Brazil’s Bar and Restaurant Sales Drop 4.9% in September as Methanol Scare Weighs on Demand

Overview

• The Abrasel–Stone index shows a 4.9% month‑over‑month decline in September and a 3.9% fall year over year, with sector inflation and high household debt further constraining discretionary spending.
• The Health Ministry’s latest update cites 47 confirmed methanol intoxications and nine deaths, concentrated in São Paulo with additional cases in Pernambuco, Paraná and Rio Grande do Sul.
• São Paulo’s civil police are pursuing the hypothesis that adulterated alcohol circulated from a clandestine operation in São Bernardo do Campo, while links to cases in other states remain unconfirmed.
• Abrasel reports no contaminated bottles identified in formal establishments and has enrolled more than 15,000 entrepreneurs in free training on safe beverage purchasing and transparency practices.
• Distilled‑spirit sales plunged in early October at many venues but have begun to recover gradually, regional results remain uneven, and October’s consolidated data are expected to show the fuller economic impact; Maranhão and Mato Grosso do Sul were the only states with September growth.