There are so many countries on this earth with fascinating drinking cultures, spanning from the New World vineyards of South America to the whisky and sake culture of Japan. And we celebrate them all with open minds and a glass-half-full mentality (though, would you fill it to the brim, please?). But there are few drinking cultures that seep into our daily lives more than those of Europe. After all, wine was invented there, beer was perfected there, and the leisurely mentality of having a drink and a snack to end the workday and usher in the evening is a ritual we’ll forever try to emulate.
To celebrate the incredible drinking cultures of Europe, we dove deep into 10 different countries to get to know a little more about what’s in their glasses and how it got there in the first place. We spoke with experts, asked top bars for cocktail recipes and each correspondent personally imbibed in the country they wrote about to bring some first-hand experience and color to the articles. We hope you enjoy reading them as much as we loved writing them. Cheers! Santé! Prost!
France
There are few people who know how to live life more splendidly than the French. They eat butter and bread and foie gras and cheese on a regular basis. They’re effortlessly chic in the way they dress and carry themselves. And perhaps my favorite of all, they don’t let work dominate their lives, breaking for lunch away from their desks and participating in a daily apéro to separate office life from the rest of the evening. And that is how we’ll begin our dive into the drinking culture of France. Obviously, there is no way we could cover absolutely everything, as France is a multifaceted country with 18 regions and traditions that vary from town to town, household to household. But this guide will give you a little more insight on what it’s like to imbibe there, whether you’re whiling away the hours on a cafe terrace in Paris or traipsing through the vineyards in one of the country’s beloved wine regions.
FAVORITE DRINKS:
Wine, Champagne, Pastis, Cognac
FAVORITE DRINKING SNACKS:
Nuts, chips, olives, tapenade, butter and radishes
France
There are few people who know how to live life more splendidly than the French. They eat butter and bread and foie gras and cheese on a regular basis. They’re effortlessly chic in the way they dress and carry themselves. And perhaps my favorite of all, they don’t let work dominate their lives, breaking for lunch away from their desks and participating in a daily apéro to separate office life from the rest of the evening. And that is how we’ll begin our dive into the drinking culture of France. Obviously, there is no way we could cover absolutely everything, as France is a multifaceted country with 18 regions and traditions that vary from town to town, household to household. But this guide will give you a little more insight on what it’s like to imbibe there, whether you’re whiling away the hours on a cafe terrace in Paris or traipsing through the vineyards in one of the country’s beloved wine regions.
FAVORITE DRINKS:
Wine, Champagne, Pastis, Cognac
FAVORITE DRINKING SNACKS:
Nuts, chips, olives, tapenade, butter and radishes
Scotland
If you look up “drinking culture in Scotland” online, you’re going to be depressed. But you’ll also be seeing an outdated stereotype. Scotland earned its heavy drinking reputation in the late 20th century, as retail and drinking laws relaxed and alcohol became much cheaper. Average alcohol consumption surged 25% between the late 1980s and early 2000s — but just as importantly, those numbers have steadily declined in the following decades. But For some people in the drinks business, the Scottish reputation is just fine. “We have the reputation of being friendly!” says Simon Brooking, the national ambassador for Laphroaig. “That’s why the English come up for weekends to have fun.” You may associate Scotland with whisky, but drinking here is hardly just about Scotch — our favorite bar in Edinburgh is a funky and affordable speakeasy that caters to all spirits, including rum (possibly because Scotland has a long history with the spirit that predates whisky and is home to more than a few local rum distilleries).
FAVORITE DRINKS:
Whisky, Penicillin, IRN-BRU
FAVORITE DRINKING SNACKS:
Pork scratchings, mixed nuts and crisps
Scotland
If you look up “drinking culture in Scotland” online, you’re going to be depressed. But you’ll also be seeing an outdated stereotype. Scotland earned its heavy drinking reputation in the late 20th century, as retail and drinking laws relaxed and alcohol became much cheaper. Average alcohol consumption surged 25% between the late 1980s and early 2000s — but just as importantly, those numbers have steadily declined in the following decades. But For some people in the drinks business, the Scottish reputation is just fine. “We have the reputation of being friendly!” says Simon Brooking, the national ambassador for Laphroaig. “That’s why the English come up for weekends to have fun.” You may associate Scotland with whisky, but drinking here is hardly just about Scotch — our favorite bar in Edinburgh is a funky and affordable speakeasy that caters to all spirits, including rum (possibly because Scotland has a long history with the spirit that predates whisky and is home to more than a few local rum distilleries).
