Iowa liquor seller not concerned with state's Russian alcohol boycott, sees opportunity for Ukrainian brands

DES MOINES, Iowa — An order from Gov. Kim Reynolds is leading to some empty shelves in the liquor aisle in the name of supporting Ukraine.

Businesses across the country have been pulling Russian-made spirits from their shelves, and Iowa is taking that one step further.

Reynolds ordered the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division to remove Russian alcohol from its wholesale purchase list, joining a growing list of states doing the same, including Texas, Ohio, and New Hampshire.

Ben Jung, co-owner of Ingersoll Wine & Spirits, told Local 5 he's not too concerned about the change hurting his business.

"Vodkas that are from imported from Russia or produced In Russia does represent a pretty small quantity or percentage of what we actually are selling," Jung said.

That lines up with national trends. According to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, the financial impact of the ban should be limited for local sellers. Their data says only 1.2 percent of US vodka imports come from Russia. Some customers have even gotten confused over what is, and isn't, actually Russian vodka.

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"We were wiped out of one of our Russian-sounding vodka brands, which actually is not produced in Russia. It's a product of Latvia," Jung said, reffering to Stoli.

While Jung said that he's supportive of Reynolds' order, he's hoping to use this time to help Ukrainian businesses, as well, by stocking more liquors and wines from that region.

"Vodkas that are produced in Ukraine would be a great opportunity to introduce for our customers," Jung said. "It may not have to be about purely boycotting. It could be a chance to actually introduce products from Ukraine that otherwise may have not been noticed."

RELATED: VERIFY: No, Smirnoff and Stoli are not made in Russia

Here's the full list of liquors that the Iowa ABD will no longer be purchasing:

Permanent Listing

• Russian Standard Original Vodka
• Russian Standard Platinum Vodka
• Hammer + Sickle Vodka

Special Order on Hand Listing

• Russian Standard Imperia Vodka
• Zu Bison Grass Vodka
• Quadro Vodka

Special Order

• Russian Standard Gold Vodka
• Green Mark Vodka
• Gancia Fernet Liquer
• DeLuze Cognac VSOP
• Polugar No. 2 Garlic & Pepper Vodka
• Jewel Of Russia Classic
• Jewel Of Russia Ultra
• Beluga Noble Vodka
• Beluga Gold Line Vodka
• Beluga TransAtlantic Racing Vodka
• Zyr Vodka
• Mamont Vodka

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