Lakefront Brewery’s Anti-Putin Beer Label Benefits Ukraine Refugees

Lakefront Brewery wanted to lend some support after learning that the Pravda Brewery in Lviv, Ukraine had switched from brewing craft beer to making Molotov cocktails in the fight against advancing Russian troops.

Amid fears that Russian tanks will roll into the western city of 720,000 residents near the Polish border, Pravda began producing the incendiary weapons and a video of the brewery’s efforts went viral.

That video caught the attention of Andy Jungwirth, export manager at Lakefront Brewery, who had spent some time in Lviv, Ukraine with Yuiry Zastavny of Pravda Beer.

“I almost spit out my beer when I saw him on the television,” Jungwirth told the Milwaukee Business Journal.

And Lakefront decided to do what it could to help…

Inspired by one of the Pravda brewery’s most popular beers, an IPA named “Putin khuylo” which is commonly translated as “Putin is a dickhead,” Lakefront Brewing produced its own “Putin is a Dick” crowler beer labels to raise funds for displaced Ukrainians now fleeing the country.

“This crowler supports the refugees of Ukraine,” the label reads. “Lakefront Brewery is donating $10 to the National Bank of Ukraine humanitarian assistance to Ukrainians affected by Russia’s aggression to help the refugees of the war. This crowler costs an extra $5 and we are matching those funds for a full $10 from each crowler going to those in need.”

 “The relationship with our friends in Ukraine has been growing for some time,” says Andy Jungwirth. “And the recent events have broken our hearts. When we can help, we feel empowered. And now Lakefront fans can too. We also encourage other breweries as well, to create their own ‘Putin is a Dick’ brand to raise funds as well.”

The original anti-Putin slur, “Putin khuylo,” started as a soccer chant in March 2014 on the onset of the Russo-Ukrainian War.

According to Wikipedia, “the phrase has become very widespread throughout Ukraine among supporters of the Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity and, more generally, those who do not like Vladimir Putin in both Russian-speaking and Ukrainian-speaking areas of Ukraine”.

And now, thanks to Lakewood Brewing’s efforts to support the growing tide of Ukrainian refugees, a variation of “Putin khuylo” has made its way to the states…

Putin khuylo!

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(All images courtesy: Lakefront Brewery)