20,000 Scots drink Boston dry as Tartan Army storms World Cup opener

Boston’s bars are running dry after more than 20,000 Scotland supporters flooded the city for the Tartan Army’s opening two World Cup group-stage matches, triggering a surge in beer demand that local venues say they have never experienced before.

Noelle Somers, chief operating officer at Hennessy’s Bar in central Boston, told the Boston Globe that trade following the Scotland v Haiti match had tripled the bar’s St Patrick’s Day figures — historically its busiest day of the year. “We’ve been here for over 30 years and we’ve never seen anything like it,” she said. The bar ran out of beer on Sunday night and had to be restocked on Monday morning, with another delivery scheduled ahead of Scotland’s second group game against Morocco on Friday.

The Sam Adams Boston Taproom reported a similar story. Billy DeCain told NBC Boston that demand for the brewery’s Boston Lager ran four times higher than a typical holiday period over the weekend. “We’ve never seen anything like it,” he said, echoing Somers almost word for word.

The Tartan Army has become a fixture across the city, with blue, tartan and the Saltire filling bars from the centre outward. Boston’s only dedicated Scottish bar, The Haven, has served as the unofficial headquarters for travelling fans. Owner Jason Waddleton had anticipated the demand, ordering more than 100 kegs of Tennent’s ahead of the tournament to ensure supporters could drink their preferred lager.

Beyond the pubs, Scotland fans have also embraced local culture, with a large contingent making the trip to Fenway Park to take in a Boston Red Sox game during the days between fixtures.