When it comes to alcohol in Sweden, things are… quite special…

Let me tell you how it works out here :)

Being wasted in Sweden is a real national sport. And as every sport you want to practice, you got to play according the rules…

1st rule: a good player sweats to get his booze…

Alcohol selling is a Sweden’s state monopoly.  In many ways, it’s quite comparable to the post in France, but for booze…

Every single drink which of the alcohol rate is over 3,5% is sold ONLY at Systembolaget, a huge alcohol supermarket.

You won’t find any kind of strong beers, ciders, wines or spirits anywhere else than in Systembolaget…

At first, it sounded exotic and funny to me, fresh french in Sweden. Then it turned out to be seriously annoying. Not in the way that I am particularly onto getting wasted, but to get a simple bottle of wine can turn to be a real uphill battle…

First, you have to PLAN to go to Systembolaget : it will be impossible to get any alcohol after 19h on weekdays, and after 15h on Saturdays. That’s how Systembolaget get to own your week end schedule.

Then, you have to GO to Systembolaget. Needless to say you won’t find the stores at every corner of the streets. For my part, I have to take a bus.

If you want to get your booze, you have to PROVE that you and the people accompanying you are at least 20, even if you all look like you’re 40 years old.  In other words, to show your ID, whoever you are.

Once, I took my little brother -who was about to turn 20, in a Systembolaget. I had to negotiate for paying my single bottle of wine…

You forgot your ID? Simply forget about it!

And finally, you have to PAY. A LOT. Lots of taxes to be quite exact.

A regular bottle of Sancerre? 149 SEK… (14€)

A regular bottle of Sancerre, behind its glass case

Sometimes, you even have to take a ticket and wait until your turn to get served. Like in this Systembolaget where I used to buy wine (before I got sick of queuing…)

Here you have to wait for your turn...

... but you can check it from the mall!

Should I add, that buying an expensive wine will never prevent it from being disgusting ; the price being calculated regarding its alcohol rate, more than its gustatory value. (I’ve been myself screwed a couple of times…)

All of this probably let you imagine that the pressure that the Swedish state puts on alcohol prevents Swedes from drinking.

One obvious postulate I quickly figured, is that it absolutely doesn’t work.

Which leads us to the second rule…

2d rule: A good player trains on a regular base…

Obviously, having to plan your alcohol shopping leads you to plan your hangovers. And Swedes are pretty good at that.

So in Sweden, as almost everything (working, meeting friends, dating, hooking up,…), getting wasted is extremely scheduled.
I wish you could have the opportunity to observe this fascinating competition on the main Södermalm street on fridays and saturdays, all about who’s gonna pass out first (on their good days, the winners can show up around 20h…)

Though, it doesn’t seem to bother anyone that Systembolaget closes at 15.00 the Saturdays, whereas it’s precisely the national hangover day… Thus, it’s quite common that guards have to cope with a huge traffic jam in front of the stores on the Saturdays, around 14.00.

Swedes even created events all about drinking, such as Midsommar, which of the purpose is to swallow as much snaps as you can.

3d rule : A good player practice often…

Being wasted, a taboo? Never!

In Sweden, as easy as buying a hot dog or candies, you can get this miraculous medicine against hangover feeling : Revigör…

Revigör works like pretty much the morning-after pill, but for alcohol :)

Revigör

In line with planning your hangover, ect… it works in three steps : one pill before the hangover, one during, and one after.

And surprisingly : it works…

Being wasted is definitely not my favorite sport….

Though, if you have the opportunity to pop by here, I can introduce you to some good players :)