# International Perception: Are Americans lightweights (alcoholically)? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 29, 2010, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-perception-are-americans-lightweights-alcoholically/534251 "2010-03-29T20:52:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-perception-are-americans-lightweights-alcoholically/534251/41 "2010-03-31T15:56:16Z")
I’m actually surprised that Japanese are perceived as harder drinkers than Americans (and, in fact, #5 overall according to this poll.) I thought the stereotype was that Japanese (and Asians in general) are lightweights. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-perception-are-americans-lightweights-alcoholically/534251/42 "2010-03-31T16:14:09Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > The world’s most passionate beer drinkers are the Czechs. To je pravda! (trans: True dat!) ---
**Author:** ![Pyper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Pyper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pyper)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-perception-are-americans-lightweights-alcoholically/534251/43 "2010-03-31T16:23:56Z")
I’m surprised at how many people mention the Chinese. I thought the majority of Chinese couldn’t process alchohol, resulting in itchiness and flushed skin. I’ve known many American Chinese, Koreans, and Vietnamese with this problem. Now I’m off to google statistics. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-perception-are-americans-lightweights-alcoholically/534251/44 "2010-03-31T19:37:18Z")
> [@drastic\_quench](#): > > In my experience, a lot of western Europeans drink a lot over a long period of time instead of binge drinking quickly. I’ve known some Irish lads who put down a lot over the course of the entire night, but each pint is sipped at a pace slower than your typical American pub crawler. Exceptions, exceptions, anecdotal… yes. Anyhow, I’ve always tried to pattern my crazy nights on what I perceive to be the western European approach: drink often, start early, and pace yourself to “waltz” out at last call – not stagger out at 10:30. One of those lads used to say, “yeah, while you Americans are drinking faster than me and getting loud and stupid, I’m staying paced enough to pick up your girlfriend.” I thought the stereotype of the UK, anyway, was sucking down several pints fast, because closing time comes so early. Has Andy Capp been misleading me? > [@MrDibble](#): > > I voted “other European” - ask anyone who has been to Pennsic, no one drinks like the Swedes. Unless it’s the Finns. I remember riding the ferry from Denmark to Sweden, with a bunch of Swedes who were each bringing back several cases of booze. Here’s an [article](http://www.cafebabel.co.uk/article/30957/sweden-alcohol-systemet-abstention-vodka-society.html) on Swedish drinking. The government is concerned about Swedes’ heavy drinking and makes alcohol expensive and somewhat difficult to get, but Denmark’s taxes are much lower. > [@pulykamell](#): > > I’m actually surprised that Japanese are perceived as harder drinkers than Americans (and, in fact, #5 overall according to this poll.) I thought the stereotype was that Japanese (and Asians in general) are lightweights. Maybe they _are_ lightweights, but because they get drunker off less alcohol, they seem like harder drinkers. ---
**Author:** ![Gus\_Gusterson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85f322/32.png) [@Gus\_Gusterson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gus_Gusterson)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-perception-are-americans-lightweights-alcoholically/534251/45 "2010-03-31T19:47:22Z")
I’ve been out drinking with lots of people. The Finns and Swedes are the heaviest drinkers I’ve seen, followed by the Russians. They all consume massive quantities of Vodka. Nobody else is even in the running, not even the Irish who, while they drink a lot, don’t pound hard liquor the way the Finns, Swedes, and Russians do. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-perception-are-americans-lightweights-alcoholically/534251/46 "2010-03-31T20:09:40Z")
> [@Pyper](#): > > I’m surprised at how many people mention the Chinese. I thought the majority of Chinese couldn’t process alchohol, resulting in itchiness and flushed skin. I’ve known many American Chinese, Koreans, and Vietnamese with this problem. > . True about the Asian alcohol allergy. Having said this, I can not even count how many Chinese men I know that ignore the irritation and drink anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Candyman74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Candyman74](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Candyman74)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-perception-are-americans-lightweights-alcoholically/534251/47 "2010-03-31T20:15:32Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > I thought the stereotype of the UK, anyway, was sucking down several pints fast, because closing time comes so early. Has Andy Capp been misleading me?. The UK and the Continent are very different in this regard. The UK has the restrictive licensing laws for decades; the Continental countries did not. Thus the UK now has a serious binge drinking problem, whle the French and Italians will happily sip away all day at a reasonable pace. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-perception-are-americans-lightweights-alcoholically/534251/48 "2010-03-31T20:27:19Z")
Unless they’re hooligans the Brits can’t drink for shit. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-perception-are-americans-lightweights-alcoholically/534251/49 "2010-03-31T21:05:12Z")
