A question for the Americans (from a brit)

[soberundertow]

Well, what i mean by dry is that certain southern state laws are harsher on drinking.

that's also not true. they're as lax on DUIs and underage drinking here as they are on the west coast or anywhere else. in the smaller rural areas the cops may have a drink with a 16 year old before sending him home, may make him pour it out, may tell on him at church or may shoot him 11 times in the chest and take his beer.

drinking heavily is a normal part of life here, so is taking drugs

i'm in the construction industry right now, i'm one of maybe 5% of the industry that isn't fucked up daylight to dark.

[Quizen]

GDP per capita:
Ranked 4 in the world: Norway - 52.238 Intl. $
Ranked 16 in the world: Denmark - 36.764 Intl. $

Yeah, Norway is a poor country.

I dont think he mean "poor" as poor, rather that its much more expensive in Norway than in DK.

[Seriko]

The Queen lets Brits drink???

[Deleted]

The Queen lets Brits drink???

Good one...

[Bearshield]

The drinking culture of the US is incredibly varied depending on where you actually are in the US. Night life in major cities is pretty much what you'd expect; lots of clubs in hotspot locations, mostly just bars elsewhere.

Pretty much this. When I used to go out drinkin I lived in Phoenix, where the "party scene" was pretty much Tempe right by Arizona State University. Clubs imo were overpriced and not so great, so we usually went to the bars. There was a few of them all right close to each other on Mill Ave. There weren't no 20-30 clubs around though, but then again Phoenix wasn't really known for it's nightlife. (bars closed at 1:00am then if that tells you anything, think it's 2:00 now though) But yeah, my friends and I would get together and get pretty drunk. Definitely cheaper to buy your own booze and mix stuff up at someone's house than at the bars.

[commanderbeatdown]

There are also states like Utah, where the majority do not drink at all, but the minority get extra wasted to make up for/rebel against the culture.

[adamzz]

I dont think he mean "poor" as poor, rather that its much more expensive in Norway than in DK.

Stuff tend to be more expensive in a country where the people earn more. The stuff may be expensive in his eyes but they aren't in the eyes of someone from Norway.

[Gothicshark]

BozzaBean I was wondering though what is the drinking culture actually like where you are?

College Age is about the same, but as we mature we drink less on average that the welsh do. Although we drink a lot still.

speaking as a die hard welshman when the weekend comes the sole goal is too get as drunk as you can.

17-25 year olds do this as Americans get older we slow down on the falling down drunk puking out guts routine.

Whether that be house parties or in town.

Bout the same, although at house parties someone always has Kush or better to pass around.

Whats the nightlife like over in america? major cities over here have sometimes 20-30 clubs within 1 mile of each other, each one jam packed. Drinking is a very big activity over here.

I can answer for the Los Angelese Area fairly well, we have thousands of clubs spread out over thousands of square miles with concentrations near Hollywood and West LA. Drinking is big business here as well.


A side thought is the sex culture too? is it all "Be a gentleman take them out on a date blah blah" cause most of the time over here its "I'm gonna go meet this girl and BAM" :P

Well that's the funny bit, As kids Americans are the same, but at some point as adults most Americans become horribly Conservative about sex. Its really strange, OK to show killing maiming and gratuitous violence. But the second sex becomes hinted at people are up in arms against it. 0.o

And these days Smoking has become an R rated Activity as well

http://www.newsy.com/videos/is-smoki...r-rated-habit/

Again sorry if this thread makes no sense.

No big good question

---------- Post added 2011-03-18 at 10:58 AM ----------

GurdurSpeaking as a canadian, I´m naturally an expert in all matters american. It depends a lot on who you are, where you are, and how old you are.

The Canadian Has a point, (in campy Jewish Hollywood Accent) "Location, Location, Location" the West Coast is very different that the North west from the Mountain States, Ect.

For example, minors (thats anyone under the age of TWENTY-GODDAMN-ONE) in america are mostly drinking super cheap crappy american beer at house parties, yelling to keep it down so nobody calls the cops.

In Socal the under 21's do sneak Alcohol but Pot is just as popular.

Young adults in rural areas seem to do pretty much the same, while in cities, most youth go to bars. Now i´m living in spain, and if bars where you are resemble bars here, thay aren´t anything like north american bars. What we call a bar, you probibly call a night club, or a disco, or a "what the hell is that goddamn noise??". Flashing lights, pretentious djs, and techno music tend to accompany half of the urban drinking scene. The other half happens in what the british would call a pub, but we call those bars too.

Most of the Bars in Socal have 3 Nights a week where they become a club of sorts, they can become a Karaoke bar, a Hip-Hop/Ganksta Pop Disco, or a Gay Cowboy Latino Club for Vegans. See http://www.laweekly.com/navigation/directory/bar-club/ you'll get a laugh when you read the description of a few.

Note all these places sell crap american beer for so much money "pre-drinking" is a common preactice in the north americas, since stores sell it cheaper and you can buy half a dozen, show up tothe "bar" with a buzz on already, and not go bankrupt getting plastered. Import beers are also available for lottery winners.

the Young do like the Cheap American beers because they are cheap, however since the Micro Brew Culture is in full effect in SoCal many people locally prefer to drink Beers which kick other beers in the teeth... see http://www.arrogantbastard.com/

In some regions of america, its common practice at a certain advanced age to sit on your doorstep, alone or with a friend, and drink while watching other people do honest work.

We have front Yards, Backyards, and Balconies for this activity, we also usually smoke weed when doing that, and since we have the Medical M cards most of us do it legally.

