LI Liquor Store Dumps Russian Vodka; Some Say Check The Brand

DEER PARK, NY — On Monday, Town of Hempstead officials held a news conference to pour out bottles of Russian vodka to show support for Ukraine and opposition to Russia's invasion. On Tuesday, the owners of Deer Park liquor store Crazy Billy's opened two bottles of vodka, pouring them out in front of their Deer Park Avenue storefront.

"We support Mr. Zelensky, we support Ukraine and to hell with Russian vodka, and this is what we should do with all of it," owner William Peterson said as some passers-by honked their support.

As the gestures of boycotting Russian-made vodkas spread around New York, NBC News looked into the origin of the vodkas being discarded.

Some of the brands are American-owned, and another, Stolichnaya, is made in Latvia.

The report referenced a statistic from the National Spirits Council that only around one percent of vodka sold in the US comes from Russia.

Speaking through a friend, Peterson told Patch that he did his research on the vodka brand he poured it, and that it was from Russia.

"No more Russian vodka—down the drain, right in the sewer where they belong," Peterson said while pouring out the RUSYA vodka bottle.

According to RUSYA Vodka's Facebook page, the vodka is "is real Russian vodka made in Moscow the way it’s been made for the way it’s been made and always should be made."

Some brands are distancing themselves from Russia in the wake of American boycotts and public opinion.

The Stoli Group announced last week it would no longer use the Stolichnaya brand name. The founder, Yuri Shefler, has been exiled from Russia since 2000 because of his opposition to Putin.