--- title: "Authorities Seize “Atomik” Booze Made Near Chernobyl Disaster" description: "Authorities in Ukraine have sized over 1,500 bottles of a spirit made out of apples grown near the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, as USA Today reports." date: "2021-05-10" modified: "2021-05-10" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/authorities-seize-atomik-booze-made-near-chernobyl-disaster" categories: - "Science & Energy" tags: - "chernobyl" - "radioactive" - "radioactivity" - "the digest" --- # Authorities Seize “Atomik” Booze Made Near Chernobyl Disaster ![Authorities in Ukraine have sized over 1,500 bottles of a spirit made out of apples grown near the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, as USA Today reports.]() *\Image: Atomik Vodka\* ## Atomik Authorities in Ukraine have sized more than 1,500 bottles of a spirit made out of apples grown near the Chernobyl nuclear disaster site, [*USA Today* reports](). The high proof booze, called [Atomik](), is the first consumer product to come out of the area since the disaster in 1986, according to the company behind the drink, called The Chernobyl Spirit Company. The batch was meant to be shipped to the UK, but was intercepted by authorities — a dramatic twist that, surprisingly or not, doesn't seem to have anything to do with sourcing the hooch at the site of a nuclear disaster. ## Booze Intercepted "It seems that they are accusing us of using forged Ukrainian excise stamps, but this doesn’t make sense since the bottles are for the UK market and are clearly labeled with valid UK excise stamps," Jim Smith, an environmental science professor at Portsmouth University and company founder, said in a [press release]() by the company. "The actions of Ukrainian law enforcement agencies are damaging the reputation of Ukraine as an open country for doing business," The Chernobyl Spirit Company's lawyer Elina Smirnova told *USA Today*. "We still believe that the truth will win." The company claims that their distillation process reduces enough radioactivity in the grain to make for a safe drink. "We are working hard to set up a business to help bring jobs and investment to the Chernobyl affected areas of Ukraine and to further support the community with 75% of any profits we make," Smith said in the statement. "We are working hard to get it released, but we can't sell you anything yet," reads an update on the [company's website](). **READ MORE:** [Ukrainian authorities seize shipment of alcohol made near Chernobyl nuclear power plant]() \[*USA Today*\] **More on Chernobyl:** *[Scientists Fear New Disaster at Chernobyl Meltdown Site]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()