Russia invasion: Bars rename Moscow Mule and pour out Russian vodka

Many bars across the US are renaming the popular Moscow Mule cocktail and pouring out Russian vodka to protest Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

Two bars from San Francisco, California are leading this demonstration against the 24 February invasion.

Madrone Art Bar on San Francisco’s Divisadero street declared on its social media pages earlier this week that it would “no longer serving Russian vodka”.

Bar owner Michael “Spike” Krause also said that he’s renaming their “Moscow Mules to Ukrainian Mules.”

“We are against the Russian government, not the Russian people. This is just a peaceful protest and a small gesture of solidarity for the people of Ukraine,” Krause told Eater SF.

Bond Bar in San Fransisco’s Mission district has also changed its menu after Putin announced what he called a “special military operation” against Ukraine.

Bar owner Andrea Minoo told KTVU: “We decided that the very famous and popular drink the Moscow Mule should no longer be called the Moscow Mule.”

She revealed the cocktail will now be called the Kyiv Mule at her bar.

“You know, it’s a nice gesture on our part. It’s small but it’s you know it’s about raising awareness,” Minoo added.

Another restaurant called Russian House in Austin, Texas has shown its solidarity with Ukraine as well by permanently shortening its name to “House”.

Varda Monamour, the restaurant’s owner, told KXAN: “To me, the name doesn’t reflect what we really are.”

“And if it saddens or brings pain to others, we just feel it needs to be ‘The House’ — the house for everyone. The house where people can come in and enjoy a good meal and concentrate on good things and something that brings us together, not puts us apart.”

A Russian-themed literary performance bar in New York called the KGB Bar has also stopped selling a popular beer, as per local blog Bowery Boogie.

The bar has replaced Russia’s Baltika Beer with the Ukrainian-made Obolon beer.

“KGB has also removed nearly three dozen cases of its Russian vodka, instead opting for Khor, Shevkoff, and Ukrainian Heritage, all made in Ukraine,” the blog says.

Multiple state governors in the US, including ones in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Utah and New Hampshire, are also asking state-run liquor stores to stop stocking Russian-made vodka and distilled spirit.

Follow the latest updates about the Russian invasion of Ukraine in our live blog here.

The Independent has a proud history of campaigning for the rights of the most vulnerable, and we first ran our Refugees Welcome campaign during the war in Syria in 2015. Now, as we renew our campaign and launch this petition in the wake of the unfolding Ukrainian crisis, we are calling on the government to go further and faster to ensure help is delivered. To find out more about our Refugees Welcome campaign, click here. To sign the petition click here. If you would like to donate then please click here for our GoFundMe page.