Karnataka witnessed a staggering surge in liquor sales on Tuesday, as jubilant fans celebrated Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) long-awaited Indian Premier League (IPL) victory. Official figures revealed that alcohol sales touched a record-breaking Rs 157.94 crore in just 24 hours, the highest single-day revenue in the state’s history.
According to data from the state Excise Department, 1.48 lakh crates of beer alone were sold, accounting for Rs 30.66 crore. An additional 1.28 lakh crates of other spirits pushed the total figure to Rs 157.94 crore, a sharp increase of Rs 132 crore compared to the same day last year.
“This isn’t just RCB’s win, it’s Karnataka’s Diwali,” a senior excise official told media organisations, marvelling at the sheer volume of sales. “The entire supply chain was stretched, but liquor shops stayed open well past midnight. We’ve never experienced anything like this.”
The record sales coincided with a statewide outpouring of emotion as RCB finally lifted the IPL trophy after 18 seasons. Celebrations erupted across cities and towns, with Bengaluru at the epicentre. Crowds flooded the streets, lit fireworks, danced on roads and vehicles, and donned team jerseys in a display of unfiltered joy. Traffic came to a near standstill in several parts of the city, forcing police to work through the night to manage swelling crowds.
Scenes from across Karnataka showed fans forming long queues outside liquor outlets from the early hours, some even celebrating on flyovers with bottles in hand. Viral videos captured impromptu street parties where fans sang, danced, and raised toasts to their team’s triumph. Social media platforms mirrored the chaos with hashtags like #RCBChamps and #LiquorStorm trending nationwide.
The state government, set to felicitate the RCB team at Vidhana Soudha on June 4, also found reason to cheer; the massive liquor sales translated into a substantial tax windfall. Neither the Chief Minister’s Office nor the Excise Department has disclosed the exact tax revenue yet, but officials confirmed it to be “unusually high.”
However, the unbridled revelry wasn’t without concerns. A stampede in Bengaluru reportedly claimed 11 lives during the celebrations, sparking criticism over crowd management. In response to the backlash, RCB deleted a celebratory video posted online and cancelled their planned victory parade. The team will now be honoured at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium under tighter security.
Public health experts also expressed concern over the scale of alcohol consumption. “We understand the joy, but mass drinking as a cultural expression of victory isn’t sustainable,” said a senior health official on condition of anonymity. “We are assessing the social and health implications of this spike.”