Vodka has gone through many highs and lows in the U.S., from its heyday in the ’80s, to its cold-shouldering by the craft-cocktail movement, right through to its current resurgence with the popularization of artisan brands. Now, it looks like the spirit could be primed for another watershed moment, but this time the driving force is international politics rather than changing tastes.

In response to Russia’s anti-gay laws—which amount to a “war on homosexuals,” according to the New York Times—many gay rights advocates are calling for a boycott of Russian vodka brands such as Stoli. Bars across the U.S. and Canada—including NYC spots like Ninth Avenue Saloon and Gym SportsBar—have already instituted a ban, and in San Francisco, places that haven’t joined the boycott are seeing reduced sales as customers avoid buying Russian.

As Eater reports, the boycott movement was catalyzed by columnist Dan Savage, who wrote the following in Seattle’s The Stranger:

There is something we can do right here, right now, in Seattle and other US cities to show our solidarity with Russian queers and their allies and to help to draw international attention to the persecution of gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, trans people, and straight allies in Putin’s increasingly fascistic Russia: DUMP RUSSIAN VODKA.

Hashtags such as #DumpStoli and #DumpRussianVodka are spreading the word, and American-made vodkas like SKYY are seeing the opportunity to drum up some pro-gay business:

We’ll see how this plays out. Suffice to say, they’ll be dancing a jig at Grey Goose headquarters.

[via USA Today; Eater]