Europe. He provided a list of those products that ABC Stores do carry that are mistaken for being made in Russia, as well as their actual country of origin.

Those products include: