‘Doing the right thing’: Bethnal Green bar with anti-Putin cocktail stops serving Russian vodka

An East London cocktail bar with an anti-Vladimir Putin cocktail on its menu has stopped serving all Russian-made vodka in its drinks.

Staff at the Sun Tavern in Bethnal Green, Tower Hamlets, said the move was about “doing the right thing” amid a Russian invasion of neighbouring Ukraine which has sparked widespread international condemnation.

Head bartender Rhys Mason told LondonWorld: “It’s a small undertaking and it’s really about just doing the right thing.

“It hasn’t come up yet in the last week with any of our customers.”

The Bethnal Green Road venue, is home to the world’s largest collection of poitín - a traditional Irish spirit, brewed from barley or potatoes - and known as Ireland’s moonshine.

And the bar’s menu includes a £9 whisky-based Fuck Vladimir Poitín cocktail, of Bán Poitin, a brand of the spirit, Connemara peated whiskey, chrysanthemum tea syrup, and club soda.

The top mixologist added: “We are a cocktail bar so we do use vodka on occasion.

“But whenever you are going to use vodka, we would recommend using gin instead anyway.”

It comes as bars and venues across the capital have taken a stand against using the Russian-made spirits, swapping instead for Ukrainian, Polish or European-made vodkas.

Celebrity chef Marco Pierre-White’s upmarket steakhouse chain, the London Steakhouse, has stopped selling Russian vodka “immediately”.

The Evening Standard reported the restaurant had been selling shots of the spirit for £8.50.

In a statement the company said: “To show our support for the people of Ukraine and those worldwide who oppose the unlawful war, we are putting in place sanctions of our own and will be banning Russian Standard vodka from our product range with immediate effect.

“We hope our customers understand and support our decision.”

And Dragons’ Den panellist Sarah Willingham, who runs hospitality chain Nightcap, which owns 27 London bars including the London Cocktail Club, Adventure Bar and Barro Familia venues, said: “We removed all Russian vodkas from all of our bars last week.”

She told MyLondon: “The devastation in Ukraine is heartbreaking, and I cannot start to comprehend what it must be like for the people of Ukraine.

“It’s hard to sit here in our warm safe homes and do nothing.

“We have donated money, but from a business point of view we (the senior team and the staff) wanted to do something, anything, to show our support.

“Therefore we have removed all Russian vodka and alcohol from our bars across the whole of the Nightcap estate.

“It’s a little thing but the more little things we do, the bigger the impact will be.”

The bar is also launching a new cocktail this weekend made with Ukrainian vodka - with all profits going to support the Ukrainian people - and has urged Londoners to come out for a drink and show their support.

Ms Willingham said: “Please come in and support Ukraine. All profits go to help the people of Ukraine. It’s only a small thing but if we all do small things they move the needle.”

While elsewhere, the national pub chain Wetherspoons has removed the Russian Baltika lager from its shelves, and supermarket chain the Co-Op has stopped selling the brand Russian Standard vodka.

A spokesperson said the product was “overtly marketed as Russian”.

And national bar chain Revolution, which operates Vodka Revolution and Revolucion de Cuba venues across the UK, has said it is reviewing its use of Russian vodka.

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