# What's the straight dope on booze in Scandinavia? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 25, 2013, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-booze-in-scandinavia/656641 "2013-04-25T03:21:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-booze-in-scandinavia/656641/21 "2013-04-26T10:51:31Z")
> [@hibernicus](#): > > Mine too. I lived in the south of Sweden for a few months more than 10 years ago, and I also formed the impression that ships plying between Sweden and Poland, between Sweden and Finland, and between the Aaland Islands and Sweden/Finland, exist almost entirely for the purpose of selling alcohol on board and/or bringing people to where they could buy drink more cheaply. The ferry tickets themselves were very cheap. Some passengers do not disembark at the destination; they remain on board, treating the round trip as one long drinking session. But the thing is that prices on board the ferries, at least those that go from Stockholm across the Baltic, are not significantly lower than in Sweden. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-booze-in-scandinavia/656641/22 "2013-04-26T12:32:23Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > … Finland (which is in Scandinavia, right?). > [@Floater](#): > > Wrong. [Maybe](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scandinavia#Terminology_and_use). ---
**Author:** ![Norse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a9adbd/32.png) [@Norse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Norse)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-booze-in-scandinavia/656641/23 "2013-04-26T13:38:13Z")
> [@PookahMacPhellimey](#): > > moonshine - someone turned up with a plastic bottle of home- made liquor. According to my Norwegian friend this is quite common. It still is, in rural parts of the country even though it seems (to me, at least) to be declining. Not particularly common in the cities. Traditionally, you’re supposed to mix it with coffee. Black, not too strong (about as strong as US American coffee), sugar optional. Can be drinkable if the moonshine is decent, can be pretty bad stuff. And the hangovers… :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-booze-in-scandinavia/656641/24 "2013-04-26T13:41:01Z")
> [@ZenBeam](#): > > [Maybe](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scandinavia#Terminology_and_use). Nope. Read [**2suare4u** ’s explanation](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16233872&postcount=16). That is the correct definition. ---
**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:** [April 26, 2013, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-booze-in-scandinavia/656641/25 "2013-04-26T14:14:00Z")
> [@PookahMacPhellimey](#): > > The north of Italy drinks a lot more than the south of Italy. > > Young Italians _think_ they are drinking a lot, but it’s nothing compared to Ireland or the UK. Generally, Italians prefer to keep their dignity and don’t like to be falling down legless. You can find a chart of per capita alcohol consumption [here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_alcohol_consumption) that more-or-less agrees with you. Italians rank behind UK and Ireland, but drink more (per capita) than Americans. Norway is significantly down in the list, too. And from living in Hungary, I could definitely see how they rank #3 in the world behind the Moldovans and Czechs. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-booze-in-scandinavia/656641/26 "2013-04-26T14:24:02Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Norway is significantly down in the list, too. This might have something to do with the prices. From a Swedish point of view it’s not a matter of pricing, but extortion. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-booze-in-scandinavia/656641/27 "2013-04-26T14:45:59Z")
> [@Floater](#): > > Nope. Read 2suare4u’s explanation. That is the correct definition. Meh. [Merriam-Webster](http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scandinavia): > [@](#): > > Denmark, Norway, Sweden — **sometimes also considered to include Iceland, the Faeroe Islands, & Finland** Also, the [Scandanavian Tourist Boards](http://www.goscandinavia.com/scandinavia/go-scandinavia) include Finland and Iceland. Don’t blame us if your own countries aren’t maintaining the distinction. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2013, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-booze-in-scandinavia/656641/28 "2013-04-29T09:18:07Z")
Sorry, but it is still not correct usage. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2013, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-booze-in-scandinavia/656641/29 "2013-04-29T09:20:46Z")
> [@Floater](#): > > Sorry, but it is still not correct usage. Sez who? U? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2013, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-booze-in-scandinavia/656641/30 "2013-04-29T16:56:42Z")
> [@Floater](#): > > Sorry, but it is still not correct usage. You don’t own the word “Scandinavia”, you know. ---
**Author:** ![Norse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a9adbd/32.png) [@Norse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Norse)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2013, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-booze-in-scandinavia/656641/31 "2013-04-29T16:58:30Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > Sez who? Sez s/he, plus every Nordic citizen with an IQ above 90 who is not working in a business (e.g. advertising) where “reaching the audience” or whatver they call it is more important than being correct. ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2013, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-booze-in-scandinavia/656641/32 "2013-04-29T18:05:49Z")
> [@ZenBeam](#): > > [Maybe](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scandinavia#Terminology_and_use). Maybe? > [@](#): > > In English, Scandinavia usually refers to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.[2][4][5] Some experts argue for the inclusion of Finland and Iceland,[6][7][8] Cites 2, 4, and 5 are two encyclopedias and a dictionary. Cites 6, 7 and 8 are two travel books and the aforementioned tourist board. Unless you prescribe to a “any documented usage is correct” standpoint on language, Scandinavia means Norway, Sweden and Denmark, the tourist board pandering to the lowest common denominator notwithstanding. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-booze-in-scandinavia/656641.md?page=1)