Stoli vodka announces rebrand

REPORTER: AT MORE THAN 200 STORES NATIONWIDE, TOTAL WINE ANNOUNCING MONDAY IT HAS PULLED ALL RUSSIAN PRODUCTS, NAMELY RUSSIAN VOA.DK THE COMPANY SAYING THE MOVE IS TO PROTEST RUSSIA’INS VASIONF O UKRAINE, AND TO STAND IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE PEOPLE OF UKRAINE. >> WE’VE SOLD A LITTLE BIT OF RUSSIAN VODKA, AND THERE’S A UKRAINIAN BRAND THAT WE’VE SOLD A FEW BOTTLES OF AS WELL. A FEPHW ONE CALLS. REPORTER: AT LOCALLY-RUN STESOR LIKE DISCOUNT LIORQU. CO-OWNER TOM GREGUSKA SAYS RUSSIAN-MADE VODKA ONLY MAKES UP A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF SALES. AND BRANDS LIKE STOLICHNAYA OR SMIRNOFF AREN’T EVEN RUSSIAN. >> WE CARRY MAYBE THREE OR FOUR BRANDS. THEY’RE NOT HUGE VOLUME BRANDS. THEY’RE JUST NICHE BRANDS THAT HAVE BEEN ON THE SHELVES F AOR LONG TIME. REPORTER: STATES ACROSS THE U.S. HAVE ANNOUNCED BOYCOTTS OF RUSSIAN-MADE PDURO NONE IN WISCONSIN. THOUGH 12 NEWS HAS LEARNED GOVERNOR EVERS’ ADMINISTRATION IS REVIEWING ACTIONS THE STATE CAN TAKE IN RESPONSE TO THE RUSSIAN INVASI.ON REPORT:: STATES THAT HAVE ANNOUNCED BOYCOTTS HAVE STATE-RUN LIQUOR STORES. THEY’RE PRIVATELY-RUN HERE, MEANING IT’S UP TO CHEA INDIVIDUAL STORE, NOT THE GOVERNOR, TO DECIDE WHETHER TO SELL RUSSIAN-MADE PRODUCTS. THIS IS CONSIDERED A LARGELY SYMBOLIC MOVE. CNN REPORTS LESS THAN 1% OF VODKA CONSUMED IN THE U.S. IS MADE IN RUSSIA. PATRICK: BEN

The maker of Stolichnaya vodka announced a major rebrand Friday, in direct response to its founder's "vehement position" against the Putin regime and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.The vodka, famously marketed as Russian, will now be sold and marketed simply as Stoli, the company said in a statement.Stoli Group's founder, Russian-born billionaire Yuri Shefler, was exiled from that nation in 2000 because of his opposition to Putin. The liquor has long been marketed as Russian vodka, but its production facilities have been in Latvia since that year. Stoli Group is a unit of Luxembourg-based SPI Group.The company also cited its employees' desire to take action and to accurately represent the vodka's Latvian roots.Earlier this week, Stoli Group announced it would only use Slovakian sources to make sure that none of its ingredients are sourced from Russia.Officials in states from Ohio to New Hampshire have called on liquor stores to remove Russian-made or Russian-branded products from their shelves — which in most cases, means vodka. Some bar owners have even dumped out Stoli vodka in protest.These boycotts and protests are unlikely to have much impact, however. Russian-made vodka accounts for a very small percentage of the roughly $7 billion in annual vodka sales, according to the Distilled Spirits Council (DISCUS), a national trade organization that represents spirits makers.In the United States, less than 1% of vodka consumed is produced in Russia. More than half of all vodka consumed domestically is actually made in the U.S., according to data from IWSR Drinks Market Analysis, a global firm that tracks alcohol sales.CNN's Jordan Valinsky contributed to this story.

The maker of Stolichnaya vodka announced a major rebrand Friday, in direct response to its founder's "vehement position" against the Putin regime and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The vodka, famously marketed as Russian, will now be sold and marketed simply as Stoli, the company said in a statement.

Stoli Group's founder, Russian-born billionaire Yuri Shefler, was exiled from that nation in 2000 because of his opposition to Putin. The liquor has long been marketed as Russian vodka, but its production facilities have been in Latvia since that year. Stoli Group is a unit of Luxembourg-based SPI Group.

The company also cited its employees' desire to take action and to accurately represent the vodka's Latvian roots.

Earlier this week, Stoli Group announced it would only use Slovakian sources to make sure that none of its ingredients are sourced from Russia.

Officials in states from Ohio to New Hampshire have called on liquor stores to remove Russian-made or Russian-branded products from their shelves — which in most cases, means vodka. Some bar owners have even dumped out Stoli vodka in protest.

These boycotts and protests are unlikely to have much impact, however. Russian-made vodka accounts for a very small percentage of the roughly $7 billion in annual vodka sales, according to the Distilled Spirits Council (DISCUS), a national trade organization that represents spirits makers.

In the United States, less than 1% of vodka consumed is produced in Russia. More than half of all vodka consumed domestically is actually made in the U.S., according to data from IWSR Drinks Market Analysis, a global firm that tracks alcohol sales.

CNN's Jordan Valinsky contributed to this story.

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