Beer sales in Russia have seen significant growth since the start of the year, outpacing other fast-moving consumer goods, the Kommersant business daily reported Thursday, citing market data.According to NielsenIQ, a global marketing research firm, beer sales in Russia rose 8.7% year-on-year between January and July, a stark contrast to the modest 1.6% growth seen in the same period last year.The rise in beer sales has been driven by growing prices for stronger alcoholic drinks like wine and spirits, largely caused by higher import duties on goods from countries deemed unfriendly by Russia, Kommersant noted.Beer prices, meanwhile, have remained relatively stable.Data from Rusprodsoyuz, a union of food producers, show that beer prices increased by 4.8% year-on-year between January and September 2024, while prices for wine, sparkling wine and cognac grew by 6.2%, 6.5%, and 5.98%, respectively.Yegor Guselnikov, vice president of Baltika Breweries, suggested that the crackdown on the illegal beer market has also played a role in the growth of sales, Kommersant wrote.