After having discussed the eating habits of Brazilians (here and here), I would like to give my remarks on their drinking habits. I am not only going to talk about alcoholism, but I will try to touch on some differences regarding non-alcoholic beverages as well.

When I first travelled to Brazil, I was delighted to see, that they do not consume as much alcohol as Europeans do. While for most Europeans, going out at night mostly means drinking alcohol and getting absolutely wasted, Brazilians who go out in the evening, eat and drink as well. Since young people (especially students) are mostly on tight budget, this means they cannot drink too much and eating also helps tolerate alcohol. Most Brazilian bars offer some kind of finger food, often churrasco (grilled meat). In general, my impression is that the effects of drinking alcohol start showing on Brazilians earlier than…