Royal Challengers Bangalore’s long-awaited IPL 2025 triumph didn’t just end a cricketing drought — it sparked a celebration across Karnataka so wild that even the excise department was left stunned.
As soon as RCB lifted their maiden IPL trophy, euphoria erupted in every corner of the state. Fireworks lit up the sky, fans danced on flyovers, and what followed was unexpected — an unprecedented liquor buying spree that rewrote Karnataka’s alcohol sales records.
According to official data, a jaw-dropping 1.48 lakh beer crates and 1.28 lakh crates of hard liquor were sold in just 24 hours, resulting in a staggering Rs 157.94 crore in sales. For context, this is Rs 132 crore more than what was recorded on the same date last year — when only Rs 6.29 crore worth of beer was sold.
Liquor stores witnessed serpentine queues from early morning. Viral clips online showed fans bursting beer bottles on city streets, with some even calling it “Karnataka’s second Diwali.” Wearing RCB jerseys, chanting team anthems, and throwing street parties, fans made it a festival-like event.
An excise official quipped, “We’ve never seen this kind of spike. This was not just a cricket win — it was a revenue jackpot for the state. The entire supply chain was stretched but handled well.”
On social media, hashtags like #RCBChamps, #LiquorStorm, and #NammaRCB trended for hours as fans toasted their team’s historic win.
However, not everyone is cheering. Public health experts have raised eyebrows over the surge in alcohol consumption. “It’s good to see people celebrate, but normalising large-scale drinking as part of sporting victories is risky,” warned a senior health official.
Still, for the RCB faithful, the moment was decades in the making. And in Karnataka, the party didn’t stop with the trophy — it poured all the way into liquor shops, delivering a double celebration: one for cricket, the other for the excise coffers.
