Why Beer Was Once Not Classified As An Alcoholic Beverage In Russia
If you associate one alcohol with Russia, it's vodka. Although it's far from the only country to enjoy the liquor — in fact, there's a whole "vodka belt" of countries, mostly in Eastern Europe, which drink and produce the stuff, including some of the vodkas recommended here – Russia's love affair with vodka goes back hundreds of years. Pop culture has so thoroughly tied the two together that it's more unusual for a Russian character in fiction to not drink it. (Vodka sauce, on the other hand, is not as old as you might think, and is also not Russian.)
If you were to pick a second alcohol to pair with Russia, you may or may not pick beer, but it's long been a popular drink there. Which is funny, because for a while it wasn't legally considered alcohol in Russia.
It sounds like the kind of made-up fact a character might drop in a TV show to demonstrate how tough Russians are, but it's true: For a long time, beer was not considered an alcoholic beverage in Russia. As it was less than 10% alcohol, beer was legally classified as a foodstuff, and as such was sold in stores and street corners alongside juice and soft drinks. It was seen as something light to drink before you had your vodka, and it was sold as such until a law was passed in 2011 counting it as a harder liquor.
The law was changed to combat alcohol abuse in Russia
Dmitry Medvedev, then the President of Russia, signed the law declaring beer an alcoholic beverage in 2011 in an attempt to fight the epidemic of alcohol abuse in Russia. The law came into effect on New Year's Day in 2013.
When the law was changed, Russians were drinking over twice what was considered the "critical" amount by the World Health Organization according to the BBC, with half a million deaths a year attributed to alcohol. Sales of beer were soaring prior to the ruling, but while beer was once seen as a lighter, healthier option compared to vodka – sort of like diet soda compared to regular soda – it became understood that it was a different manifestation of the same problem.
As such, beer can no longer be bought so casually from kiosks and train stations across Russia. Since the new law, Russians steadily drank less alcohol, and by 2021, 38% were not drinking it at all (via Statista). However, alcohol dependence was reported to have increased once again as of 2022 — the year Russian forces invaded Ukraine.