FAVORITE DRINKS:
Whisky, Penicillin, IRN-BRU
FAVORITE DRINKING SNACKS:
Pork scratchings, mixed nuts and crisps
Iceland
To truly understand the deep-rooted drinking culture of Iceland, you have to go back to the Viking Age, 874 AD, when Norse settlers first brought their love for mead and ale to the uninhabited island’s rugged shores. Central to celebrations and social life, mead was a luxury made from precious honey, and ale was an everyday staple brewed from barley. But, as Iceland developed, its harsh climate and isolation made grain cultivation difficult, forcing Icelanders to rely on imported spirits like aquavit, which later evolved into Brennivín, the country’s signature drink.Take a trip to Iceland’s capital city Reykjavik today, and you’ll find a vibrant and innovative bar scene that has flourished in recent years. Craft cocktails incorporating local ingredients, from Arctic herbs to Icelandic spirits, have become a staple at Reykjavík’s top bars, and the city’s bartenders have gained a reputation for pushing the boundaries of mixology. What began as a modest scene has transformed into a buzzing nightlife destination that offers something for everyone.
FAVORITE DRINKS:
Brennivín, Opal, Craft Beer, Schnapps
FAVORITE DRINKING SNACKS:
Ham plate, fermented shark
Iceland
To truly understand the deep-rooted drinking culture of Iceland, you have to go back to the Viking Age, 874 AD, when Norse settlers first brought their love for mead and ale to the uninhabited island’s rugged shores. Central to celebrations and social life, mead was a luxury made from precious honey, and ale was an everyday staple brewed from barley. But, as Iceland developed, its harsh climate and isolation made grain cultivation difficult, forcing Icelanders to rely on imported spirits like aquavit, which later evolved into Brennivín, the country’s signature drink.Take a trip to Iceland’s capital city Reykjavik today, and you’ll find a vibrant and innovative bar scene that has flourished in recent years. Craft cocktails incorporating local ingredients, from Arctic herbs to Icelandic spirits, have become a staple at Reykjavík’s top bars, and the city’s bartenders have gained a reputation for pushing the boundaries of mixology. What began as a modest scene has transformed into a buzzing nightlife destination that offers something for everyone.
FAVORITE DRINKS:
Brennivín, Opal, Craft Beer, Schnapps
FAVORITE DRINKING SNACKS:
Ham plate, fermented shark
Coming Soon – Iceland
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Czech Republic
To say the Czechs love their beer is an understatement. In fact, Czechia has ranked as the world’s top consumer for 30 years in a row in one annual report, totaling 188.5 liters per person, per year. One good place to understand why is in the city of Pilsen, where brewer Josef Groll unveiled the pilsner beer on Oct. 5, 1842. This revolution not only put Pilsen on the map but made the beer style the most popular in the world. That said, wine wins more of the spotlight the further east you go into the Moravia region, which has been producing wine since the ninth century and devotes around 40,000 acres to producing the grapes for it. The beer-wine divide does reflect key cultural differences between the Bohemian and Moravian Czechs, but all share the same spirits — Becherovka, an herbal digestif, and Slivovice, a plum brandy popular in much of Central and Eastern Europe.
FAVORITE DRINKS:
Pilsner, Slivovice (plum brandy), Becherovka, white wine
FAVORITE DRINKING SNACKS:
Olomoucké Tvarůžky cheese with pickled vegetables, škvarková pomazánka pork spread, Utopenec (pickled sausages, onions, chili powder and herbs)
Czech Republic
To say the Czechs love their beer is an understatement. In fact, Czechia has ranked as the world’s top consumer for 30 years in a row in one annual report, totaling 188.5 liters per person, per year. One good place to understand why is in the city of Pilsen, where brewer Josef Groll unveiled the pilsner beer on Oct. 5, 1842. This revolution not only put Pilsen on the map but made the beer style the most popular in the world. That said, wine wins more of the spotlight the further east you go into the Moravia region, which has been producing wine since the ninth century and devotes around 40,000 acres to producing the grapes for it. The beer-wine divide does reflect key cultural differences between the Bohemian and Moravian Czechs, but all share the same spirits — Becherovka, an herbal digestif, and Slivovice, a plum brandy popular in much of Central and Eastern Europe.
