LAFAYETTE, Ind. — As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine enters its second week, an Indiana vodka company called for suspending the name of a popular cocktail, the Moscow mule.
Fuzzy’s Vodka, headquartered in Sellersburg, and distilled in Bloomington, said suspending the Moscow mule would signal support for Ukraine. In response, Fuzzy’s Vodka launched another cocktail, the American Stallion, made with American vodka.
The Moscow mule, typically served in a copper mug that captures the chill of the drink, includes vodka, spicy ginger beer, lime juice and a lime garnish. The American Stallion would feature similar ingredients but without the nod to an invading country.
Proceeds from the American Stallion, according to the announcement, will go to the American Red Cross.
“We saw the bars rushing to pour the Russian vodka out in the streets while off-site liquor retailers boxed it up and shipped it back to distributors,” said Benjamin Linero, managing partner of BNMR GLVZ, the marketing and advertising agency working with Fuzzy’s Vodka on the American Stallion initiative.
“But we thought, what about the cultural favorites we have come to enjoy over the years? How do we cut ties with our go-to drink during happy hour? We didn’t think it was right that we continue to pay homage to the Moscow mule. We needed to change it…for democracy’s sake.”
Fuzzy’s Vodka was created by PGA legend Fuzzy Zoeller, the winner of the U.S. Open and the Masters Tournament.
A colorful character on the PGA tour, Zoeller saw the Russian invasion as a time to support another democracy in its time of crisis.
“As Americans, we need to stand by and support democracy throughout the world,” Zoeller said.
Fuzzy’s Vodka is one of many companies, bars, restaurants and retailers ditching the Moscow mule and vodka from Russia in support of Ukraine.
Popular Jersey Shore bar and grill Spicy Cantina is no longer selling Russian-made vodka, and Evening Entertainment Group, which owns 17 bars, restaurants and nightclubs across Arizona, Texas and Florida, pulled Russian vodka from their menus.
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In New Jersey, the bistro Verve in the city of Somerville has the Khorty mule instead of the Moscow mule. At Avenue M in Asheville, North Carolina, the drink has been renamed the Peace mule.
“We’re all trying to decide where everyone is going to stand on it and what our guests are going to feel comfortable with,” Ralph Lonow, co-owner of Avenue M, told the Asheville Citizen Times. “We’re going to call it a Peace mule for the next little bit until people can figure out how to come together and start working on making the world a little better.”
State governments have also been getting behind the ban. The governors of Texas, Ohio and New Hampshire have ordered businesses to remove the sale of vodka, despite most bottles of vodka not coming from Russia.
Contributing: Jordan Mendoza, USA TODAY; Rebecca King, Alex Biese, Jenna Intersimone, NorthJersey.com; Tiana Kennell, Asheville Citizen Times
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