Becherovka reports heavy losses in wake of methanol deaths

The maker of the famous herbal liquor Becherovka reports losses to the tune of 100 million crowns as a result of the enforced prohibition last year. The Jan Becher-Karlovarska Becherovka company said sales were down by 12 percent year-on-year. The losses were caused not only on the government enforced ban on spirits, which lasted for two weeks, but by lower exports due to the methanol scare. Close to 40 people died of methanol poisoning in the Czech Republic last year after consuming dangerous bootleg alcohol. Liquor sales dropped by an average 10 percent as a result and have not yet fully returned to their previous levels. According to the head of the Union of Spirits Producers Petr Pavlík, 2012 was the worst year for Czech spirits producers since 1990.