A Beer Run in Qatar, to a Store That Isn’t Open to All

“Muslim, Hindu, who doesn’t drink here?” said Hari, a heavy goods vehicle driver from Kathmandu, Nepal, who was headed to a World Cup fan zone after having a few glasses of whiskey at home. Like Shaj, he asked that his full name not be revealed out of fear of running afoul of the authorities or potential employers. “Everyone is scared to talk about it because it is forbidden here.”

After nine years in Qatar, Hari said that he has eked out enough money to purchase brand name alcohol on the secondary market. But he knows most other workers do not have that luxury. Some in Asian Town buy amateur brews made from fermented fruit. Others turn to homemade, chemically enhanced, hard spirits.

One popular variety of local moonshine, nicknamed Sri Lanka, is sold in plastic water bottles for around $8, Hari said. It is potent and possibly dangerous: Medical officials in Nepal believe such concoctions might have resulted in the deaths of migrant workers in Qatar and elsewhere in the Gulf.

The scene in Asian Town was a far cry from the state-sanctioned bonhomie of the Q.D.C.

Shoppers last week were weaving their carts around pyramids of stacked beer cans. A 24-pack of Budweiser was selling for 188 Qatari riyals, or roughly $52. Nearby, a bottle of Cristal Champagne was listed for about $489.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/06/sports/soccer/world-cup-alcohol-qatar.html