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Spaniard here. Social drinking is very much a thing in Spain. However, most social drinking is light or moderate: walk to a nearby bar, have two beers with the
by Rygian 4y ago
Spaniard here.
Social drinking is very much a thing in Spain. However, most social drinking is light or moderate: walk to a nearby bar, have two beers with the family or with close friends (with free tapas, which accounts for dinner), then walk back home. In rare occasions (at least in my personal experience) things degenerate and one goes out for "just one beer" and gets back home at 5am with a vague recollection of chanting down the street.
My point is: every time that things get past the two-three beers limit in an evening, I am very conscious that I'm deviating from "social drinking" and "this is a meal" and entering "getting drunk" realm.
My personal point of view: having a responsible drink every now and then is a lot easier than cutting out completely. Here's what I do:
* If I want to enjoy a drink, I have a healthy meal with it. Can't open a second bottle of beer if the meal isn't finished, and by that point I'm full and happy.
* If I'm in a social situation where drinking is expected, I have a first drink, then switch to tap water (or sparkling water when plain water just won't do).
* More irresponsible drinking is an option. It's not verboten. However, it's reserved to very special occasions (New Year's Eve, my birthday party, a good time with friends not seen in years, …), and by the fourth beer I'm already sleepy enough to need a rest.
* On a tangent: Real tapas are *free, never paid*, and come with every drink ordered in a bar (including non-alcoholic drinks). I am certain this helps curb alcoholism to a significant degree in my hometown.
This is just me. YMMV.
- santiagobasulto 4y agoIt's pretty similar in Italy as well. Social drinking, just an aperitivo and then the meal.
- vestrigi 4y agoAre the prices higher for a drink in the free tapas bars? I mean, no such thing as a free lunch, but this article shows that a drink is like 5 euros and you get a little meal with that, which seems like a great deal. In Germany I'd have to pay at least 5 euros per 0.5 liters of beer in average locations. Yes, the article is 7 years old and Spain is a little cheaper to live in and we have high inflation but it still seems very inexpensive to me. https://themaritimeexplorer.ca/2015/12/01/tapas-in-spain/ https://themaritimeexplorer.ca/2015/12/01/tapas-in-spain/
- danieldisu 4y agoYes, they are a bit higher, the places that give you good tapas are usually outside of the touristy areas. In tourist areas, you will not get anything or just some olives or chips (that is not considered a tapa for most spaniards)
- toyg 4y agoAlcohol taxes are notoriously high in Northern countries. Very deliberate policies were put in place that resulted in that state of things, often in order to curb an issue (alcoholism) that tends to be more common in colder and harsher environments.
- Rygian 4y agoA 25 cl beer + a small pork loin sandwich with a few potato chips is 2€ in my hometown in Spain.
- j_crick 4y agoPretty nice. In Ukraine right now a 500 cl of a relatively okay beer in a bar goes north of 2.5€ alone, and sandwiches start at about 3€. Damn
- thorin 4y agoThis is exactly what I've done (UK based, but big fan of Spain!) for the last 3-4 years. I wasted too much time, health and money when younger on drinking excessively. If I have situation where I think I would be tempted to drink more I generally drive and then I'd never have more than 1 beer anyway. So far it's about 1-2 times a year when I exceed this, and even then I don't go crazy but it's normally enough to make me wait a good few months before doing it again!