Stolichnaya vodka renamed Stoli over opposition of Russian war in Ukraine

March 7 (UPI) -- Vodka maker Stolichnaya has decided to change its branding due to Russian aggression in Ukraine.

The company announced the rebrand in response and said it will "end the use of Stolichnaya name," replacing it solely with the brand Stoli.

The decision was based on Stoli Group founder Yuri Shefler's "vehement opposition" to the regime of Russian President Vladimir Putin, "the desire to accurately represent Stoli's roots in Latvia," and "Stoli employees determination to take action," the company said in a statement.

"While I have been exiled from Russia since 2000 due to my opposition to Putin, I have remained proud of the Stolichnaya brand," Shefler said in the statement. "We have made the decision to rebrand entirely as the name no longer represents our organization. More than anything, I wish for 'Stoli' to represent peace in Europe and solidarity in Ukraine."

Stoli Vodka's production facilities have been located in Latvia since the founder of the company was exiled, and last week the company announced it would "engage exclusively with Slovakian sources to further ensure 100% non-Russia alpha grade spirit."

"This is very personal to us," added Stoli Group Global CEO Damian McKinney. "As a former Royal Marine Commando, I know all too well the horrors of war."

"We have employees, partners and distributors in the region directly impacted. They are asking that we take a bold stand. This one actionable, meaningful thing we can do to make it clear that we support Ukraine."

The clear liquor distilled from grains has long been associated with Russia and gets its name from the Russian word "voda," which means water in Russian.

Vodka is the only spirit listed as a Russian import, according to Distilled Spirits Council of the the United States report for the first half of 2021, but only 1.2% of the Vodka imports come from Russia.