Beer shortage in Ashanti Region mars celebration during festivities

The Christmas festivities in the Ashanti Region took a surprising turn this year as a widespread shortage of mini club beer left revelers scrambling to quench their thirst during the season’s celebrations.

Operators reported that they had not been receiving mini club beer in the Ashanti Region for the past two months.

Bars and pubs across the region reported an unprecedented surge in demand for the popular beverage, with empty shelves and frustrated patrons becoming a common sight.

According to local vendors, the shortage was particularly severe in areas known for their vibrant nightlife, including Krofrom, Ashanti Bantama, Adum, Maxima, Asafo, Kwadaso, and other communities.

While festive seasons are traditionally marked by an increase in alcohol consumption, this year’s demand for club beer appeared to be unusually high.

Some observers linked the surge to the mood of residents, particularly supporters of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and main opposition NDC, who form a significant portion of region’s population.

The December 7 presidential and parliamentary elections saw the NPP suffer significant setbacks, with the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) making notable gains in traditionally strongholds of the ruling party.

For many NPP supporters, the celebrations may have doubled as an opportunity to drown their post-election sorrows.

“We’ve Never Seen This Before,” one said.

Bar sellers described the situation as unprecedented. “We restocked several times in anticipation of the usual Christmas rush, but we were caught off guard this year,” said Yaw Boateng, a bartender in Krofrom.

“People were ordering crates at a time, and by Christmas Eve, there was nothing left to sell.”

Others joked that Ashanti Region’s residents were attempting to “drink away” the election results.

“It seems some people are celebrating the holidays, while others are trying to forget the pain,” quipped Yaw Boateng, a pub owner at Ahinsan Estates.

Club beer, one of Ghana’s most iconic alcoholic beverages, is brewed by the Accra Brewery Limited.

Attempts to reach the company for comment on the shortage were unsuccessful, but local distributors revealed that supply chain challenges and the unexpected spike in demand contributed to the scarcity.

“We received only half of our usual allocation this December,” explained one distributor in Kumasi. “The trucks couldn’t keep up with the orders coming from both wholesalers and retailers.”

Vendors have pledged to better anticipate demand, while patrons are being urged to consume responsibly.

For now, however, the shortage has given Kumasi residents an unforgettable story to recount – one where politics, celebrations, and a beloved beverage collided during the holidays.

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By: Benjamin Aidoo

The post Beer shortage in Ashanti Region mars celebration during festivities first appeared on 3News.

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