Sam Adams Boston Lager sold out before noon. A liquor store cooler broke from the continuous flow of customers. And an Irish bar took in three times more in one weekend than during any St. Patrick’s Day celebration in its 30-year history. All of that happened after a single soccer match.
The trigger was Scotland’s 1-0 victory over Haiti on Saturday at Gillette Stadium, the match in which the Scottish national team made its World Cup debut. The Tartan Army—as its supporters are known—took over the streets and bars of downtown Boston with an energy no merchant had ever seen. Sam Adams confirmed that beer consumption was four times higher than during an equivalent period on the 4th of July. At Federal Wine & Spirits, Budweiser and Corona vanished from the shelves, and the door of one of the coolers gave way under the constant demand. A customer who asked for water was booed.
Three days after the match, stores were still reporting isolated shortages and racing to restock. Scotland’s next match—against Morocco—will be played Friday in the same region. 🍺
