On Feb. 26, Gov. Mike DeWine ordered all 487 liquor agencies in Ohio to immediately pull all Russian Standard Vodka from their shelves.

Russian Standard is the only overseas, Russian-owned vodka distillery with product in Ohio, DeWine said. The company sells vodka under the brand names of Russian Standard and Green Mark.

Russian Standard Vodka is one of the most expensive vodkas, according to culture trip. Green Mark Vodka serves as a cheaper alternative.

There were about 6,400 bottles of Russian Standard Vodka for sale in Ohio as of Feb. 26, according to the Ohio Division of Liquor Control.

The most popular liquor in Ohio is the Kentucky distillate Kamchatka Vodka, according to the Ohio Department of Commerce’s Division of Liquor Control. Kamchatka Vodka is cheaper than Russian Standard Vodka and Green Mark Vodka. In 2021, 364,914 gallons of Kamchatka Vodka were sold in Ohio.

DeWine’s order came after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a large-scale military invasion of Ukraine.

Since Russia’s military invasion, which started on Feb. 24, more than 1 million Ukrainians have been displaced, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency. More than 2,000 Ukrainian civilians have been killed, and hundreds of structures have been destroyed, according to Ukraine’s emergency service.

Brimfield Liquor pulled all vodka made by Russian Standard from the shelves [12 to 14 bottles] and put it in the back room away from customers, said Bobby Abichandani, the owner of Brimfield Liquor in Kent.

“I think it’s a small way to show that we support Ukraine and the people of Ukraine,” Abichandani said. “To assure opposition to all the unnecessary humanitarian crises that Russia is causing by attacking the neighboring country.”

Gavin Mitten is a reporter. Contact him at [email protected].