Friday, April 24, 2009
Michael Holtz
The drinking culture of Germany may be counterintuitive to most American college students. Drinking a beer in public — perfectly legal. Serving beer at a dorm party — not a problem.
Given Germany’s lax laws, a comparatively young drinking age — 16 for beer and wine, 18 for spirits — and arguably the world’s finest beer, it’s a wonder to find that many Germans are casual and responsible drinkers, at least compared with most college freshmen in the United States.
Don’t get me wrong; Germans love their beer. They are behind only the Czech Republic and Ireland in per-capita consumption rate. Yet the German approach to drinking stands in stark comparison to American college-town traditions.
Forget competitive drinking games such as beerpong, flip cup and circle of death. House parties as we know them in the states are nonexistent in Germany. Most dorms are equipped with a small basement bar. Surprisingly cheap 0.5-liter glass bottles replace kegs — sorry, no keg stands — and Foosball takes the place of beer pong at every party.
Unlike many Americans, Germans are familiar and comfortable with drinking by the time they enter college. They have drunk in safe environments and have established their limits.
While there remain ongoing debates in Germany concerning the young drinking age, and it is impossible to claim that all Germans are responsible drinkers, the difference between the drinking cultures in America and Germany is clear.
The competitive and excessive drinking customs prevalent across American college campuses are a ways away from what I’ve experienced in Germany.
Don’t believe me? Just ask a German whether they know how to shotgun a beer.
Helen Mubarak
Coming from Lawrence, where I still cannot drink alcohol legally or enter many clubs, nightlife in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, was a major change for me.
When I think of nightlife in Lawrence, my mind wanders to house parties after football or basketball games. Inviting friends to hang out at one’s house or apartment is certainly not unusual.
In contrast, Spaniards consider the home a private place. My Spanish roommates have never invited more than one friend to our apartment at the same time and would never dream of throwing a party. Instead, they hang out with friends in public areas such as cafés or restaurants, and, of course, bars and clubs.
Yet, the most surprising aspect about nightlife in Spain is the difference in timing. Nighttime in Spain doesn’t begin until after dinner, which takes places around 10 or 11 and can last more than an hour.
For students in Santiago, a typical night out begins at midnight or later. They usually stop at numerous bars in the same night, having a drink at each one. Afterwards, they head to the “discotecas” or clubs, which don’t open until 2 a.m and don’t see crowds until 3 or 4. A night out might end the next morning around 7 with a hot sandwich from one of the city’s 24-hour convenience stores.
As the sun rises over the cobblestones, still-lively students make their way back to their apartments holding high heels or half-empty bottles of the region’s famous beer, Estrella de Galicia. From an American perspective, it’s certainly entertaining to watch dozens of other people parading through the city’s ancient streets at the same time I might have been waking up to go to class in Lawrence.
— Holtz is a Topeka sophomore in journalism and German. Mubarak is a Shawnee sophomore in journalism and Spanish.
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