In the Stureplan district, right in the heart of the Swedish capital, the restaurants Riche, Sturehof or Teatergrillen are well-known addresses for Stockholmers. Since this weekend, it is no longer possible to order a glass of Absolut vodka, Jameson whiskey or Malibu rum there. The Svenska Brasserie group, owner of these establishments, has decided to suspend the sale of all alcohol belonging to the French group Pernod Ricard.
At issue: the resumption of exports of Absolut – vodka distilled in Ahus in the south of the Scandinavian kingdom – to Russia at the end of 2022, confirmed by a spokesperson for the spirits group on April 13. Since then, calls for a boycott have multiplied in Sweden, where even the Prime Minister, Ulf Kristersson, reacted, admitting to being ” very surprised “ by the decision of Pernod Ricard, on the TV4 channel. “I think a lot of consumers find this to be a very bizarre action”he added.
On social networks, many deputies denounce the decision of the world number two in spirits, judged “shameful” and qualified as“a moral breakdown”. MEP Karin Karlsbro (Liberals) sees this as a “nice gift to Putin”while MEP Anders Ygeman (Social Democratic Party) mocks the“Absolute Putin”.
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In a press release, Pernod Ricard said it had suspended its exports to Russia after the outbreak of war in Ukraine, while continuing to sell, thanks to its stocks. Once they were exhausted, the group restarted their exports. According to Pernod Ricard, maintaining its activity on site enabled it to avoid accusations of “intentional bankruptcy” and of “protect your teams [en Russie] of any responsibility”.
Arguments that do not seem to convince consumers: on the Swedish vodka’s Twitter account, the last message published on April 10 had more than 400 comments, Monday April 17, accusing the group of “drink to the health of the genocide”. Among the most shared images: that of a fake ad using the codes of the Absolut, showing a Ukrainian city under the bombs, seen from the sky, crossed out with the slogan “Absolute boycott”.
On the Facebook page of Systembolaget, Sweden’s public alcohol monopoly, there are also increasing calls for bottles of Absolut or Ricard to disappear from the shelves. No decision has been made in this regard for the moment. In Kristianstad, in the south of the country, on the other hand, the regional museum has decided to cancel the exhibition it was to devote this summer to the “Absolut Fashion” collection, produced by the greatest fashion designers, in partnership with the brand.