Why Is the Banning of Russian Vodka Reminding People of ‘Freedom Fries’?

Summary

The article discusses the symbolic and largely ineffective gesture of banning Russian vodka in the US as a form of protest against Russia's actions in Ukraine, drawing parallels to the historical renaming of French fries to "freedom fries" during the US invasion of Iraq.

Abstract

The article from the undefined website reflects on the recent trend of US states banning Russian vodka as a show of solidarity with Ukraine amidst Russia's military actions. This move is compared to the early 2000s phenomenon where some Americans renamed French fries to "freedom fries" to express dissent towards France's opposition to the US invasion of Iraq. The author points out that, much like the "freedom fries" episode, the banning of Russian vodka is a largely empty gesture, given that Russian vodka imports to the US have significantly declined since 2011, now accounting for only 1.3% of all vodka imports. The article emphasizes that well-known brands like Stolichnaya and Smirnoff, often mistaken for Russian, are actually produced outside of Russia or by non-Russian companies. The author suggests that these symbolic acts do little to impact the situation in Ukraine and are reminiscent of past patriotic gestures that failed to take hold.

Opinions

The author views the renaming of French fries to "freedom fries" as an extreme act of patriotism that was short-lived and never widely adopted.
The banning of Russian vodka by US governors is seen as a hollow gesture that has minimal economic impact on Russia, given the low volume of Russian vodka imports to the US.
The author implies that the banning of Russian vodka is more about making a political statement than providing tangible support to Ukraine.
The article suggests that the public should be better informed about the origins of vodka brands to avoid misguided boycotts, such as targeting Smirnoff and Stolichnaya, which are not Russian products.
The author seems to criticize the performative nature of such gestures, highlighting that they do not contribute to the resolution of international conflicts.

Although it’s meant to be a symbol of support for Ukraine, it’s mainly an empty gesture as very few vodkas imported to the U.S. come from Russia

If you’re too young to remember, yes, it’s absolutely true. Calling French fries, “freedom fries” during a bout of extreme patriotism in the US was once a real thing that actually happened.

Thankfully, it’s a trend that never took hold. I have never met a soul in my life that called a French fry a “freedom fry,”. At least, that is, unironically. Although, I did see it on the menus of a few diners across the Midwest briefly in the early 2000s.

Why did Americans rename French fries to “freedom fries”?

This all came about in 2003 when the US was on the brink of invading Iraq. France was one of the countries expressing strong dissent. A wild patriotism was sweeping through the country when North Carolina Representative Walter B. Jones told Rep. Bob Ney of Ohio about a restaurant in his home state that had renamed its French fries to “freedom fries.”

Ney loved the idea, and since he was chairman of the House Administration Committee, he was in charge of operations for the Capitol complex. He had the power to have the word “French” taken off of Capitol menus. No more French fries. No more French toast. Now at the Capitol cafe, people ate “freedom fries” and “freedom toast”.

This didn’t last. If you visit the Capitol today, you will find they serve French fries once again. You see, Ney was sentenced to 30 months in jail in 2006 for his role in a corruption scandal, and when he had to resign his post, the Capitol swiftly returned to serving French fries and French toast.

What do “freedom fries” have in common with banning Russian vodka?

Similar to “freedom fries”, the banning of Russian vodka by elected officials is yet another hollow gesture that is helping no one.

Recently, governors from ten US states have banned Russian vodka from being sold in liquor stores. It’s a bipartisan effort with both Republican and Democratic governors ordering Russian liquor to be removed from store shelves.

Unlike the severe economic sanctions that have been imposed on Russia from the Group of Seven (G-7) against Russia’s Central Bank, pouring Russian vodka down the drain won’t have much effect on helping Ukraine. The reason why? Russian vodka imports are down by 79% since 2011. In 2021, they accounted for 1.3% of all vodka imports to the US.

Not much vodka comes from Russia these days

So although very few vodka brands are produced in Russia and imported to the US, people have been tossing out any brand that sounds Russian or has Russian ties.

For example, both Stolichnaya and Smirnoff vodkas have been reported being pulled off of shelves by bar owners. But Smirnoff, which may trace its roots back to Moscow, is now a brand under the British spirits company, Diageo, and it’s distilled in the American Midwest in Plainfield, Illinois.

Stoli vodka does not come from Russia either. The spirit is made in Latvia, and the company headquarters are located in Luxembourg. Stoli Group said to CNN Business that it, “unequivocally condemns the military action in Ukraine and stands ready to support the Ukrainian people, our teams and partners.”

Which vodka brands are from Russia?

If you want to avoid Russian vodka, don’t take it out on Smirnoff or Stoli. You can start by avoiding Russian Standard and Green Mark. Both brands are imported from Russia and sold in the US under a parent company, Roust International, owned by the Russian oligarch, Roustam Tariko.

Dumping Smirnoff or Stoli down the drain has about the same effect as ordering yourself a basket of “freedom fries.”

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