Drinking culture
Drinking culture is the set of traditions, rituals, and social behaviors associated with the consumption of alcoholic beverages. Although alcoholic beverages and social attitudes toward drinking vary around the world, nearly every civilization has independently discovered the processes of brewing beer, fermenting wine, and distilling spirits, among other practices.
Alcohol has been present in numerous societies over the centuries with the production and consumption of alcoholic beverages date back to ancient civilisations. Drinking is documented in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles, in the Qur'an, in Greek and Roman literature as old as Homer, in Confucius' Analects, and in various forms of artistic expression throughout history.
Drinking habits vary significantly across the globe with many countries have developed their own regional cultures based on unique traditions around the fermentation and consumption of alcohol as a social lubricant, which may also be known as a beer culture, wine culture etc. after a particularly prominent type of drink.
History
Alcohol has played a significant role in human history. The production and consumption of alcoholic beverages date back to ancient civilisations. The earliest evidence of alcohol comes from a Neolithic village dating to around 7000BC in the Yellow Valley. Societies and cultures around the world have made use of intoxicating substances, with alcohol as the most popular, featured in temple rituals for ~2,000 years. In Mesopotamia, the world's oldest known recipe for beer-making can be traced back to 3200 BC, with related pictographs dated to 4000 BC. Similarly, wine has ancient roots, with evidence of production in Jemdet Nasr in 3000 BC, Georgia from around 6000 BC, and Iran from 5000 BC. These practices were not just culinary but often held religious and medicinal significance.Since the Greek and Roman eras, Bacchanalia rituals involved consuming heavy levels of alcohol to reach an ecstatic state of mind. Bacchanalian fraternities promote the festive consumption of wine.
Alcoholic beverages are today some of the most popular in the world. In addition to its function as a social lubricant, more prestigious forms of drinking can form integral parts of fine dining, such as in the form of a wine pairing. The expertise necessary to maintain such traditions can be provided by a sommelier or cicerone.
Drinking styles
Binge drinking
Binge drinking has more than one definition, but all definitions involve drinking to excess. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism defines binge drinking as a pattern of drinking alcohol that brings blood alcohol concentration to 0.08 grams percent or above. For the typical adult, this pattern corresponds to consuming five or more drinks, or four or more drinks in about two hours.The concept of a "binge" has been somewhat elastic over the years, implying consumption of alcohol far beyond that which is socially acceptable. In earlier decades, "going on a binge" meant drinking over the course of several days until one was no longer able to continue drinking. This usage is known to have entered the English language as late as 1854; it derives from an English dialectal word meaning to "soak" or to "fill a boat with water".
Social drinking
Social drinking refers to casual drinking of alcoholic beverages in a social setting without an intent to become intoxicated. A social drinker is also defined as a person who only drinks alcohol during social events, such as parties, and does not drink while alone. In many cultures, good news is often celebrated by a group sharing alcoholic drinks. For example, sparkling wine may be used to toast the bride at a wedding, and alcoholic drinks may be served to celebrate a baby's birth. Buying someone an alcoholic drink is often considered a gesture of goodwill, an expression of gratitude, or to mark the resolution of a dispute.Alcohol in association football and other sports has long been a complex issue, with significant cultural and behavioral implications. Football is widely observed in various settings such as television broadcasts, sports bars, and arenas, contributing to the drinking culture surrounding the sport. A 2007 study at the University of Texas at Austin monitored the drinking habits of 541 students over two American football seasons. It revealed that high-profile game days ranked among the heaviest drinking occasions, similar to New Year's Eve. Male students increased their consumption for all games, while socially active female students drank heavily during away games. Lighter drinkers also showed a higher likelihood of risky behaviors during away games as their intoxication increased. This research highlights specific drinking patterns linked to collegiate sports events.
While social drinking often involves moderation, it does not strictly emphasize safety or specific quantities, unlike terms such as responsible drinking or light, moderate, and heavy. Social settings can involve peer pressure to drink more than intended, which can be a risk factor for excessive alcohol consumption. Regularly socializing over drinks can lead to a higher tolerance for alcohol and potentially alcohol dependence, especially in groups where drinking is a central activity. According to a 2022 study, recreational heavy drinking and intoxication have become increasingly prevalent among Nigerian youth in Benin City. Traditionally, alcohol use was more accepted for men, while youth drinking was often taboo. Today, many young people engage in heavy drinking for pleasure and excitement. Peer networks encourage this behavior through rituals that promote intoxication and provide care for inebriated friends. The findings suggest a need to reconsider cultural prohibitions on youth drinking and advocate for public health interventions promoting low-risk drinking practices.
Drinking games involve consuming alcohol as part of the gameplay. They can be risky because they can encourage people to drink more than they intended to.
Session drinking
Session drinking is a chiefly British and Irish term that refers to drinking a significant quantity of beer during a "session". A session is generally a social occasion. A pub crawl is the act of visiting multiple pubs or bars in a single session.A "session beer", such as a session bitter, is a refreshing beer of low or, at most, moderate alcohol content, such that "you can enjoy a few of them in a drinking session and still have your wits about you."
Sober curious
is a cultural movement and lifestyle of practicing none or limited alcohol consumption that started spreading in the late 2010s. Being sober curious means exploring sobriety at times to challenge the systematic consumption of alcohol in different situations, mostly during social interaction. The goal is to cut back when alcohol is deemed unnecessary, avoid consuming too much alcohol, and/or improve one's health. The consumption of non-alcoholic drinks is associated with the sober curious movement. It is also called the 'No To Lo" beverages movement.Drinking etiquette
For the purposes of buying rounds of alcoholic drinks in English public houses, William Greaves, a retired London journalist, devised a set of etiquette guidelines as a Saturday morning essay in the defunct Today newspaper. Known as Greaves' Rules, the guidelines were based upon his long experience of pubs and rounds. The rules were later recommissioned by The Daily Telegraph and published in that newspaper on November 20, 1993. Copies of the rules soon appeared in many pubs throughout the United Kingdom.Kate Fox, a social anthropologist, came up with a similar idea in her book Watching the English, but concluded their rationale was the need to minimize the possibility of violence between drinking companions.
When it is socially acceptable to drink differs around the world. For example, drinking at early times of the day is frowned upon in some countries, including Britain, Iceland, and the Czech Republic, whose drinkers limit themselves to the evening, some don't start until past midnight and stay out especially late.
Though noon is often seen as earliest appropriate time of day to consume alcohol, especially on its own, there are some exceptions such as drinking Buck's Fizzes on Christmas Day morning. In Germany, it is tradition to get a drink on Sunday morning, Frühschoppen, to commemorate when families would go to the pub after church. In the countries of Spain, France, Russia, and Germany, day drinking is more common. Drinks served with breakfast or brunch, like a mimosa or bloody mary, are common in many cultures. However, even in countries where day drinking is socially acceptable, it is restricted compared to the heavier periods of drinking recurrent during weekend days.