Governor wants Russian Booze Banned as Maine Stands with Ukraine

Governor Janet Mills is calling for a ban on Russian alcohol after declaring Maine's alliance with Ukraine.

Where Can I Find the Proclamation?

On Monday, Mills signed the proclamation that formally announces Maine's solidarity with Ukraine, against Russia's unprovoked invasion. She encourages all Maine people to join her in expressing their support for Ukraine and its people. One way that Mills wants to demonstrate that solidarity is by banning Russian-made alcohol in the state.

Can Governor Mills Actually Ban Russian Vodka?

In order for Russian vodka to be banned in Maine, it must be voted on by the State Liquor and Lottery Commission. While many Maine restaurants, bars, and retailers have already removed the spirits from their shelves, Mills says delisting it will prevent any additional Russian-made alcohol from making its way into the state.

I ask Maine people to join with me in expressing our support for Ukraine, for its people, and especially for our fellow Mainers with Ukrainian roots who are deeply worried about the safety and welfare of their loved ones right now. As we bear witness to the escalating tensions, I support the Biden Administration's efforts to implement aggressive sanctions that punish Russia and cripple its economy, and I call on the State Liquor and Lottery Commission to delist Russian-made vodka in Maine and ask that retailers join us in this symbolic but clear sign that Maine stands with Ukraine.

While the state does not own or operate any retail liquor states, Maine is one of 17 states that control the sale of spirits at the wholesale level.

What Russian-made Brands of Vodka are Currently Being Sold in Maine?

The only Russian-made brands sold in Maine include Russian Standard and Hammer + Sickle, which include the following brand names:

Russian Standard Original Russian Vodka
Russian Standard Gold Vodka
Russian Standard Platinum Vodka
Hammer + Sickle

All other Russian-branded spirits sold in Maine are manufactured at distilleries that are not located in Russia.

Mainers are encouraged to support local businesses, while sending a message to Russia, by choosing Maine-made vodka products.

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LOOK: Best Beers From Every State

To find the best beer in each state and Washington D.C., Stacker analyzed January 2020 data from BeerAdvocate, a website that gathers user scores for beer in real-time. BeerAdvocate makes its determinations by compiling consumer ratings for all 50 states and Washington D.C. and applying a weighted rank to each. The weighted rank pulls the beer toward the list's average based on the number of ratings it has and aims to allow lesser-known beers to increase in rank. Only beers with at least 10 rankings to be considered; we took it a step further to only include beers with at least 100 user rankings in our gallery. Keep reading to find out what the best beer is in each of the 50 states and Washington D.C.

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