CRISIS ALERT: Beer Sales Down In Emerging Countries

Recent beer sales have dropped significantly in developing nations throughout eastern Europe and Latin America, prompting us to ask the question: what the hell are people doing with their time? Being productive, being sober? Ptoo, we spit upon such goings-on! This is an unexpected shock, too, for the usually profitable beer industry;

Beer titans ratcheted up investments in emerging markets in recent years, partly to offset weakness in mature markets like North America and Western Europe. But recent high inflation and slowing economic growth are prompting consumers in some developing economies to buy less beer.

Is the economy really to blame for the slackening beer sales? Or are we all just growing old and sensible?

It turns out that besides the generally crappy global economy, each country included in the survey has its own woes contributing to the slowdown. Brazil, for example, is suffering under a dry law that prohibits drivers from having even a tiny trace of alcohol in their blood.

Beer, it turns out, is a luxury. And here we were, thinking it was akin to tap water! No, according to the report, when the economy falters, people turn to cheaper options than beer, like vodka in Russia or aguardiente in Colombia:

In a recent evening at Ilarco in Bogotá, Colombia, bartender German Delgado said some customers have switched from beer to aguardiente, a less-expensive local spirit. “They get drunk faster and spend less,” he said. “People are taking good care of their money.”

So good, they’ll have saved money but will possibly go blind (at least if the booze is home-distilled with methanol). Well hey, at least then you’re spared the sight of more nude Disney starlets, right?

Sales of Beer Go Flat in Emerging Countries [Wall Street Journal]