FAVORITE DRINKS:
Pilsner, Slivovice (plum brandy), Becherovka, white wine
FAVORITE DRINKING SNACKS:
Olomoucké Tvarůžky cheese with pickled vegetables, škvarková pomazánka pork spread, Utopenec (pickled sausages, onions, chili powder and herbs)
Spain
The Spanish are renowned for their robust drinking culture. They vermut in the afternoon, pour wine with meals, finish dinner with sherry and sip Gin and Tonics into the later hours. But their approach isn’t quantity-driven — rather, it’s built off small and sessionable drinks shared with friends and colleagues at all hours of the day. “There’s a lighthearted nature to the drinking culture of Spain,” says Eric Bolyard, executive chef of La Compagnie and the recently-opened Experimental Cocktail Club New York. “It’s conviviality at its finest.” Tapas and pintxos often come complimentary with your drink, and small plates menus are meant to fill you up so you can keep the party going. “Mounds of salty Marcona almonds, plates of meaty Cantabrian anchovies, slabs of cured and air-dried tuna (mojama), garlicky, piquant chorizo,” says Nicolas Lopez, concept chef partner of Mercado Little Spain. “These are iconic because they are so much a part of Spain. They’re items that have sustained people for thousands of years.”
FAVORITE DRINKS:
Wine, Gin-Tonica, Vermouth, Sherry, Cider
FAVORITE DRINKING SNACKS:
Olives, almonds, jamon, pan con tomate, boquerones, tinned fish
Spain
The Spanish are renowned for their robust drinking culture. They vermut in the afternoon, pour wine with meals, finish dinner with sherry and sip Gin and Tonics into the later hours. But their approach isn’t quantity-driven — rather, it’s built off small and sessionable drinks shared with friends and colleagues at all hours of the day. “There’s a lighthearted nature to the drinking culture of Spain,” says Eric Bolyard, executive chef of La Compagnie and the recently-opened Experimental Cocktail Club New York. “It’s conviviality at its finest.” Tapas and pintxos often come complimentary with your drink, and small plates menus are meant to fill you up so you can keep the party going. “Mounds of salty Marcona almonds, plates of meaty Cantabrian anchovies, slabs of cured and air-dried tuna (mojama), garlicky, piquant chorizo,” says Nicolas Lopez, concept chef partner of Mercado Little Spain. “These are iconic because they are so much a part of Spain. They’re items that have sustained people for thousands of years.”
FAVORITE DRINKS:
Wine, Gin-Tonica, Vermouth, Sherry, Cider
FAVORITE DRINKING SNACKS:
Olives, almonds, jamon, pan con tomate, boquerones, tinned fish
Portugal
This past spring, I spent four days in Lisbon just going to cocktail bars. It was a great way to avoid other tourists (who really are taking over) and experience what is low-key one of the most interesting drinking cities in the world. Before this year, my experience in Lisbon and Porto consisted primarily of basic rum and gin drinks (both easy enough to find in outdoor cafes), some local beer and, of course, Port wine. And you’ll certainly drink a lot of wine while you’re visiting the country, but Portugal feels like it’s on the verge of a boozy renaissance. “Portugal is a small country but with a lot of cultural, gastronomic and beverage diversity,” says Nelson de Matos, bar manager at The Argo, a cocktail bar at Tivoli Marina Vilamoura in the Algarve region of Portugal (de Matos recently won the Best Bartender award at the 2024 Lisbon Bar Show). “From Douro region in the north to Bairrada, Alentejo or the Algarve, there’s a lot to discover.”
FAVORITE DRINKS:
Port, Madeira, Super Bock, Vinho Verde
FAVORITE DRINKING SNACKS:
Lupini beans, codfish cakes with potato, snails, francesinha sandwich
Portugal
This past spring, I spent four days in Lisbon just going to cocktail bars. It was a great way to avoid other tourists (who really are taking over) and experience what is low-key one of the most interesting drinking cities in the world. Before this year, my experience in Lisbon and Porto consisted primarily of basic rum and gin drinks (both easy enough to find in outdoor cafes), some local beer and, of course, Port wine. And you’ll certainly drink a lot of wine while you’re visiting the country, but Portugal feels like it’s on the verge of a boozy renaissance. “Portugal is a small country but with a lot of cultural, gastronomic and beverage diversity,” says Nelson de Matos, bar manager at The Argo, a cocktail bar at Tivoli Marina Vilamoura in the Algarve region of Portugal (de Matos recently won the Best Bartender award at the 2024 Lisbon Bar Show). “From Douro region in the north to Bairrada, Alentejo or the Algarve, there’s a lot to discover.”
