One Senegalese beer had to be transported over by a Russian living in northern Italy
A football fan has bought a beer from all 32 countries playing at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Gus Hully, 35, has been collecting lager and ale from across the world since as early as May.
He’s even managed to ship non-alcoholic brands from countries where booze is banned like Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Iran to his home in Bidford-On-Avon, Warwickshire.
This is the second time the music industry analyst has managed to collect a beer per contestant – first accomplishing the feat for 2018’s tournament in a picture that went viral on Twitter.
This year’s beers include your everyday brands like Kronenbourg 1664 from France and Tyskie from Poland, along with unheard of beers like Tunisia’s ‘Celtia’ and ‘Quilmes’ from Argentina.
One ‘ridiculous’ brand he managed to pin down, ‘La Gazelle’, even had to be transported over from it’s native Senegal in Africa by a Russian stranger from northern Italy.
Argentina – Quilmes
Australia – Cooper's Red Ale
Belgium – Chimay Blue
Brazil – Antarctica
Cameroon – Beaufort Light
Canada – Moosehead
Costa Rica – Imperial
Croatia – Karlovacko
Denmark – FAXE
Ecuador – Pilsener
England – Camden Hells
France – Kronenbourg 1664— Gus (@ballstothis) November 15, 2022
Several brands even had to be sourced via ‘social drinking’ app Untapped, which allows users to rate and discuss their favourite brands of beer.
Gus, known as @ballstothis on Twitter, said: “Some brands were particularly hard to source.
“I know people in places like France for example who went around all the corner shops for me and couldn’t find some brands.
“Thankfully I dont have to order in bulk, I don’t have the space in my flat for that.
“Around the country there are so many stores that sell more unique brands of beers so I tend to try and source them individually that way.
“I got the original idea about ten years ago form a guy on an internet forum who was doing something similar. I was sure I could do better than that, so decided to make it a tradition.
“I drink them as something of a toast every time a team is knocked out or to celebrate their victory at the end.”
Other brands he’s grabbed this year include the confusingly named ‘Bavaria’ from the Netherlands and ‘Fizzin Melon’ from Qatar.
Shipping in brands can sometimes prove a challenge though – particularly in the wake of brexit which he says had a remarkable effect on his access to foreign booze.
He said: “Sometimes I do have to get them shipped in, and some beers couldn’t even get shipped to the UK due to brexit rules so I had to get them sent to my friend in Germany who then brought them over.
“I had to monitor this Senegalese beer ‘La Gazelle’ on Untapped from June or July hoping someone would pop up with it on holiday.
“I was hoping I could message someone and see if they could bring me one back.
“I didn’t hear anything for two or three months, but then this Russian guy on holiday checked it in.
“I messaged him to ask if he could bring one back, and he immediately said ‘ah yeah this is cool’ and brought one with him.
“He lived in Northern Italy though, so he managed to source me the Senegalese and Tunisian beers which he sent to my pal in Germany, and that pal then sent them on to me alongside the Costa Rican ‘Imperial’ beer he had himself.
“It’s not easy to get them all in, some you have to put a little bit of legwork into.”
Despite backing England this year, Gus isn’t holding out hope that his ‘Camden Hells’ beer will make it un-opened until the final.
Instead, he’s betting on Brazil’s ‘Antarctica’, adding: “They’re in good form this year, but I’ll hold out hope for a surprise.”
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