FIFA World Cup 2018: Panic for football fans as Moscow running out of beer

Fans who have braved the trip to Moscow to watch the FIFA World Cup 2018 live could be left to go it sober after bars and restaurants have warned that they are running out of alcohol.

Parts of Moscow are turning dry as football fans have already guzzled off most of the beer, vodka and whiskey available.

With Moscow being transformed for the World Cup, fans have been overwhelming some of the packed bars and restaurants around the Kremlin and Red Square.

But Russians were not prepared, and now face long waits to be restocked.

Speaking to MailOnline, Dmitry, a barman at trendy courtyard bar Gogol, said visiting football fans had drunk 800 litres of beer in three days, downing the cheap lager before moving on to more expensive bottled beers.

According to him the sun makes fans thirsty. “In Russian we say 'to the bottom!' I like that these guys are embracing our culture,” he adds.

Beer sales in Russia have fallen by around a third over the past as duties have risen and rules been tightened on sales and advertising. Brewers had not been expecting a major reversal of the trend this year.