Absolut ends vodka exports to Russia amid uproar that sales had resumed
Global News
Exports of Absolut Vodka to Russia were initially halted in March 2022 — but last week, it was revealed that supplies of the signature brand were flowing again into the country.
The Absolut Company, which produces Absolut Vodka, has announced it is ending exports of its signature spirit to Russia, after news broke that exports had picked up again following an earlier suspension in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
In March 2022, exports of Absolut Vodka to Russia were halted as the world reeled following the start of the Ukraine war. Last week, it was revealed that this was only a temporary suspension, and parent company Pernod Ricard had resumed exports.
Several media outlets reported last week that Absolut was “supplying products in an amount that can support local employees and give local entities economic sustainability” in Russia, citing a spokesperson from Pernod Ricard, a French spirits group.
The news sparked outrage in The Absolut Company’s home country of Sweden, where support for Ukraine is strong.
Top bars and restaurants across Sweden pulled the spirit from their shelves, the BBC reported. Sweden’s prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, even weighed in and said he was “very surprised” to hear that exports of Absolut to Russia had resumed.
Three Swedish artists created a fake Absolut promotional poster to call for a boycott of the brand, depicting the outline of a vodka bottle in smoke on top of a town, as if the bottle was a smouldering bomb crater.
Pernod Ricard said in a statement emailed to Reuters that the public outcry has pushed the group to suspend Absolut supplies to Russia due to a “duty of care towards our employees and partners.”
“We cannot expose them to massive criticism in all forms. Therefore, The Absolut Company has decided to stop the export of its brand to Russia,” it said.
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