Prague/Moscow- A number of Russian officials have proposed to deploy bombers in Cuba in response to the US radar base planned in the Czech Republic, which Russia views as a security threat.

Now one of Russia's top think-tanks has now come up with an even craftier retaliation: a boycott of Czech beer.

"If Russians stopped drinking Czech beer in response to the stationing of the US radar, it would be a much more serious sign, more serious than cutting off oil supplies or than any letter of protest sent by the Russian foreign minister," wrote Alexander Pikayev, an analyst at the Institute of World Economy and International Relations.

According to Pikayev, quoted by the Ria Novosti news agency, a beer boycott would be a big blow to the Czech economy.

But market insiders are sceptical about the impact of such a move. According to data from the Russian Brewers' Union, imported beer constitutes only 2% of total beer consumption in Russia. Big-name brands produce beer cheaply in Russia, so the country imports less and less beer.

Russian breweries these days produce not just Prazdroj and Staropramen, but also Lobkowicz and Zlatopramen. These beers pose strong competition to local giants including Baltika or Krasny Vostok.

Statistics show the average Russian drinks about 50 litres of beer annual, which is three times less than what the average Czech drinks. Still, beer makes up three-quarters of all alcohol sold in Russia.

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