Russia is facing a shortage of beer

Russia is one of the world’s largest grain producers, but it imports almost entirely an essential ingredient in beer, hops. Due to the war in Ukraine, stocks are running out dangerously and there is no supply for the time being. Fearing a growing shortage of hops in the country, Russian brewers have asked the Ministry of Agriculture for help to find alternative sources of supply for the next few years. In addition to water, yeast and barley malt, hops are one of the four raw materials needed to make beer. Russia imports 98 percent of the approximately 7,500 tons of raw material used annually. The main suppliers are the Czech Republic, Germany and the United States, which have stopped supplying hops to Russia due to the war in Ukraine. Especially because domestic demand for beer could only increase as giants such as Carlsberg, Heineken and AB InBev announced in late March that they wanted to suspend their operations in Russia due to the invasion of Ukraine. The withdrawal of ...