How Breweries Across The US Will Support Ukraine
The U.S. has taken some very prominent steps to curb the Russian alcohol market in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine. According to BBC, Biden declared a ban on imports of Russian vodka in an attempt to affect the Russian economy. Bloomberg reports that the country's caviar industry took a hit, as America went even further by announcing a trade moratorium on Russian seafood imports. While most of the efforts revolve around the Russian economy, some key businesses have taken up the challenge to promote Ukrainian alcohol abroad.
According to The Drinks Business, Pravda Brewery in Lviv, Ukraine immediately felt the effects of war and quickly switched from brewing beer to making Molotov cocktails sporting custom labels of a naked Vladimir Putin, emblazoned with the phrase "Putin Huylo." Additionally, the brewery's staff switched gears and helped the defense effort by moving the Molotov cocktails to strategic positions, "welding spikes for the road," assisting in mine-clearing efforts, and more. As such, the brewery has suspended its beer-making operations and has called on brewers from all over the world to pick up where they left off and create beer in support of Ukraine.
Brewing Ukrainian beer abroad
According to Food & Wine, Pravda Brewery published the recipes and labels for five of its signature beers online and called for craft brewers everywhere to create the concoctions on their behalf. They also linked the information for their bank accounts, so that enterprising beer enthusiasts can donate the beer sales to Pravda Brewery if they wish.
So far, a solid handful of breweries across America have risen to the challenge. California's Russian River Brewery has started producing their own take on Pravda Brewery's Putin Huylo, while Stickman Brews in Pennsylvania decided to bottle and sell Pravda's Frau Ribbentrop, a Belgian witbier (via Food & Wine). Torchlight Brewery simply renamed their Vienna Lager to "Putin is a Dick." Meanwhile, New Jersey's Bolero and Icarus Brewing Co. joined in by producing some of the beer to raise money for Pravada and meals for refugees, per northjersey.com.
While many small brewers have answered Pravda's call to action, it still takes time for beer to ferment and brew. WHYY reports that some of these products won't hit shelves until April, but when they do, their sales can hopefully help Pravda Brewery in their effort to create great beer and defend Ukraine.