Bars and restaurants across Brazil’s biggest state fear they could see as much as a 30% drop in business as a methanol poisoning crisis rocks the alcoholic beverage industry.
The Federation of Hotels, Restaurants, and Bars of the State of São Paulo, known as Fhoresp, estimates that revenue losses within the last week from distilled beverages — which include vodka, whiskey and gin — at some establishments reaching 50%, it said in a Sunday statement. The sudden drop in business activity comes amid a wave of methanol poisoning cases reported across several Brazilian states linked to the consumption of adulterated alcoholic beverages.