Scotland’s return to the FIFA World Cup after a 28-year wait has definitely lifted the spirits of the fans, with over 20,000 members of the Tartan Army making the trip to Massachusetts for their opening group stage matches.
Now, it appears this surge of Scottish support has led to an unprecedented rise in beer sales, with bars in Boston reportedly running out of stock.
Scotland kicked off their 2026 World Cup campaign with a 1-0 victory over Haiti after John McGinn found the back of the net in the 28th minute on June 14 at Boston Stadium, Foxborough.
While The Haven is the city’s only dedicated Scottish bar and has consequently become a hub for the fans, the Tartan Army did not limit themselves at all.
In a news release, Boston Beer Co. stated that from Thursday to Sunday last week, the Scottish fans consumed four times what they usually stock up during a typical four-day holiday stretch like the Fourth of July.
Boston Beer Co. also mentioned they had to schedule an emergency delivery of beer on Saturday morning and are adding extra deliveries this week to ensure enough supply.
Billy DeCain of the Sam Adams Boston Taproom, a retail location owned and operated by the Boston Beer Co., told NBC Boston,
“We’ve never seen anything like it.”
And such is the experience of most bars there, as chief operating officer at Hennessy’s Bar in central Boston, Noelle Somers, echoed a similar emotion, mentioning that they have tripled their sales on that of St Patrick’s Day and told the Boston Globe,
“We’ve been here for over 30 years and we’ve never seen anything like it.”
One of the Tartan Army, Dave Orr, mentioned another bar, The White Bull Tavern, was also out of beer and added,
“The White Bull Tavern, there was no beer. The Scottish fans just drank the place dry and all they had was Bud Light.”
Paul Morris of The White Bull Tavern confirmed the situation and said,
“Pretty much everything. We ran out of everything. Tennent’s being number one. The fans have been unbelievable. They’re great — fun, drinking, partying — having a great time.”
Federal Wine & Spirits in the Financial District reportedly had one of its refrigerator doors break from being opened and closed too many times.
Oran McGonagle of The Dubliner, meanwhile, mentioned that there has been a possible scarcity on the distributor side as well and added,
“We had our biggest week ever last week. I managed to plan ahead and get an extr. a delivery last Saturday, and I was told yesterday the distributor has run out too. He’s getting his today and the rest of the city is getting theirs tomorrow.”
Despite the high demands, it seems that it’s truly a joyful party in Boston, with another Scottish fan extending his gratitude to the locals and saying,
“The guys in Boston are brilliant. They’ve embraced us, the police are amazing. Everyone’s been very kind.”
Now, Scotland are headed to face Morocco in their second clash of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on June 19, and while the Tartan Army will be praying for another victory, Boston bars will be hoping to have enough to cater to the fans.
