""I wound up living in this safehouse that only had a few cell phones, a laptop, some wine, some vodka and an AK74," says Lerman, who was in the country in a non-official advisory role. "I wound up falling head over heels in love with the people and the mission, the culture and the resilience. I wound up staying for weeks. And I fell in love with the vodka.""
""I would pack up suitcases of vodka and wine and smuggle them over into Poland, then fly home to the U.S., where I would declare to customs that it was for personal consumption," he adds."
""We want to use it as diplomacy for Ukraine, show off the country's history and heritage, and give Americans something beautiful from this country that they can experience rather than just fixating their minds on what they see of the war every night on TV," he says."
SPYRT Worldwide was founded by American and Ukrainian military veterans months after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The company crafts and distributes Ukrainian wines and spirits, including three vodkas: Hetman, Ukrainian Spirit and Ukrainian Freedom. The idea originated in 2022 in a Ukrainian safe house when American military veteran Sam Lerman encountered local vodka, culture and resilience. Lerman initially transported suitcases of vodka and wine to Poland and the U.S. before launching a formal import business in 2023. The founders aim to use the business as diplomacy for Ukraine, showcasing history and heritage and offering Americans a cultural experience beyond news of the war.
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