At this point the aging american has realized the awfulness of beer, and have switched up to rum and coke.

So Very True. Not to say its because beer is awful, but $ for $ Calorie for Calorie A good Rum and coke always wins.


Lastly there are adventurous parties where someone smuggles in a case of Canadian beer, the best and most potent beer brewed

Not even close unless its micro brewed and since we have some of the best micro-brews in California people who drink Molsen are usually sent home early ad they get no pot.

in north america. (Since you can light up and smoke a good irish beer).

In SoCal we prefer to Drink our beer and smoke our weed. But in Canada they might actually smoke the beer and drink the weed. 0.o

See typical Canadian Picture:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1.../greg_nerd.jpg


These unfortunate ventures usually end with everyone in the hospital with irreversable liver damage from drinking something stronger then mouthwash. Very tragic.

Like Russian Vodka.

I hope this has been enlightening!

Here have a Bud Mr. Canada Dude -.o

[Fooliecoolie]

In Austin Texas, we have a thriving club scene due to being "The Live Music Capitol of the World". Plus We have several major colleges either in town or nearby (Baylor, TCU, Rice, Texas A&M and of course UT) so it isn't hard to find a house party. Plus you add in events like SxSW, Austin City Limits Festival, Eeyore's Birthday, as well as UT (American) Football tailgate parties. And finally we also have one of the greatest movie theater chains in the US: The Alamo Draft House. http://www.drafthouse.com/

[kunah]

can't speak for the college drinking scene,, but
I lived in the Uk for a few years and I can tell that drinking(alot) is very accepted and not really frowned upon like it is in the US.

Everyone is expected to stop by thier local pub for a few 'sundowners" every night. if you did that here you would be considered a
alchoholic. And the weekend comes,, o man.. It's a drunkfest and it feels strange NOT to have a hangover on saturday morning. I saw young people getting old before thier time becuase of the physical toll it takes on the body.

But,, the other side of this is that Brits seem to handle the drinking alot better. They have developed the ability of being drunk without being jackasses.

I would wrap this up by saying that if you drank over here at the same rate that you do in the Uk. You might have social problems.

[Pozz]

GDP per capita:
Ranked 4 in the world: Norway - 52.238 Intl. $
Ranked 16 in the world: Denmark - 36.764 Intl. $

Yeah, Norway is a poor country.

I'm pretty sure he was referring to the fact that alcohol in Norway cost around 2.5x as much as in Denmark.

[Gothicshark]

But,, the other side of this is that Brits seem to handle the drinking alot better. They have developed the ability of being drunk without being jackasses.

Mostly true. but Americans usually don't get drunk once they are older than 24, its sort of the thing, I have a bottle of decent Kentucky whiskey on my desk I drink some every now and again, but I can go weeks, or months between a drink. If I was in the UK (and I am actually British) I would be in the pub nightly.

[Skeeter]

There really is no drinking culture at all where I live.

[Gothicshark]

There really is no drinking culture at all where I live.

what? your a Skeeter, and there is no drinking culture around you?!?

[kunah]

Mostly true. but Americans usually don't get drunk once they are older than 24, its sort of the thing, I have a bottle of decent Kentucky whiskey on my desk I drink some every now and again, but I can go weeks, or months between a drink. If I was in the UK (and I am actually British) I would be in the pub nightly.

yeah, good point about older than 24. I also think that Brits(in general) are more social and friendly than Americans. Of all the years I stopped daily at the Castle(my pub) I never, not once saw any fighting or any bad behaviour.

[Gothicshark]

I also think that Brits(in general) are more social and friendly than Americans.

Its because of Peer preasure, in the UK the peer pressure is the lifestyle of the community and well the stereotypical British lifestyle, where as here in Los Angeles peer pressure can very widely, when I frist went to jr. High School in the US with a British accent I was forced into the Nerd social group, but I noticed that Californians where divided by radio station, if you listened to K(whatever) you dressed a certain way your friends dressed the same and you all acted the same. The social cues for each peer group was very diverse.

[Deleted]

The only major difference between the two countries is that in Wales they do inappropriate things with sheep when they're drunk.

:] :]

[brakke]

over here most minor go to lokal party's once over 18 cafe or nightclubs

beer price; 4° +-1.4 to 2 euro
8° +- 2 to 3 euro
things like vodka etc +-4-6 euro

so u can get drunk cheap and with good kwalitie in beer, good tip try duvel if u have the chance, i dare u to drink more then 10 on a night. i will knock u out (yes even if ur welch)

[accipeter]

I love how non-Americans will ask "what is x like in the U.S.," as if such a huge and diverse country such as this, with 300+ million people and countless subcultures sprawled across a vastly varied geography could possibly have just one way of doing anything. It's like assuming that things in, let's say, Helsinki, are exactly the same as they are in, say, Athens, or Krakow, or Glasgow, or Milan, because hey, it's all Europe, right?

[grothezk]

Let me put simple: not everything you see in movies is necesarily the image of a nation it comes from. With that in mind, take the idea off your head about Miami is only for old ppl and gays!!! there's some decent people, drinks (and I agree, US bear sucks..Corona ftw!) and fiestas. At least around my area, kids (12-19) go to parks and drink cheap alcohol with a lot of soda. 21-30 go to discos or miami beach, where you can dance with tourists or just fuck some latinas. Either way, fun is everywhere you want it to be, just be nice, don't bother your neighbours and do loud noises once you get drunk.