Seattle tops World Cup bar crawl list as fans drink bars dry

SEATTLE, Wash. - Seattle is topping a new list of World Cup host cities, but this time, it’s for its legendary bar crawls. As soccer fans flood the city, local business owners are feeling the beautiful madness of the tournament—and scrambling to keep up with demand.

A recent study ranked Seattle as the top World Cup host city for a bar crawl, as the city boasts nearly eight bars per square mile and praising their relative affordability.

But for business owners, that high ranking comes with a lot of heavy lifting. At the Kangaroo and Kiwi pub in Ballard, owner Bradley Howe says thirsty fans nearly emptied his entire inventory of beer. Australian fans, in particular, have earned a global reputation for drinking host cities dry—a feat they previously accomplished in Vancouver and are now repeating in the Emerald City.

"It’s been incredible, but this is what you live for when you open a bar," Howe said. "You want craziness, you want people, you want fun, you want all the madness."

Making the Costco Dash

Big picture view:

During a recent Friday match between the USA and Australia, the crowds were so massive that keeping beer cold and in stock became Howe's number one priority.

The pub's delivery schedule quickly skyrocketed. "We were getting about eight deliveries in four days," Howe said. "Sometimes two trucks a day come through."

When standard distributors couldn't keep pace with the thirsty crowds, Howe had to take matters into his own hands. After a single shipment of 60 cases vanished, he resorted to emergency restocks.

"Saturday morning I had to make a Costco dash," Howe said. "I bought 30 more cases at Costco."

According to Howe, packaged beers like Corona and Pacifico have been the weekend's biggest hits.

Lines Like Starbucks

Local perspective:

The rush isn't isolated to just one pub, and regular patrons are feeling the squeeze.

"It's thirsty work just watching this," said Michael Webb, a regular at the Kangaroo and Kiwi. Another regular, John Taylor, noted the sheer volume of people: "You go to the bar but they form a line like it's a Starbucks in here. It's just ridiculous."

When asked about the supply struggles, Webb offered some simple advice: "They should’ve ordered more!"

The Real Challenge: A Matter of Fridge Space

Dig deeper:

While the sheer volume of thirsty soccer fans is staggering, Howe says the true logistical nightmare comes down to simple physics: local bars just don't have the room to store that much liquid asset.

"Well, it's just space, space is everything," Howe said. "Most bars only have a pretty small walk-in, pretty small fridges, that is the hard part."

Even for an established venue like the Kangaroo and Kiwi, accommodating a massive influx of inventory for a global tournament pushes physical boundaries.

"I've got a decent amount of space down there, but not enough, not enough fridge space for beer," Howe explained. "Kegs take up a lot of room, package beer cases take up a lot of room, but we've gone, we've done pretty well, I think."

The spatial limitations create a constant, high-stakes game of inventory rotation. Because there isn't enough cold storage to keep everything chilled simultaneously, the bar staff has to cycle the beer through the coolers around the clock just to ensure the next day's crowd doesn't get a lukewarm pint.

"It's the difficulty of keeping it cold, rotating it through is the key, you know?" Howe noted.

Advice for the Next Host City

As Seattle prepares for the next round of matches, Howe is already placing massive orders to restock his walk-in cooler. He also has a stern warning for the next cities on the World Cup bracket, like San Francisco, as they get ready to host the Aussies.

"Order up, get the beer, and just keep it cold," Howe warned. "Don’t dare serve them a warm beer or there will be a riot."

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