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Moscow Is Having a Beer Shortage Thanks to Thirsty Soccer Fans

News
by Eben Diskin Jun 20, 2018

A notoriously vodka-loving nation, Russia underestimated World Cup fans’ thirst for beer and is now experiencing a shortage. Beer sales in Russia have dipped by about a third in recent years, and bars and restaurants simply were not prepared for the volume of beer-seeking soccer fans. “We didn’t think they would only want beer,” a Moscow waiter told Reuters. According the waiter, stockpiles are so low it’s taking 24 hours for fresh beer shipments to arrive.

Some fans, however, are taking the shortage in stride. On the difficulty of finding beer, a Croatian fan named Ivan told Reuters, “Some places yes, some places no. You just have to know where to find it!” A local bartender named Dimitry is similarly unfazed by the shortage, telling Reuters that patrons finished 800 liters of his cheap lager in three days, and now have simply moved on to more expensive options.

When it comes to alcohol consumption at the game itself, stadiums have taken measures to reduce the potency and availability of alcohol. At the Euro 2016 soccer tournament, many stadiums only served .5 ABV beer, and at English Premier League games, booze is banned within view of a match.

H/T: Food & Wine

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