Alcohol in Sweden

I recently bought ankle high boots from H&M, to prevent an embarrassing repeat of the Keds-in-VIP-section-in-Stockholm incident. They are söt. (cute!) and cheap, like just under 30 bucks! I feel so chic.

I have already made the vow to live on pasta, tacos and hamburgers for the next five months so I can save all my money for clothes and the extremely expensive System Bolaget aka the alcohol store of Sweden, the the booze monopoly. This is the bane of Swedish culture. Whine all you like about waiting till 21 in America, at least you can buy booze at nearly all hours of the night and it takes a while before the bar cuts you off (I assume? Only 20 years old myself hahah). The drinking age in Sweden is 20, but only between the hours of 10 and 6, 7, or 3pm, depending on the day of the week. (3pm is Saturday!) And it’s very expensive. A half liter of absolut costs almost 40 bucks. That’s a grande, in Starbucks terms. you can get little 2.25 percents at the grocery stores but really? You might as well have a soda with dinner.

Here in Lund we have these things called Nations- they are basically co-ed fraternities operating in ways our frats and sorors wish they could operate. I mean, the entire thing is volunteer student run, they all have their own real clubs, pubs, and bars (not just basements), security guards, coat checks (what with all the layers we wear- bless the coat checkers!), dorms, etc.

I am in Hallands Nation. And because of course it is student run, they look for volunteers to work in the pubs and bars on party nights, like Friday. I like volunteering to do the pub because the student foreman is really cool, its a little more relaxed then the bar; sometimes you stand around, eating nachos and having a beer yourself. Plus, in a few weeks we get a free thank you dinner with wine and shots. Since booze is so expensive, it’s really like getting paid. I don’t know how to explain it but it’s an experience you normally don’t get to have in America.

It can be stressful though. I know enough Swedish to get by and I’m trying to learn more, so when some guy in a tie, suit, and blazer with his hair slicked back (where do you think you are buddy? Stockholm?) comes up, tosses a thirty kronor at me and says “En Duvel, tack.” and then ignores me and scans the room for hot chicks, I can oblige and get him his Duvel beer and feel pleased I have kept my American identity a secret. And I feel a little less intimidated by him when I later watch him literally lick his nachos plate clean. But when people start asking questions things deteriorate.

It’s like this. Swedish girl approaches. “Kan blah blah mumble jag mumble slur slur två Swedish Swedish?” I am forced to give myself up.

“I don’t speak much Swedish!” I actually know how to say this in Swedish, but that only makes them more confused. As it is, her eyes narrow and her mouth opens a little bit. I can practically hear the gears turning in her head. But then she gets it and five minutes later we have finally solved the problem.

Being a bartender (beer-fetcher) has its perks also, namely, being allowed to be a bitch because I am the bartender and you need me. When another slick guy in a sweater vest shows up, spills his first drink all over the counter without realizing it and demands a jager and redbull, I can say no way. And when he shrieks “Fuck you!” I can wave down a security guard and get him kicked out of the building. Ha ha. We don’t even have jager dude.

I can understand why they are so strict about the alcohol here. If we didn’t close the pub and bar down at two, they would overwhelm the back kitchen at three to steal all the booze and nachos, and the building would be burned down by four. The Swedes really just go insane. When we had a dorm party, fifteen Swedes managed to purposefully destroy every stick of furniture and piece of glassware in our kitchen and throw everything else off the balcony.

Does it sound like I don’t do anything worthwhile here? Honestly, in Santa Barbara, I don’t party crazy much. If its December and 40 degrees outside, I don’t mind staying inside with a blanket and movie, avoiding a hangover. But my parents just got facebooks so they could see what I have been up to here, and all I have to show for it is seven album pages of partying. I’m taking only three classes right now, and its soon to drop down to one. What am I supposed to do with my spare time? Hell, at a party for the volunteers of the upcoming Lund Carnival, Will Ferrel recorded a message for us to watch while we sipped free shots.

Will Ferrell!

These people have connections and I am down to enjoy them.

The System Bolaget made this interactive video of what they thought would happen if alcohol was allowed to be purchased in stores. It’s kind of cute, if you get the chance to watch it.

http://www.systembolagetkampanj.se/forskarrapport_en/

One Response to “Alcohol in Sweden”

1. hecate says:

   April 29, 2010 at 11:36 pm

   I plan on living and working in Sweden soon just need to save a bit first, i am kinda worried tho because i am South African and i can’t speak a work of Swedish! are the jobs any good there?