Yesterday we were considering the importance of drinking plenty of water while on
vacation, and how staying hydrated is an absolute necessity.
Today we're going to ditch necessity and consider drinking for fun, instead. Traveling abroad, and to Europe especially, is a great treat for anyone who enjoys a glass of wine, a beer or a shot of a locally-produced spirit. However, before embarking on any kind of alcoholic odyssey it's a good idea to be familiar with one or two bits of information about etiquette and local drinking habits. Again, this is an area where doing research is vital. For the sake of this post we'll assume you're familiar with basic, basic drinking etiquette - for example, the fact that it's not a good idea to send back a bottle of red wine in a restaurant because it isn't chilled - and focus more on some of the pitfalls that the unwary drinker can fall into.
The first thing to remember is something that's often repeated, but bears repeating again: if you're from the States, you'll find many European alcoholic drinks to be stronger than their equivalent back home. Most beer served in bars in the States falls into the two percent to four percent alcohol-by-volume category. British beers tend to be between four percent and six percent, and continental European beers stronger still. If you're not used to this kind of strength, pace yourself! Also, there has been a marked trend in recent years towards stronger and stronger wines; this applies to wines from vineyards all over the world, not just Europe. The range used to be between eight and twelve percent ABV. These days it is closer to between ten and fourteen percent.
Local etiquette varies dramatically when it comes to drinking. In Germanic countries, much of eastern Europe and the UK it is reasonably socially acceptable to get drunk. Excess drinking is deeply ingrained into the culture of these countries, and various government attempts over the past thousand years to clamp down on drunkenness have failed miserably. Interestly, it is far less acceptable to be seen to be drunk in Latin countries such as Spain, France and Italy, where wine is generally preferred to beer. Oddly, this has the effect of driving alcohol underground to an extent: in France you will see far, far less public drunkenness in town centers on a Friday or a Saturday night than you will in the UK, but the French have a far higher rate of alcoholism than the British.
In eastern Europe, vodka drinking is a whole science to itself and can be a social minefield. If you're invited to a party with a bunch of Russians or eastern Europeans, make sure you can take your alcohol. Unless you wish to be considered a cissy, remember to down your vodka in a single go. Buy a drink for everyone who buys you one, and don't touch your vodka until the person who has bought the round has had a chance to propose a toast!