The international business publication Forbes has published an interview with Yuriy Sorochynskyi, CEO of Nemiroff, focusing on the brand’s development amid wartime conditions and its growth across global markets.
Forbes highlights the company’s ability to operate under constant challenges while continuing to expand its presence in key markets — particularly the UK, the US, and the travel retail channel. The article also emphasizes Nemiroff’s growing footprint in British retail and its consistent, long-term strategy for entering new markets.
Forbes is one of the world’s most influential business media outlets, reaching tens of millions of readers every month. For Nemiroff, this coverage represents another strong signal of trust from the international business community and a clear confirmation of the brand’s systematic, global-level progress.
Retail on the Frontline: Nemiroff Vodka Among Ukraine’s Growing Brands
Battling for space within the crowded vodka market would be challenging enough for any brand, but Ukraine’s Nemiroff is making a fresh push into the hugely competitive U.K., U.S. and travel retail markets despite the ongoing conflict with Russia.
Like so many Ukrainian companies its current expansion westwards has been shaped by geopolitics and it is one of a growing number of brands which have adjusted to whatever business as normal looks like since Russia’s invasion and which are working together to try and promote brand Ukraine on the global stage.
Indeed, Washington D.C. hosted a Taste Ukraine trade mission in mid-September last year, where 25 Ukrainian food producers traveled to showcase their products and expand commercial ties with American partners, organized by the Ukrainian Food Manufacturers Alliance. Participating firms met with more than 100 category managers from U.S. retail chains and distribution companies.
Beyond the conflict, the size of the prize for Nemiroff is substantial, with the global vodka market size valued at around $40 billion, of which Nemiroff’s two key international markets, the U.S. and U.K., are about $7.5 billion and $4 billion respectively. Despite competition from the increasingly popular tequila market, vodka is the top spirit category in North America, with home brand Tito the top domestic seller.
Nemiroff was founded in the town of Nemyriv in Ukraine’s south and the vodka producer traces its origins to a local distillery established in 1872 but its modern commercial history began after Ukraine’s independence and post-Soviet expansion turned Nemiroff into one of Ukraine’s largest vodka exporters, with sales across Europe, Asia and the travel retail market, positioning itself as a premium vodka.
But everything changed after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which brought significant disruption and, like many Ukrainian manufacturers, Nemiroff faced huge logistical challenges, supply chain interruptions and workforce dislocation, reshaping how the company manages sourcing, logistics and supplier relationships.
Importers wanted to support Ukrainian businesses but the fact is that retailers and distributors need guaranteed delivery, they can’t have unreliable supply if you want to keep your products on their shelves. Nemiroff CEO Yuriy Sorochynskiy said.
Nemiroff Manufactures During Conflict
Early in the conflict, the company temporarily had to shut down its distillery for safety reasons, and broader wartime restrictions, including a temporary ban on alcohol sales domestically. This halted not only production but also the activity of many of its suppliers and that initial disruption also required Nemiroff to relocate some personnel and re-establish production workflows under far less predictable conditions.
A key logistical hurdle has been the loss of maritime export routes from the Black Sea, forcing the company to route shipments overland via Poland to reach international markets. This shift increased freight costs and transit times, while critical infrastructure challenges — notably intermittent electricity supply and associated higher energy costs — have affected both Nemiroff and its suppliers.
Its long-standing supplier of glass bottles, Vetropack, saw its Hostomel plant near Kyiv damaged by a Russian bomb in the early stages of the war.
Rather than reduce orders, we bought the surviving stock of 22,000 bottles and produced a limited edition vodka, donating the profits back. We are not alone, in Ukraine, businesses in different sectors and even rivals work to help each other. This is the way things are because of the conflict. Sorochynskiy recalled.
Inevitably, the war also changed how the brand was perceived internationally, and in a number of overseas markets, particularly in Europe, Ukrainian products have benefited from increased goodwill from consumers looking to support the country’s economy.
For Nemiroff, exports now account for the majority of its sales, and airport retail has become a particularly important channel, offering access to international consumers while reducing reliance on any single national market.
Nemiroff Targets U.K. And U.S.
It also forms part of a broader strategy to grow in the U.K. and U.S., positioning itself at the premium end of the category in an approach which reflects wider trends in the UK spirits market, where premiumization and brand story play an increasingly important role in purchasing decisions.
Already available at Sainsbury’s and Asda (once owned by Walmart), Nemiroff recently secured national listings with two of the U.K.’s largest supermarket chains, Tesco and Waitrose, and from November, the brand’s flagship Nemiroff De Luxe Vodka has been rolled out across approximately 660 Tesco supermarkets and 232 Waitrose outlets nationwide. It is also partnering with several English soccer clubs.
The U.S. presents a different challenge. A highly fragmented market dominated by a small number of large brands, it is shaped by regional distribution and a strong craft and cocktail culture. Nemiroff’s initial focus has therefore been on selective listings, particularly with specialist on-trade accounts, rather than rapid national rollout.
Although the U.S. is very fragmented, just six areas dominate sales, so they will naturally be the focus of our expansion. Right now consolidating our growth in the U.K. is very important, but as the year progresses, our next step will be expanding in the U.S. Sorochynskiy said of the expected approach from Nemiroff.
