This Iconic Boston Taproom Had A Lager Emergency After World Cup Fans Drank Them Dry

It's common for sports fans to enjoy a few cold ones as they watch their favorite team battle for supremacy, but Scottish soccer fans take it to an entirely different level. Over the weekend, over 20,000 of Scotland's most devoted followers descended on the Boston area to support their squad as they faced off against Haiti in the World Cup, and they came thirsty. Despite local bar owners and liquor stores anticipating a higher demand for suds with the influx of devout soccer enthusiasts, their preparedness wasn't enough to satisfy the parched Tartan Army as they created a lager emergency at Samuel Adams Downtown Boston Taproom.

Through four days of drinking in the Boston bar scene, the Scottish tourists guzzled down quadruple the amount of beer as the famous taproom typically sells during a bustling July 4 weekend. But they weren't as interested in knocking back IPAs, the most popular craft beer in the U.S., as they were taking swigs of an American classic, Samuel Adams Boston Lager (which was not started by one of America's Founding Fathers). The bar was slinging so much of the flagship brew that it sold out. Boston Beer Co., the brewery that supplies the taproom with suds, had to make an emergency delivery on Saturday to ensure it could meet continued demand.

Sam Adams Boston Downtown Taproom wasn't the only establishment in the city, which claims TV's most iconic bar hangout, that struggled to quench the Scottish soccer fans' thirst. After Scotland's 1-0 victory over Haiti in the World Cup, many other Boston bars experienced the same dilemma. One example comes from the chief operating officer at Hennessy's Bar, who claimed their sales over the weekend surpassed St. Patrick's Day's numbers threefold.

Another location that had trouble keeping up with the fans, Federal Wine & Spirits in Boston's Financial District, experienced a bar refrigerator breakdown as it was continually being opened and closed to keep customers satisfied. Despite the obvious jam they were putting bar staff in, the Tartan Army showed no signs of letting up. They continued to enthusiastically celebrate with beers constantly in hand, even booing one person who ordered water instead of a cold one.

Even liquor stores were running dry. But these establishments, as well as the Boston bars affected by the surge of Scottish tourists, are making every effort to stock up whatever they can this week. The beer chugging should commence once again this weekend, as Scotland is slated to compete against Morocco in the World Cup on Friday.