Is beer or vodka more popular in Russia?
Beer and vodka are equally popular in Russia. In 2016, each accounted for 39% of the average Russian's pure alcohol consumption, with the average person drinking about 11.7 liters of pure alcohol that year.
Questions about Beer in Russia
Short answers, pulled from the story.
How did Russia classify beer before 2011?
Until 2011, Russia classified any drink with less than 10% alcohol as a food product, not an alcoholic beverage. This meant beer was not subject to the same sales restrictions that applied to stronger alcoholic drinks.
How many beer producers were in Russia in 2011?
There were 561 beer producers in Russia in 2011. These included 40 large producers such as Baltika and Stary Melnik, 76 medium regional breweries, 263 mini and microbreweries, and 182 restaurant breweries.
What was Russia's ranking in the global beer market in 2012?
Russia was the world's fourth-largest beer market in 2012.
How does Russia categorize beer differently from other countries?
Russia categorizes beer by color rather than fermentation process. The three categories are Light, Red or Semi-Dark, and Dark, in contrast to most Western markets which classify beer by brewing method.
What happened to Russian beer production in 2010?
Beer production in Russia declined by 5.1% in 2010, reaching 102.93 million hectoliters. The five leading companies saw their sales fall by 5% to 83.6 million hectoliters, while smaller breweries grew their sales by 14%.