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One of the things I have noticed among immigrants from Eastern Europe is that very few of them drink much, if at all. It seems to be some kind of class thing. S

One of the things I have noticed among immigrants from Eastern Europe is that very few of them drink much, if at all. It seems to be some kind of class thing. So it’s not surprising that in some of the wealthier Eastern European countries spirits are losing favor to beer

groundlogic 7y ago
Really? I've never been as hung over as the day after I was drinking vodka with my polish counterpart software developers. Granted, they were still living in Poland, so not really immigrants, but they were probably amongst the 5-10% highest paid people in the country. (Swede here.)
- opportune 7y ago
  Perhaps it differs from country to country, most Eastern European immigrants I know are Jewish people who immigrated in the 90s. But most of the more recent ones are also not really drinkers
- Tade0 7y ago
  I can tell from experience that this may be due to them graduating from a technical university in Poland. Young men[0] around here still bond via drinking lethal amounts of vodka. I know of at least one death caused by this. [0] The gender imbalance in CS is so severe that I remember bragging to my friends how I was not only acquainted with both of the female students in our year at the Warsaw University of Technology, but also both of the ones that started studying CS in 2010 at the University of Warsaw.
- lapnitnelav 7y ago
  On my first day in a new house, I was greeted with a mug of vodka by my (long time settled in Ireland) Polish housemate. Yeah, that was a tough one to swallow, literally.
m0zg 7y ago
As an immigrant from deep inside the Vodka belt (Russia), it's not a class thing. Over there this is just how you hang out with friends, whether you like it or not. Not drinking vodka invites ridicule and jokes about you being in poor health (the only acceptable excuse to not drink vodka). Moreover, if you're a businessman, your business will often require you to get blackout drunk with partners. Like it or not, nobody gives a shit. "We drank vodka together" carries the same weight as "we broke bread together" might elsewhere as far as closeness, trust, and friendship is concerned. Here in the US I haven't had vodka in years. The US right now has such great beer that drinking any other alcoholic beverage should be illegal. Possibly the very best anywhere in the world. Not even Germany/Austria/England come anywhere close to what you can buy on the US West Coast. Even in Russia though the attitudes are changing. Anecdotally, meeting with my university friends a year ago we drank only beer, and they said they mostly drink wine (beer in Russia is pretty bad still, although the situation is improving).
- ericmay 7y ago
  My absolute favorite beers are Belgian Trappist style beers. I love good German beers too. But I’ve been preaching for years if you compare country to country, the US military super power is dwarfed by the beer super power that it has become. It’s not that other countries are bad or anything, but in the US there are just so many awesome breweries making world-class beer without batting an eye. I don’t like sours, but everything from sours, to IPAs (no other country is even remotely on the radar, not even the same universe), to stouts and Belgian triples the US has it all. If I go to a bar in Germany I expect great German brews, but if I go to a random bar in the US I get legit top-caliber IPAs, lagers, and stouts easy. It’s just too good here.
  - paublyrne 7y ago
    I'm not sure why Germany has the reputation as making great beers, it doesn't really. I live there and the range and quality are both poor. You'll do better immediately in the Czech Republic, Belgium or even the Netherlands. The UK and Ireland also have strong craft beer cultures now, though the US certainly has had a big head start over them.
hourislate 7y ago
Everyone I know from Eastern Europe likes to drink Vodka, Cognac, Brandy (Plum), etc. They'll drink a beer if there is no food being served but I've noticed that when they picnic/bring out a bite or have feasts that a bottle of Vodka is on the table with shot glasses. If there is going to be serious drinking they bring out the Samohon or the moonshine of the Region.
ajuc 7y ago
It's different drinks for different occasions. Young people meeting friends in pubs or discos don't drink wódka (usually) - they drink beer. And if they do drink wódka it's only a few shots beetwen beers. Alcoholics drink hard spirits or cheap "fruit wine" if they are poor. Everybody drink vodka (and wine, and beer, but wódka is the tradition) on big occasions like marriage or other big family meetings. But getting wasted isn't cool and very few people drink too much usually.

