June hot spell spurs beer sales by 30%

Power cuts seem to have brought out the rummy side of Delhi’s people.

Power cuts seem to have brought out the rummy side of Delhi’s people.

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Beer sales jumped by around 30% as the searing heat singed the city in June, according to the excise department’s data.

Beer sales in Delhi rose to a record 70,000 cases, a 30% year-on-year rise. Each case contains 12 bottles, meaning a total of 8.4 lakh bottles were sold every day in June, the data said.

Between April and June this year, beer consumption in the city rose by 10% a month.

“June was hot, and usually the sale of beer increases during such weather. This year, beer consumption broke all records. Between April and June, too, there had been an increase in the sales,” said a senior Delhi government official.

Over 30 beer brands, in strong, light and canned segments, are available in the city.

There are about 460 liquor vendors, including department stores and government-owned outlets, besides 360 restaurants, in the city which beer guzzlers frequent to quench their thirst.

However, beer sales are expected to slow down in July with the onset of the monsoons.

“June is always the peak period for the beer market, but this year the month has seen an exponential growth. From July onwards, sales are expected dip though the demand will still be there till September,” added the official.

Excise department revenues have already touched Rs 600 crore and are expected to breach the target of Rs 3,000 crore by the end of the year. Last year, the department managed to collect Rs 2,500 crore.