Vodka sales have reached record highs in three regions of the North Caucasus

According to official data, the largest increases in alcohol sales in Russia in the first eight months of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024 were recorded in North Ossetia (+16.4%), Karachay-Cherkessia (+14%), and Ingushetia (+10.6%).

Social media accounts attribute the sales growth in the North Caucasus republics to a "low base effect" rather than actual growth in consumption.

Analysts note a decline in demand in regions where authorities have imposed additional restrictions on the times and locations of alcohol sales. In the Vologda Oblast, for example, where alcohol sales are permitted for only two hours on weekdays, demand for vodka has fallen by almost 13%.

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