groundlogic 7y ago

Really? I've never been as hung over as the day after I was drinking vodka with my polish counterpart software developers. Granted, they were still living in Poland, so not really immigrants, but they were probably amongst the 5-10% highest paid people in the country. (Swede here.)

opportune 7y ago
Perhaps it differs from country to country, most Eastern European immigrants I know are Jewish people who immigrated in the 90s. But most of the more recent ones are also not really drinkers
Tade0 7y ago
I can tell from experience that this may be due to them graduating from a technical university in Poland. Young men[0] around here still bond via drinking lethal amounts of vodka. I know of at least one death caused by this. [0] The gender imbalance in CS is so severe that I remember bragging to my friends how I was not only acquainted with both of the female students in our year at the Warsaw University of Technology, but also both of the ones that started studying CS in 2010 at the University of Warsaw.
lapnitnelav 7y ago
On my first day in a new house, I was greeted with a mug of vodka by my (long time settled in Ireland) Polish housemate. Yeah, that was a tough one to swallow, literally.

m0zg 7y ago

As an immigrant from deep inside the Vodka belt (Russia), it's not a class thing. Over there this is just how you hang out with friends, whether you like it or not. Not drinking vodka invites ridicule and jokes about you being in poor health (the only acceptable excuse to not drink vodka). Moreover, if you're a businessman, your business will often require you to get blackout drunk with partners. Like it or not, nobody gives a shit. "We drank vodka together" carries the same weight as "we broke bread together" might elsewhere as far as closeness, trust, and friendship is concerned. Here in the US I haven't had vodka in years. The US right now has such great beer that drinking any other alcoholic beverage should be illegal. Possibly the very best anywhere in the world. Not even Germany/Austria/England come anywhere close to what you can buy on the US West Coast. Even in Russia though the attitudes are changing. Anecdotally, meeting with my university friends a year ago we drank only beer, and they said they mostly drink wine (beer in Russia is pretty bad still, although the situation is improving).

ericmay 7y ago
My absolute favorite beers are Belgian Trappist style beers. I love good German beers too. But I’ve been preaching for years if you compare country to country, the US military super power is dwarfed by the beer super power that it has become. It’s not that other countries are bad or anything, but in the US there are just so many awesome breweries making world-class beer without batting an eye. I don’t like sours, but everything from sours, to IPAs (no other country is even remotely on the radar, not even the same universe), to stouts and Belgian triples the US has it all. If I go to a bar in Germany I expect great German brews, but if I go to a random bar in the US I get legit top-caliber IPAs, lagers, and stouts easy. It’s just too good here.
- paublyrne 7y ago
  I'm not sure why Germany has the reputation as making great beers, it doesn't really. I live there and the range and quality are both poor. You'll do better immediately in the Czech Republic, Belgium or even the Netherlands. The UK and Ireland also have strong craft beer cultures now, though the US certainly has had a big head start over them.

hourislate 7y ago

Everyone I know from Eastern Europe likes to drink Vodka, Cognac, Brandy (Plum), etc. They'll drink a beer if there is no food being served but I've noticed that when they picnic/bring out a bite or have feasts that a bottle of Vodka is on the table with shot glasses. If there is going to be serious drinking they bring out the Samohon or the moonshine of the Region.

ajuc 7y ago

It's different drinks for different occasions. Young people meeting friends in pubs or discos don't drink wódka (usually) - they drink beer. And if they do drink wódka it's only a few shots beetwen beers. Alcoholics drink hard spirits or cheap "fruit wine" if they are poor. Everybody drink vodka (and wine, and beer, but wódka is the tradition) on big occasions like marriage or other big family meetings. But getting wasted isn't cool and very few people drink too much usually.