On their own: why Russians choose moonshine
There is a rapidly growing interest in home-brewed moonshine in Russia. According to experts, there are already more than 2.5 million moonshine distillers in the country, and demand for them increased by almost a third (37%) at the beginning of 2025. Both economic and social factors are pushing home production of strong alcohol. Details can be found in the Izvestia article.
You can drive
As explained to Izvestia in the press service of the Federal Service for Alcohol and Tobacco Market Control, currently the production of moonshine for personal needs is not prohibited by law. However, the retail sale of homemade alcohol is prohibited and leads to liability.
To date, about 2.5 million moonshine distillers are in operation in the country, according to Maxim Chernigov, Associate professor of the Department of Management at the Presidential Academy in St. Petersburg.
"This is not just an amateur trend — in recent years, the demand for home distilling equipment has increased by almost a third, with a particular increase occurring after another increase in minimum retail prices and tightening regional restrictions on the sale of legal alcohol," he explains.
Experts draw attention to the difficulty of estimating the volume of the moonshine market.
— Firstly, this is the shadow part of the economy, and secondly, the population drives alcohol, as a rule, for their own consumption, not for sale. There are methods by which it is possible to track the dynamics in general: the mentioned demand for moonshine distillers, recording abnormally high demand for sugar and yeast, as well as population surveys," says Magomed Magomedov, analyst at Finam.
From alcohol to sugar
Experts believe that the main reasons for consumers' withdrawal to moonshine are economic. Since January 1, 2025, the minimum retail price of a 0.5-liter bottle of vodka has increased from 299 to 349 rubles, that is, by 16.7%. In practice, the price in the store is often higher than 400 rubles. At the same time, restrictions on the sale of alcohol in establishments located in residential buildings continue to apply in 69 regions of Russia. For many, this means the loss of familiar access points to legal alcohol.
A legislative gap also plays a role. Despite the fact that online sales of legal alcohol are prohibited in Russia, moonshine distillers can be bought on marketplaces completely freely.
— Many people see this as a loophole. It's more profitable to buy a cube once and make moonshine all year round than to pay 400 rubles per bottle in a store," says Maxim Chernigov.
However, the interest in moonshine brewing is not only related to the economic component, Magomed Magomedov believes.
— If earlier this type of activity was associated with marginality, now many people look at it as a hobby and a profitable alternative to finished products, — says the expert.
According to him, the increase in excise taxes and the minimum retail price for alcoholic beverages against the background of the cultural normalization of moonshine brewing results in an accelerated departure of consumers to the "shadow" alcohol sector.
Homemade distillate is perceived not so much as a way to save money, but as a form of quality control, confirms Ekaterina Kosareva, managing partner of the analytical agency VMT Consult.
— However, it is important to understand that moonshine brewing is not just a household process, but a potentially dangerous technology that requires certain knowledge and compliance with sanitary standards. Today, there is a steady demand on the market for distilling equipment and ingredients, which indicates that moonshine brewing has become a legitimate hobby. At the same time, it is necessary to develop a culture of consumption and education: from basic courses to professional seminars in order to minimize the risks from the production and consumption of such a product," she says.
Health hazards
—If improperly distilled and insufficiently purified, fusel oils and other toxic impurities remain in the drink," warns Chernigov. — They affect the liver and kidneys, and in severe cases cause poisoning with blindness and death. It is especially important to keep in mind the risk of methanol formation — even a small fraction of it can be fatal.
According to Ekaterina Kosareva, in the context of current consumer inflation and excise policy, an increase in interest in moonshine is quite expected.
— For some households, this is a form of economy. Alcohol is still a sought-after product, especially in low—income groups. But given the rising prices, moonshine is no longer perceived as a risk, but as an alternative. At the same time, it is necessary to understand that the state is losing revenue from excise taxes, and the population is risking their health," she says.
She emphasizes that the sustained interest in home production is a manifestation of a systemic problem.
— When a bottle of vodka costs more than a day's work in some regions, consumers are looking for workarounds. Add to this the underdevelopment of legal forms of craft production, the bureaucracy in licensing, and you will get a logical result in the form of a boom in moonshine distillers," the analyst explains.
Alexander Stavtsev, head of the WineRetail information center, also points to the impact of higher retail prices for alcohol and restrictions on the free sale of alcohol.
— We see an increase in minimum retail prices for vodka, an increase in excise tax rates and a reduction in the availability of alcohol on sale. This causes so—called internal substitution, a typical phenomenon in any anti-alcohol campaign. None of these campaigns in Russia has been complete without an increase in the production of cheap homemade alcohol. An example is 1985: according to official statistics of the USSR, vodka sales fell by half, and sales of sugar used for moonshine almost tripled to 1.5 million tons. Similar processes are taking place now. At the same time, the data of the Ministry of Health on alcohol consumption does not coincide with the statistics of Rosalkogolregulirovanie — consumption is not decreasing as rapidly as retail sales are falling, the expert says.
What to do?
Experts agree that a repressive approach will not work here. According to Chernigov, "the key direction in the fight against illegal moonshine should be to reduce the need for it. A reasonable excise policy, the availability of legal alcohol and strict enforcement of current restrictions will help return some of the demand to the legal segment and protect the health of citizens."
— Regulation should be comprehensive. It is necessary not only to limit the sale of the substitute, but also to expand the supply of legal alcohol, including simplification of licenses for small craft producers. The smaller the black market, the safer the entire industry will be," Ekaterina Kosareva said.
Alexander Stavtsev believes that lowering the threshold for entry into the licensed market will make it possible to bring high-quality craft spirits on sale.
— The license for distillate production costs 9 million rubles, and almost no one gets it. Even wineries that could legally distill grape waste into vodka and increase profitability do not do this because of the high cost of permits. But the format of homemade quality alcohol itself continues to evolve," he says.
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