The Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission banned the sale of Russian vodkas in all Oregon liquor stores on Monday, Feb. 28, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Independent operators of liquor stores were directed to take Russian vodkas off their shelves, aligning Oregon with other states that have acted to ban the sale of Russian made products as a part of economic sanctions against Russian operated businesses, according to a press release from the OLCC.

In Oregon, the OLCC effectively owns the supply of alcohol in the state, serving as a state-run monopoly for the industry.

“The state controls all the liquor that is in the store,” said Liberty O’Dell, manager at La Grande Liquor and Smoke Shoppe. “In fact, they are still the owners of the liquor. We’re beholden as agents of the state to follow their guidance. We don’t take steps ahead of the OLCC when they make guidance like that. It’s similar to a library in that we don’t actually own the product. The liquor is owned by the state.”

Customers in and out of the liquor store commented in passing about the banning of Russian vodka from store shelves. La Grande Liquor, however, only had two bottles of Russian-made vodka — Russian Standard Vodka — and O’Dell said it was “an item that doesn’t sell very well in the first place.”

Customers were understanding, according to O’Dell.

“I think everybody understands why we’re doing it,” he said. “The questions we’ve been getting is ‘what’s Ukrainian vodka — and how do I get some?’ So my next order, that’s what I’ll be doing, is ordering some Ukrainian vodka.”

Eastern Oregon produces several vodkas, including Glacier 45 vodka distilled in Baker City, and 276 Vodka produced by Oregon Grain Growers Distillery in Pendleton. Both are quality vodkas, according to O’Dell.

Across the state, about 5,000 bottles of Russian-made liquor were for sale in 281 liquor stores, according to the OLCC. Those vodkas have since been removed from store shelves. Oregon liquor stores also are prohibited from fulfilling any customer “special order” requests for Russian manufactured liquor.

Vodkas with Russian sounding names such as Smirnoff and Stolichnaya that are produced outside of Russia and aren’t subject to the ban, according to the OLCC press release. Stoli Group, the distillery that makes Stolichnaya in Latvia, offered up a statement on its website that said “Stoli Group has had a long history of fighting oppression from the Russian regime,” and condemned the Russian military actions in Ukraine. Stoli is produced in Latvia, while Smirnoff is produced in Illinois.

The move to ban Russian vodkas can be seen as largely symbolic as very few Russian vodkas are imported to the United States. A small number of bars have gone viral online for pouring out Stoli brand vodkas, despite the vodka being produced in Latvia, a NATO member country.

A list of the vodka brands that have been pulled from the shelves can be found on the OLCC website.

But even if the OLCC didn’t outright ban the sale of Russian vodka, O’Dell said it would be something he personally would have liked to see pulled from store shelves.

“I would be advocating to do it,” O’Dell said. “Me, the person, would be advocating to do it.”