FAVORITE DRINKS:
Port, Madeira, Super Bock, Vinho Verde
FAVORITE DRINKING SNACKS:
Lupini beans, codfish cakes with potato, snails, francesinha sandwich
Germany
It’s simply impossible to separate German drinking culture and the art of brewing beer. Beer — and its presence at the country’s most iconic national drinking event, Oktoberfest — have long dominated global awareness of Germany’s alcohol production. Yet, even with such an emphasis on beer, there’s plenty of other drinking traditions that have been built up in the country. There’s a massive German wine scene, and their traditional rieslings have become internationally acclaimed. In the southern part of the country, an emphasis on fruit brandies that draw from the bounty of the Black Forest is well-established, and during the last few decades, a new generation of local distillers have cropped up to produce gin and other spirits. All of these industries, plus incredible bar scenes in cosmopolitan hubs like Berlin, Munich, Hamburg and Cologne, means that cocktail culture, wine and spirits of all kinds are alive and well in Germany — even if beer continues to be king.
FAVORITE DRINKS:
Beer, Wine, Obstbrand (fruit brandies), Schnapps, Black Forest Gin
FAVORITE DRINKING SNACKS:
Pretzels, sausages, hazelnuts and potato chips, Black Forest Cake
Germany
It’s simply impossible to separate German drinking culture and the art of brewing beer. Beer — and its presence at the country’s most iconic national drinking event, Oktoberfest — have long dominated global awareness of Germany’s alcohol production. Yet, even with such an emphasis on beer, there’s plenty of other drinking traditions that have been built up in the country. There’s a massive German wine scene, and their traditional rieslings have become internationally acclaimed. In the southern part of the country, an emphasis on fruit brandies that draw from the bounty of the Black Forest is well-established, and during the last few decades, a new generation of local distillers have cropped up to produce gin and other spirits. All of these industries, plus incredible bar scenes in cosmopolitan hubs like Berlin, Munich, Hamburg and Cologne, means that cocktail culture, wine and spirits of all kinds are alive and well in Germany — even if beer continues to be king.
FAVORITE DRINKS:
Beer, Wine, Obstbrand (fruit brandies), Schnapps, Black Forest Gin
FAVORITE DRINKING SNACKS:
Pretzels, sausages, hazelnuts and potato chips, Black Forest Cake
England
Ah, England — it’s a small country but a great one to drink in. It’s the country of dry gin, pub ale, Wimbledon, cold Martinis, David Beckham’s right foot and the annoying yet enduring Christmas rom-com Love Actually. Every single Shakespeare play features alcohol, Churchill was a prolific boozer and Sean Connery had the entire globe ordering their Martinis shaken, not stirred. Even the teens in Harry Potter, like so many English kids before them, grew up hanging in a pub. At the beginning of the last century, drinking culture was split into two parts that marked the ends of a spectrum: loud pints at the pub used to efficiently erase the toils of the day and refined cocktails at hotel bars used to signify social status. For decades, those ends have been inching closer to each other with luxurious countryside inns, trendy wine bars and mixology-forward restaurants filling the gap between them.
FAVORITE DRINKS:
Beer, Cider, Gin and Tonic, Dry Martini
FAVORITE DRINKING SNACKS:
Bar nuts, crisps, chips
England
Ah, England — it’s a small country but a great one to drink in. It’s the country of dry gin, pub ale, Wimbledon, cold Martinis, David Beckham’s right foot and the annoying yet enduring Christmas rom-com Love Actually. Every single Shakespeare play features alcohol, Churchill was a prolific boozer and Sean Connery had the entire globe ordering their Martinis shaken, not stirred. Even the teens in Harry Potter, like so many English kids before them, grew up hanging in a pub. At the beginning of the last century, drinking culture was split into two parts that marked the ends of a spectrum: loud pints at the pub used to efficiently erase the toils of the day and refined cocktails at hotel bars used to signify social status. For decades, those ends have been inching closer to each other with luxurious countryside inns, trendy wine bars and mixology-forward restaurants filling the gap between them.
