Alcohol Sales in Russian Restaurants Drop 42.4% Year-to-Date

© изображение сгенерировал ИИ

In the first half of 2026, Russian restaurants sold 818,3 thousand hectoliters of alcoholic beverages (excluding beer, cider, and mead). Compared to the same period last year, sales dropped by 42.4%, according to market participants cited by Kommersant.

Experts note that alcohol sales in stores remained almost unchanged year-on-year at 96.7 million hectoliters, with a slight decrease of only 0.65%.

Wine sales saw the most significant decline, falling by 44.8% to 361 thousand hectoliters, while drinks with an alcohol content above 9% dropped by 39.78% to 447.3 thousand hectoliters.

The drop in alcohol sales in restaurants is attributed to reduced foot traffic and rising prices. For instance, from January to June 2026, the number of restaurant and bar bills in Russia decreased by 4%, while the average bill increased by 8% to 3,200 rubles (approximately $32). The share of alcohol in the bill dropped by 4 percentage points to 37%.

Mass closures of establishments also affected the sales of alcoholic beverages in restaurants. According to data from March 2026, the number of restaurants in Russian cities with over one million inhabitants fell by 5% year-on-year to 7,200, cafes by 6% to 12,500, and bars by 11% to 5,900.