While today hordes of seventeen-year-olds organize tricks to get an alcoholic drink, in Russia, before 2013, anyone could drink a nice cold beer at any time and without age limits. To be precise, the nation did not regulate drinks with a alcohol volume less than 10%.
Like any self-respecting nation, Russia has always been associated with a series of stereotypes, first of all that of being a alcohol-loving country. Indeed, citizens did not hesitate to express disappointment when President Dmitry Medvedev signed a bill declaring all types of beer alcoholic.
The same people who like to give credence to those stereotypes mentioned above will already be thinking “Anyway, in Russia they only drink vodka!”; however, in the first decade of the 21st century, beer sales have increased by 40%, as it was a real alternative to more “challenging” drinks. During those years, vodka consumption decreased by almost 30%, as it was less available than the malt-based drink.
In the early 2000s, Russians could legally drink as much beer as they wanted, with no limitations on quantity or “decorum,” because it was regarded as a very common drinklike fruit juice. Today in Russia this is no longer the case: beer is recognized as an alcoholic drink in all respects; therefore, only authorized commercial establishments can sell it.
Speaking of beer, did you know that the first prototype of the alcoholic drink that everyone likes dates back to the Sumerians?