FAVORITE DRINKS:
Beer, Cider, Gin and Tonic, Dry Martini
FAVORITE DRINKING SNACKS:
Bar nuts, crisps, chips
Italy
Italy has a reputation for slinging la dolce vita. First of all, she’s gorgeous, from the beaches, to the mountains, to the ancient ruins and cities that surround them. Life moves at a slower pace there — you’re never rushed to give up your dinner table (god forbid!), and businesses really do close for lunch so workers can go home to eat and nap. And most wonderful of all, Italy’s food and drinks are beloved all over the world, from pizza and pasta to the rightly famous Aperol Spritz. This is a celebration of the latter, of the wine, cocktails and amari that define the drinking culture of the Mediterranean country. There’s no way this guide could cover absolutely everything — Italy is a big country with 20 regions and thousands of traditions that vary from town to town, household to household. But it will give you a better understanding of what people are drinking in Italy and why they are drinking it.
FAVORITE DRINKS:
Wine, Amari, Beer, Grappa
FAVORITE DRINKING SNACKS:
Salted anchovies, pizza, focaccia, chickpea cakes, olives, pistachios, salumi
Italy
Italy has a reputation for slinging la dolce vita. First of all, she’s gorgeous, from the beaches, to the mountains, to the ancient ruins and cities that surround them. Life moves at a slower pace there — you’re never rushed to give up your dinner table (god forbid!), and businesses really do close for lunch so workers can go home to eat and nap. And most wonderful of all, Italy’s food and drinks are beloved all over the world, from pizza and pasta to the rightly famous Aperol Spritz. This is a celebration of the latter, of the wine, cocktails and amari that define the drinking culture of the Mediterranean country. There’s no way this guide could cover absolutely everything — Italy is a big country with 20 regions and thousands of traditions that vary from town to town, household to household. But it will give you a better understanding of what people are drinking in Italy and why they are drinking it.
FAVORITE DRINKS:
Wine, Amari, Beer, Grappa
FAVORITE DRINKING SNACKS:
Salted anchovies, pizza, focaccia, chickpea cakes, olives, pistachios, salumi
Ireland
My last trip to Ireland in 2022 involved 10 days where I deliberately ate some sort of meat/potato dish with a pint of Guinness and a neat pour of whatever Irish whiskey caught my attention. It was a beautiful way to experience the country, a place where any city or attraction is pretty much less than three hours away, no matter where you start. And while I certainly went off-menu a few times (for cocktails or an occasional break that involved vegetables), I mostly kept to a pretty standard, rather clichéd food and drink itinerary. But when you go to Ireland, you certainly don’t have to follow my lead. While pubs here are rooted in tradition and still serve as social hubs (and great places to hear music), the drinking culture of Ireland has evolved rather recently, with a resurgence in craft distilleries, a growing cocktail scene and an acceptance and appreciation of its spirits outside of the UK.
FAVORITE DRINKS:
Irish Whiskey, Guinness, Irish Coffee, Gin, Poitín
FAVORITE DRINKING SNACKS:
Olives and nuts, local cheeses, soda bread, Tayto crisps, salted peanuts, bacon fries
Ireland
My last trip to Ireland in 2022 involved 10 days where I deliberately ate some sort of meat/potato dish with a pint of Guinness and a neat pour of whatever Irish whiskey caught my attention. It was a beautiful way to experience the country, a place where any city or attraction is pretty much less than three hours away, no matter where you start. And while I certainly went off-menu a few times (for cocktails or an occasional break that involved vegetables), I mostly kept to a pretty standard, rather clichéd food and drink itinerary. But when you go to Ireland, you certainly don’t have to follow my lead. While pubs here are rooted in tradition and still serve as social hubs (and great places to hear music), the drinking culture of Ireland has evolved rather recently, with a resurgence in craft distilleries, a growing cocktail scene and an acceptance and appreciation of its spirits outside of the UK.
FAVORITE DRINKS:
Irish Whiskey, Guinness, Irish Coffee, Gin, Poitín
FAVORITE DRINKING SNACKS:
Olives and nuts, local cheeses, soda bread, Tayto crisps, salted peanuts, bacon fries
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