Ahhhh!!!!! Of course. Money talks. Go to the right place with enough $$$ and you can drink till your little heart’s content! Hotel Kempinski. Very nice. Thought about upgrading from our modest little apartment. Rooms at the Kempinski normally $500 a night are going for $6,000 a night this month! I’ll just stop for a quick one! Beer as big as my head!
($18 – but l learned that there’s 100% tax on alcohol)
The case for no beer. OK. Beer probably shouldn’t be the biggest issue in Qatar. But it’s kind of become the hot topic. After much thought I’ve reached the conclusion that the Qataris are right to restrict alcohol sales. Here’s why. First I don’t think it’s fundamentally a religious or cultural thing, if it were, then it would be totally restricted like in Saudi Arabia. Instead it’s relatively freely available, if pricey, at high end restaurants and hotels. I think the main concern is security. Even without alcohol, football crowds can be “mouthy” verging on aggressive. For example the vast crowd leaving the game the other night. Imagine that crowd with a bunch of beer in it. The security forces here, while numerous and courteous appear extremely inexperienced. It wouldn’t take much for a jumpy crowd and an inexperienced security force to get into a situation. Remember the Champions League final this year, so, for that reason I think it’s the right call.
(and in any case, if you can’t get a beer at a Scottish football ground, (which you can’t) them why here.)
What! Scotland Qualified!!! 