Once upon a time, Russia considered anything with 10% or less alcohol a foodstuff, but no longer. It all changed in 2011 through legislation. Now, beer is an alcoholic drink not a soda anymore. As it turned out, the move has drawn strong opinions for and against it.
The legislation:
The measure regarding beer’s change in legal status was signed into law on July 20, 2011. The signatory was Dmitry Medvedev, the then Russian President. The law went effectual from Jan 01, 2013, putting regulations on where, when and to whom the beer would be sold in Russia. Given the law’s scope, it makes for one of the interesting Russian beer facts.
Earlier, beer was sold everywhere, round the clock. But in a changed scenario, beer sales are prohibited at kiosks, bus stops, and gas stations. Interestingly, these places contributed to one-third of the total beers sales in Russia. Only licensed vendors can vend beer, from 8 Am to 11 Pm. Also, beer advertisements on television are completely banned.
What prompted it?
The law is a countermeasure for growing alcoholism rates in Russia. Russia is a hard-drinking country with alcohol deeply entrenched in its culture. For many, it substitutes for the other pleasures, and for some, it’s the only pleasure in life. Per the WHO, a Russian consumes 7 gallons of pure alcohol yearly. That’s equivalent of 90 vodka bottles or 1,350 beer pints per Russian per year. To put that in perspective, an American guzzles 470 pints of beer, annually.
The Russian alcohol consumption rate exceeds the WHO specified ‘danger levels’ by two folds. If an independent estimate is something to go by, about 20 million Russians are struggling with alcoholism in a country of 144 million people. According to the WHO, alcohol accounts for one-fifth of deaths of Russian males compared with 6.5% of all males globally. Classifying beer as an alcoholic drink aims to reduce alcoholism, even though evidence suggests otherwise.
Some Russian beer facts:
Once vodka was to Russia what wine is to France. It was an enduring fixture across centuries, from the Tsarist times to recent years. However, beer unceremoniously supplanted vodka as Russia’s favourite tipple, despite the sales restrictions. Costs and clever marketing strategy drove the normalization of beer among Russians. (Beer costs less than booze, and is marketed as a healthy substitute to alcohol). Here’re a few beer facts in Russia that suggest its popularity.
The numbers:
- Vodka consumption touched 5 litres per capita per person in 2010, while the beer consumption was 4 litres. By 2016, beer surpassed vodka in sales, accounting for 45% of the total spirit sales. Vodka, on the other hand, could muster just 42% of sales that year.
- Russia’s beer consumption and production have seen a steady rise since 2011. In 2019, 1285 breweries were operational in Russia – a sharp upturn from 561 in 2011. With 8405 million litres of beer consumption a year, its 4th biggest beer market in the world.
Categorization:
Russians resort to a unique way of categorizing beers. The world categorizes beer on style and yeast usage. Russia, contrarily, categorizes on colour. It’s either light or dark for Russians.
Predilection:
Light filtered beers are a rage, with over 80% Russians preferring them. Dark beers find favour with just 12%. With 8% of the total beer sales, light unfiltered beers rank third in popularity. In terms of style, IPA/APA beers generate the greatest demand, followed by Porter and lagers.
Craft beers:
The Russian craft beer scene has come of age over the years with Moscow driving the growth. It’s one of the important Russian beer facts for any craft brew enthusiast. The number of craft breweries is escalating rapidly with Russians taking a liking for artisanal brews. AF Brews is the leading craft brewery, while BAKUNIN and VASILEOSTROVSKAYA are also highly popular.