Alcohol Consumption (litres per year per person): Ireland - 13.7 UK - 11.8 Germany - 12.0 France - 11.4 Italy - 8.0 Russia - 10.3 USA - 8.6 Canada - 7.8 China - 5.2 Japan - 7.6 Alcohol Related Deaths (per 10k per year): Ireland - 654 UK - 504 Germany - 661 France - 702 Italy - 425 Russia - 848 USA - 810 Canada - 796 China - 346 Japan - 333 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-perception-are-americans-lightweights-alcoholically/534251/50 "2010-03-31T21:15:28Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > I voted “other European” - ask anyone who has been to Pennsic, no one drinks like the Swedes. Unless it’s the Finns. O yeah…everybody I know has a “I tried to party with the Swedes” story. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-perception-are-americans-lightweights-alcoholically/534251/51 "2010-03-31T21:22:43Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Alcohol Consumption (litres per year per person):… What does that study say about those nationalities being able to HOLD their liquor. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-perception-are-americans-lightweights-alcoholically/534251/52 "2010-03-31T21:39:43Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Alcohol Related Deaths (per 10k per year): > Ireland - 654 > UK - 504 > Germany - 661 > France - 702 > Italy - 425 > Russia - 848 > USA - 810 > Canada - 796 > China - 346 > Japan - 333 Where are these stats from? The [CDC](http://www.cdc.gov/NCHS/data/nvsr/nvsr57/nvsr57_14.pdf) (pdf; see p.11) puts US alcohol-related deaths at 7.0 per 100,000 people (in 2006). And in terms of raw numbers of deaths, those that were alcohol-related made up roughly 23,000 out of 2,250,000 total deaths (in 2006) (compare p.95 and p.18). ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-perception-are-americans-lightweights-alcoholically/534251/53 "2010-03-31T22:05:00Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > Where are these stats from? The [CDC](http://www.cdc.gov/NCHS/data/nvsr/nvsr57/nvsr57_14.pdf) (pdf; see p.11) puts US alcohol-related deaths at 7.0 per 100,000 people (in 2006). And in terms of raw numbers of deaths, those that were alcohol-related made up roughly 23,000 out of 2,250,000 total deaths (in 2006) (compare p.95 and p.18). I’m sorry my data was [DALY](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DALY)s per 100k rather than deaths per 10k. :smack: It’s a measurement of years of life lost rather than numbers of deaths. [http://www.who.int/entity/healthinfo/statistics/bodgbddeathdalyestimates.xls](http://www.who.int/entity/healthinfo/statistics/bodgbddeathdalyestimates.xls) ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-perception-are-americans-lightweights-alcoholically/534251/54 "2010-03-31T22:14:21Z")
> [@appleciders](#): > > Little surprised to not see the Scottish on here. They are on here: they’re British (as are Welsh people and Northern Irish). The Thais apparently have a huge, Europe-comparable per-capita booze consumption rate, so I voted for them under “other”. My experience of living in the States is that it’s quite binary. The minority, those who drink, they fucking _drink_, and drank me under the table. The rest would get twatted just from sniffing the lid of a Bud Lite, throw up, and go home early. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-perception-are-americans-lightweights-alcoholically/534251/55 "2010-03-31T22:40:58Z")
> [@bucketybuck](#): > > Fast forward through a week and a gazillion bottles of Coors light spread among 19 Irish twenty somethings, and we have had a good time, but strangely none of us really seemed to get too drunk. We weren’t “sober”, but there was no dancing on tables or roaring at the top of our voices like the Manhattan wannabes on St Patricks day. And why was this? Please note for the record: 1. Coors Light isn’t beer. It’s soda pop with some alcohol in it. 2. American beer drinkers don’t drink Coors Light. People who don’t like beer drink Coors Light. 3. Some of the best beers in the world are brewed here in the U.S. Last time I was in Ireland, I didn’t see a single one of them over there. Visiting places like Ireland, Scotland, and Germany makes me understand why you folks have such disdain for “American beer.” The only American-made beers you ever see on your side of the pond are Budweiser, Coors, and Miller products. ---
**Author:** ![Perciful](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b38774/32.png) [@Perciful](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Perciful)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2010, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-perception-are-americans-lightweights-alcoholically/534251/56 "2010-04-01T13:26:39Z")
I’m with Gary. Coor’s Light is water with a splash of ale. My father brought me back a bottle of German beer and it was heavy but good. In a less is more’ sort of way. it was like a meal. The poll looks pretty accurate with the Ireland and Russia being on top. ---
**Author:** ![nashiitashii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7c8e57/32.png) [@nashiitashii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nashiitashii)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2010, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-perception-are-americans-lightweights-alcoholically/534251/57 "2010-04-01T14:42:35Z")
> [@Pyper](#): > > I’m surprised at how many people mention the Chinese. I thought the majority of Chinese couldn’t process alcohol, resulting in itchiness and flushed skin. I’ve known many American Chinese, Koreans, and Vietnamese with this problem. > > Now I’m off to google statistics. Different types of alcoholic beverages tend to affect individuals in interesting ways. Since my husband and I are homebrew hobbyists (mead mostly), we’ve definitely had our share of friends over for sampling different brews. Some friends who can handle whisky and rum and other liquors with no problem get absolutely trashed on a small amount of mead, while others can drink mead all night with no issue but get trashed on beer or liquor. Seems that a lot of it has to do with how the person’s body metabolizes the sugars present in the drink. There is, however, a little to be said about a person’s drinking style in relation to how they handle their alcohol; some are sippers, some binge, and some consume food while drinking while others avoid it. **Even sven** made a good point about cultural drinking behavior: I learned that sipping one’s alcohol was preferable, for it was okay to be a little tipsy but not okay to be drunk enough to lose one’s eloquence. You can drink a lot of alcohol over the course of an evening without being staggering drunk, and I’ve had many an occasion where I wasn’t staggering, but I was definitely under the effect of quite a few drinks over the course of an evening-- giggling and completely lacking in seriousness, but able to walk/dance/saunter somewhat gracefully where I needed to be. Mind you, by the time I got to that point, I was more prone to prancing about, but I made an effort to not get drunk to the point where I couldn’t handle walking and talking without it being a serious challenge. FTR, my first “real” drinking experience where I ended up drinking all night was when I was 15 and celebrating New Year’s Eve in Reykjavik; we drank enough to be tipsy all night, but nobody got “staggering around and puking” drunk. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-perception-are-americans-lightweights-alcoholically/534251.md?page=2)