Drinking culture
From ArticleWorld
Drinking culture refers to the activities, terminology, and associated actions of people who consume alcohol.
Almost every civilization in history has discovered a process to make alcohol, brewing beer, distilling alcohol or producing wine. The methods and components only varied by available ingredients, geographic location, and climate.
History and Alcohol
History shows that drinking alcohol as a cultural and social activity has been in existence for centuries, although its use and acceptance have varied by culture, social attitudes and religious values. Its use has been documented in Hebrew and Christian bibles, as well as famous literature dating back to the time of the Greek empire.
Why People Drink
There are essentially five reasons that people consume alcohol.
- Social drinking
- Satisfy their thirst
- Binge drinking
- Addiction or Alcoholism
- Religious or traditional ceremonies
Social drinking has evolved into one of the most widely varied forms of alcohol consumption. It is used for meeting people, breaking the ice with new and old acquaintances, dating, wedding and birth celebrations, holiday celebrations, and other social functions.
Drinking alcohol is also used as a way to quench ones thirst. One example is the ancient Romans who used wine as their typical drink.
Binge drinking is usually recognized as an extended intoxication lasting for at least two days in which the person cannot perform or ignores their daily activities. Binge drinking is a common occurrence, and often associated with, fraternity parties at American universities or excessive consumption by an alcoholic.
Europeans don’t normally have problems with binge drinking because it’s often customary to give children small amounts of watered down alcohol which makes them less likely to over-consume as adults. There are exceptions, however, in countries such as Ireland and the United Kingdom where excessive drinking has been a problem as far back as the eighth century. Another country is Norway where high prices and restricted access have created a culture that often buys in bulk and consumes in bulk.
Terminology
There are many associations with drinking culture. One famous quote, “shaken not stirred,” was coined by the legendary British agent James Bond. To understand this and many other associations it is necessary to understand the following basic terminology of drinking culture.
Shot – single or mixed alcohol served in a 1 - 1.4 ounce shot glass Chaser – weak drink taken after a shot On-the-rocks – served in a short glass with ice Neat – served in a short glass without ice or liquid Straight-up – another term for neat, but can also mean two or more alcohols mixed together with no ice or liquid With a twist – a twist of citrus is added to the drink Shaken – method of mixing or chilling alcohol Stirred – method of mixing or chilling alcohol Down it – term that means finish