Evelin

I have looked up several blogs of regulars on this forum and wonder why British blokes carry on and on about their drinking habits in Australia. Brits have a reputation in Europe for their drinking behaviour though I never came across any British drunks while I was living in Europe or holidaying (obviously we never shared the same places).

However, reading the blogs, few chapters are without the word "drink" or "beer" in it. That reminds of two young Swiss girls who came to Perth on a temp working visa last year. They couldn't believe how many people get drunk here and that they never have seen something like that before in their home country.

I always thought people move to Australia to have a better life.

Evelin

Centurion

Beer drinking, great wines and enjoying the social life of the BBQ, parties and soforth are about as Australian as it gets here.

Enjoying a drink does not mean going on some pub crawling binge and fighting everyone and neither does it equate to antisocial behaviour imo. Quite the reverse when your being responsible about it.

MartinLuther

Drinking does not always mean getting drunk but the Brits do have a reputation for binge drinking. However in Europe the Irish and Germans drink more than Brits and I suspect the Scandinavians are probably up there as well. So it's probably a Northern European thing rather than a Brit thing. On the other side of the coin the Southern Europeans tend to drink a lot but spread it out over time. France has one of the highest sorosis rates in Europe and also one of the highest drink driving rates.

Vive la difference!

worzel

Absolutely. It is about drinking steadily and socially rather than necking as many as you can in 3 hours before getting a kebab and throwing up.

I have read though, that while doctors in the UK are worried about 13 year olds getting bladdered behind the social club they are more worried about middle-aged, well-off people drinking a few every night here.

NKSK version 2

Although Britis have a pretty poor reputation, I don't think your average Aussie bloke is a shrinking violet when it comes to over-doing the booze.

The Murphsters

Evelin, what you going on about????

Having a better life means abstaining from alcohol?, so by having a few drinks we are somehow not having a better life?? Getting toether with a bunch of mates for a riotous night on the town, laughing, chatting and yes drinking is great part of life no matter what country you happen to be in, Australia is not different. Or do you think that once we move here we should stop drinking and go to church or something?

northernbird

your posts never cease to amaze or amuse.

Hutch

Just search my blog ... only mentioned the word 'beer' 14 times in a year ... hardly obsessive I feel.

*note to self ... drink more beer and then blog it*

BadgeIsBack

I think Aussie males don't frequent the pub as much as UK males do.

They can't - there's less pubs.

I'd hazard a guess that Aussie males would spread their drinking out more over the day and that there may not be much in it.

There's less of a 'I'm a bit of a geezer'', soccer and darts culture here and I like it that way.

wintersgills

you must have a white stick and ear muffs on love if you havnt come across and drunk brits in europe

Caroline B

Is it just me? - I've been surprised by how few drunks I've seen here (and by how many people go to church!) - I grew up in Brighton UK and I love the place to bits, but every time I visit there's a good punch up and vomita thon going on, and that's just the wimmin.
Mind you, I do go to bed around 9.30, here so there may be some serious drinking going on after this......

Jockstar

Cheaper to buy a case and have a BBQ.

Fat Bloke

A village somewhere is missing you for sure.

Wol

Ignore them: boozing is a big problem here in Oz as it is in the UK. Australians *used* to be able to handle it without getting aggressive, but I fear things have changed over the last few years and there is now a significant amount of violence especially late at night.

Hutch

Not disputing the general hypothesis (that being that people get just as pissed here as in the UK, though I do plan to look into that and will get back to you), just very curious as to how you feel confident enough to make your assertions so confidently? Firstly you suggest that Australians are no longer able to handle booze without getting aggressive. Moreover you suggest that this change has happened in the 'last few years'. So what, exactly, has happened in these 'last few years' to bring about this change? Did booze suddenly get cheap, or did they make it stronger? Since you suggest that Australians have changed dramatically in those last few years, what has brought this about? Something in the water? Hole in the ozone layer? Rising sea levels? Airbourne particulates? Were you here a few years ago to observe this groundshift in alcohol abuse? And as to the timing of the violence, you say it happens late night. I'm sure it does (people tend to drink after work, rather than during breakfast), just not sure what that has to do with anything - and also, how you're so sure that it is the case. Do you stake out pubs at kick-out time and observe the street argy-bargy?
Answers on a postcard ...