Drinking observations

One of the things that I love about France (and Europe in general) is the way that people enjoy eating more than they do in America.  Even simple meals at home usually have multiple courses and last for at least twice as long as a typical dinner in America.  Now, I know Americans love to eat, but for us it's usually more of a matter of quantity over quality.  We don't sit and savor our food; we race through our meal so that we can move on to something else.  A meal is something to be conquered so that we can stop being hungry.

Another example of their love of food: in France, people eat while they are drinking.  When you go to a college house party, they are more likely to be drinking wine (of course), but they will also have something to eat, like pasta.  It may be simple and uncomplicated, but it's nice to have something to gnosh on while you are drinking.

In Sweden, people drink a lot of water while they are drinking.  It is actually a law that bars have to have water available (for free) for people to drink, which is usually in pitchers at the end of the bar.  This is a great idea...not only do people not get quite as drunk (or at least they are slower in getting there), but the hangover is much less severe.

Another law in Sweden is that an alcohol establishment must have food available for purchase as long as they are serving alcohol.  And not just pretzels and peanuts, actual food that is cooked.

Instead of using a lime, Swedes follow a tequila shot with a lemon.  This is wrong, as I explain to them whenever they order tequila.  I will only give them a lemon under protest, and I hope that I am slowly correcting this travesty one customer at a time.

Alcohol is enormously more expensive in Sweden than in America, both at the bars and at the state-owned liquor store ("Systembolaget").  A mixed drink may run around $10, a beer $6-7, and a typical fifth of decent liquor is $30-45.  Even the generic, cheap liquor is $15-20/bottle.

In my experience, most Swedish things taste very good.  Swedish fish?  SOOO much tastier than actual fish.  Meatballs are good, but Swedish meatballs are better.  But alcohol?  Schnapps is usually very delicious.  Swedish schnapps, on the other hand, is terrible, whether it is Bäska, Skåne, Hallands, or Fernet.  They readily admit this and take great pride in how awful their schnapps taste.  When doing shots, their shot of choice is Fishshot (often called Fishers or Fisherman).  We have the same thing in America, but we call it NyQuil cough syrup.

The reputation of Swedish people as being cold, quiet, and peaceful is very true.  That's why they have alcohol at every social event (even the welcome ceremony for international students had brandy and port for the students).  Once they start to get tipsy, Swedish people become outgoing, friendly, and loud.  And sometimes even violent.  A few weeks ago, I was working at a party at Vastgota.  I had to help the police officers who were working security wrestle down 2 drunk guys who attacked them.  Now, I've seen an all out brawl go down in a bar before, but that was in rural Ohio.  You expect bar brawls in rural Ohio.  But a fight in Sweden?  With the police?  Only when alcohol is involved.