Health officials claim beer tax increase good news for Russian livers

November 6, 4:59 PMBeer ExaminerCharlie Papazian

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You are what you drink.  Photo by Charlie Papazian

Here’s one for the beerlieve it or not column.  Ina Verstl, European journalist and writer for the German publication BRAUWELT International reports that Russia will quadruple beer excise tax by 2012.  The beer business is anticipating a 20 to 30 percent increase in retail beer prices and a massive drop in beer sales.   Note that it’s also reported that foreign brewers control about 80 percent of the Russian beer market.

She further reveals that health officials claim the excise hike is good “good news for Russian livers.”  According to the story Russian livers process on average 18 liters of pure alcohol a year and the average Russian already drinks 30 liters of vodka a year and 77 liters of beer [less than the U.S].  

Verstl concludes, “Where we come from it’s called gung ho jingoism – a sentiment most dear to Russia’s powers-that-be, who in their infinite wisdom also decided that Russia’s huge – and largely locally owned – vodka industry will be exempted from the excise increase.”