Guinness Is Reportedly Available in Russia Despite Owner Diageo Ending Dealings With the Country — Here’s How Putin Pulled it Off
Guinness will be available for sale in Russia via the country’s grey market. (Photo: Newscast Limited via AP Images)
On Monday, The Drinks Business published reports from Russian state agency Rosaccrediation that Guinness, the Diageo-owned beer brand, will return to shelves in Russia. This latest development follows the alcohol mega-supplier’s decision to stop selling alcohol in the country following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Despite Guinness’ reemergence in Russia, its parent company told The Drinks Business that it is still staunchly against importing alcohol to the country.
“In March 2022, we stopped all imports of our products to Russia and stopped third-party, local production of beer and bottling of spirits. In June 2022 we then took the decision to responsibly wind our business down there and that process is now almost complete,” a spokesperson for Diageo informed the outlet.
The beer will be imported by the Moscow Brewing Company, g0ing directly against Diageo’s wishes. The news was discussed on a forum, claiming that the first batch of the beer had already arrived in the country. The thread has since been archived, but members in the comments section expressed both enthusiasm and distaste for the beer.
“Thank you Ireland, greatest ally,” an anonymous member posted.
Others were not as kind.
“ngl Guinness tastes like Okocim Mocne that’s been sitting open on the counter a few hours,” another member quipped.
Okocim Mocne is a pale lager from a Polish beer brand that is considered a “full-bodied” and “strong” brew, according to RateBeer.
How Guinness Returned to Russia
Regardless of personal preferences, it appears that Guinness is indeed available for sale in Russia. If this sparks confusion, it should. Diageo stopped all imports to Russia, so how is the country somehow getting access to Guinness?
The answer involves the country’s access to parallel imports, or a “grey market.”
In October, Russia President Vladimir Putin made a “secret deal” to work around the import bans imposed by companies like Diageo, so premium spirits like Macallan, Jack Daniels and Lagavulin will be available for purchase in the country.
With a grey market, goods can be imported and sold from unauthorized dealers. According to Investopedia, grey markets are unofficial but not illegal.
The Drinks Business reported in May that the brands’ attempts to halt exports to Russia had backfired due to Putin’s grey market tactics:
“In effect, the international sanctions on exports of top-end spirits to Russia have not hurt the regime that waged war in Ukraine, but the distillers in the West who all complied with the squeeze designed to hurt Putin.”
Follow The Daily Pour:
