Rejoice, drinkers on fresh air: Formally drinking alcohol in public places is not prohibited in England and Wales (however, you must, of course, be over 18 years old for this). If you want to take a glass of a drink outside a bar or pub, or buy it in a store and immediately open it at the exit, you are not prohibited by law. However, it is always better to be careful with glassware.

In practice, there is the concept of the Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) - a rule that leaves control of alcohol consumption in public places to the police. It operates in certain areas known as Controlled Drinking Zones. And if you drink in a zone where such a restriction applies, then the police officer can prohibit you and even confiscate what you drink.

Important: even in these areas, alcohol consumption in itself is not a violation of the law. But you have to stop drinking, if a this will be required by the police.

The Manifesto Club that opposes over-control everyday life, made a map of such zones. There were 74 PSPO sites in 32 London boroughs. This is how it looks on the map.

Can I drink on public transport?

You cannot drink or carry an open container of alcohol on public transport in London, which is part of the Transport for London structure. But you can drink on National Rail trains and aboard Thames Clippers. True, the carrier can introduce "dry law" from time to time. This sometimes happens during major football matches and other city events. Information about this appears in advance.

Can the bartender refuse to pour me a drink?

Maybe he has every right to do so. Without explaning the reason. The 2003 Licensing Act allows the bartender to kick you out or even call the police. The document also prohibits those under 18 from working in a bar and selling alcohol at unspecified hours.

Can the cops take my drink?

If you are under 18, then the police have the right to confiscate alcohol and tell your parents what they caught you on. This is regulated by a document called the 1997 Confiscation of Alcohol (Young Persons) Act. In cases with an adult, the policeman's treatment will be advisory. And already your refusal to obey and stop drinking on the street in this case can be regarded as resistance. And this may be the reason for the detention. Please note that a Temporary Event Notice may apply during city events such as the Christmas market. And in this case, no one can forbid you to calmly drink your mulled wine somewhere in the park next to the event.

What is Drinking Banning Order (DBO)?

If you repeatedly got drunk in public places and this ended with complaints from others and police intervention, then you may be issued a special DBO (Drinking Banning Order) order. Its effect can last from two months to two years. And people over the age of 16 can write out such a piece of paper. The warrant can prohibit you from buying any alcohol or even visiting places where it is drunk.

It is better not to drink with a horse, cow or pig

Certain aspects of alcohol consumption are still governed by the Licensing Act of 1872.

In addition to the expected drunken appearance restriction in public place (maximum fine - £ 200) this law also contains funny anachronistic norms. For example, they consider cases of inappropriate behavior especially severely if the offender has a bicycle, horse, cow, pig or steam engine, as well as (and here it is already more understandable) a weapon.

Thousands of well-dressed party-goers flooded clubs and pubs looking for fun on Halloween night. The next day, the holiday has lost all its gloss, mountains of rubbish and bottles of alcohol remained on the streets. Someone "rested" after drinking straight on the sidewalk, others needed an ambulance.

Hellish nurses, vampires, demons and Donald Trump - these were the most popular costumes. Want to know how Old Britain is having fun? Then this material is for you.

For many party-goers, the party ended with a rest on the cold asphalt. Someone vomited on the sidelines, others just fell off their feet. Newcastle, London, Birmingham - in the morning these cities looked like a massacre.

Thousands of Britons donned the scariest Halloween costumes and took to the city streets. In Birmingham, the number of participants in the festivities exceeded 3 thousand people. Of the city's two most famous pubs, a motley crowd marched along central Broad Street.

This girl went overboard a little. A friend supports her.

Among the most striking images were two in the costumes of Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un, the participant in the stunning mask of the "plague doctor" was also remembered.

Several girls paid tribute to the TV show "Orange Is the New Black" and chose orange jumpsuits as their costumes.

The parties also included killer clowns, a werewolf, an angel, and even zombie schoolgirls.

The evening has ceased to be languid for this guy, who took a nap right at the post.

Another man, dressed as a Christmas elf, sat down to rest in front of the front door.

But friends are taking this girl home, she is no longer able to walk on her own.

Towards the end of the evening, someone started setting off fireworks right in front of the crowd of party-goers.

Two women in police uniforms bought takeaway food.

The evil nurse image was one of the most popular in Portsmouth. In the photo on the right - "demoness", whose costume is perfectly emphasized by specific lenses.

Who will you call for help? Ghostbusters set out to clean up the mess in Portsmouth.

The picture shows two "nuns" filmed during a party in Newcastle.

Looking at it, it seems like Halloween is no longer the cute kiddie party we are used to seeing in the movies. Young people get drunk, brawl, fight and pinch each other right in the alley. It's a little sad that a bright holiday has turned into a binge.

Rich perennials culinary traditions Great Britain are known all over the world. And this applies not only to dishes, but also to traditional English drinks. As with so much else, British people generally refrain from making their drinks. bold experiments, therefore, the recipe and composition remain unchanged for many centuries. By the way, among traditional English drinks, much more space is devoted to alcohol, recipes for making aromatic strong drinks passed down from generation to generation and are highly valued by the British. Suffice it to recall the great popularity of such a traditionally British establishment as a pub serving beer, whiskey, ale and much more.

7. Pimms

Now Pimms (Pimm "s) - summer cocktail, punch, alcoholic beverage fruit is drunk during the warmer months throughout the UK. Pimms is an unusually democratic drink. It is served to the Queen and her private guests at horse races, regattas and other events of the London high season, as well as in any pub in the country. This drink is an integral part of the Great British Summer. So this time of year is jokingly called here. The irony naturally refers to the weather, which can give any surprises. However, no weather can influence such "icons" of the British lifestyle as a glass of Pimms.

6. Squash

No, this is not a sport or a vegetable. Squash - typical British soft drinkwhich is made from fruits, juice, water and sweeteners. This drink is actually very refreshing and thirst quencher, especially in summer.
In the UK, Robinsons is the most popular squash brand. This brand was originally engaged in the production of this drink for tennis players during the Wimbledon period in 1935.

5. Cider

Another drink that has spread throughout the world, but evokes associations with Britain, is cider, which is, in fact, fermented fruit juice. Most often, cider is made from apples or pears, but variations are possible. There is no alcohol at all in carbonated and sweet cider, but you should be careful, it can easily get drunk from it.

By the way, in the 18th century, on farms, half of the labor of workers was often paid for with cider.

4. Gin and tonic

Gin and tonic - alcoholic cocktail, which contains two main ingredients (gin and tonic, of course), as well as lime and ice. The ratio of the main ingredients differs depending on the recipe.

The history of the emergence of this alcoholic drink is associated with British soldiers who were in India. In the 19th century, among them, quinine tonic was very popular; it was given to soldiers so that they did not contract malaria. This drink tasted very bitter. To make it more enjoyable, the tonic began to be mixed with gin, which was also popular at the time. Lime, which the soldiers used to eat the drink, saved them from scurvy.

3. Ale

Another common drink of the British is ale (ginger beer), which is made with barley malt and tastes like beer, but the taste of ale is richer and denser, and the color is darker. Once in a pub, you are supposed to order a pint of ale (568 ml), because draft ale is the best. The British have been drinking ale since the mid-17th century, especially because it was believed to protect people from infections.

2. Whiskey

Whiskey is the oldest British alcoholic beverage and has been brewed for centuries. Whiskey can be made from malt, grain, or a blend of the two. The British give preference to Scottish malt whiskey... They drink it at 25 grams and, unlike the Americans, pure, without ice. The most popular varieties are Glenmorangie, Glenfiddich or Laphroaig.

1. Tea
a drink that is traditionally associated with England throughout the world. The British nation has not changed its deep love for this for many years. aromatic drink and consumes huge quantities of it every year.

The most "English" version of this drink is tea with the addition of milk. In this case, it is very important to pour milk into the tea, and not vice versa. The British are convinced that otherwise the tradition will be broken and the scent will change. Tea drinking is the most important event that almost defines a neat English daily routine. In addition, it is best to have long small conversations over a cup of tea, this is an occasion to get together with your family or a company of old friends.

Top 7 traditional British drinks updated: August 12, 2017 by the author: Ekaterina Kadurina

Whiskey! - you say. And you will be right and wrong at the same time. In fact, whiskey, of course, rules, but besides it there are interesting alcoholic "specialties". Some are world famous, some are purely regional, and you can only find them in small villages (in this case, you will have a bonus for perseverance: they are always amazingly tasty). Here are just the best.

Whiskey

Where can we go without it? Old traditional drinkpopular in Britain for several centuries. Common options are malt, grain, and mixed grain or malt, which are mandatory indicated on the label.

The best is Scottish single malt whiskey, the British usually drink it at home. Whiskey is available in any drinking establishment, the traditional portion is 25 grams. Americans usually drink it on the rocks, the British drink it on the rocks. pure form (straight, or neat to be more precise, but let's not bother too much), especially if the whiskey is good. The bar offers both options. If you want to try a new or known good grade whiskey - order without ice. In Scotland, by the way, they may not offer ice unless the client asks for it himself: they consider such tricks with a thoroughbred drink an unworthy occupation.

As for buying whiskey home (or in your room), if you need a high-quality, well-known, solid, but still not a top-end variety like Glenmorangie, Glenfiddich or Laphroaig, then the easiest and cheapest way to find it is in a supermarket. Just choose a store not near the metro, but a large one (they are usually not in the very center) - you will find there all high-quality standard famous varieties, 30-35 options, maybe even more. Typically, supermarkets sell whiskey up to 18 years of age maximum. Average price from 25 to 40 GBP. Prices on the page are for August 2018.

And if you need something like that, elite, then there is nowhere to go - you need to look for a specialized whiskey shop. Google Map will definitely help you. The prices there are, of course, appropriate.

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Cider is an insidious drink: it is drunk easily and imperceptibly, like juice, but not weak intoxicating. So you have to be more careful with him.

Ale

The most common alcoholic beverage in Britain is ale. Known for almost two thousand years, made from barley malt, differs from beer in dark color and more intense, dense taste. The second criterion is the most unmistakable: if there are comparatively light visually sorts of drink, then there is no liquid ale in principle.

Russians (and not only them) often mistakenly call ale beer, but this is wrong. Beer in Britain is nasty and usually bottled. If you tried something on the draft in a pub, poking at random into one of the taps on the counter and getting a dark, dense drink, then it was probably not beer, but ale.

The traditional portion of ale is an English pint, that is, 568 ml, in pubs "by default" it is poured exactly. Ale can be ordinary, red, pale (pale, somewhat lighter and lighter, often with pronounced floral notes in taste and aroma) and dark (most intense). Standard varieties are the easiest and cheapest to buy in the supermarket, while the most interesting ones should be found in rural markets and in gourmet stores. A good draft ale in several flavors can be found in any pub.

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Cider

The third popular option is cider. It is essentially fermented fruit juice, traditionally in Britain apple or pear. English cider is very different from French or Belgian, one might even say that these drinks have in common only the name. It is also available in any pub, the traditional portion is a pint.

British cider is a highly carbonated beverage and can be sweet or dry. Dry usually indicates that it is dry, that is, dry. It should be remembered that cider is an insidious drink: it is drunk easily and imperceptibly, like juice, but it is not weak intoxicating, so you need to be careful with it. The best cider is draft or bottled, but you should not take cans. Sometimes they distinguish "farm", it is more saturated and always dry.

Mead is the very drink we learned about back in school, from Stevenson's ballad. It happens not only heather, by the way.

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Rarer variants

So, we figured out the most popular British spirits - but here's a whole mini-bar of less well-known, but also deserving of the closest attention, non-children's drinks in English:

Summervine (summerwine), that is, "summer wine". It is made from fruits (any), in villages many people still make it at home. If you've ever tried a Russian country jam brew - very similar. So to speak, the English folk version of the chatter: there is no need to talk about quality, try at your own peril - and do not say in the morning that we did not warn you.

Muldwine (mulled wine) - english version mulled wine. Sold only before Christmas, unlike Russian - rarely with fruit, but much more spicy. There is also a mulled sider - the same thing, but not on wine, but on cider. Sold in small glass mugs on tap, in season - a wonderful thing.

Trying to order mulled wine in a British pub - great way confuse everyone. This name is not used here, bartenders do not understand it, in pubs - even more so. Order Maldwine - you can't go wrong.

Stout (stout), a dark, sweetish-bitter drink, similar to a very dark beer, actually a very popular option in the country, we don't even know why he does it here with “rarer” options. The most famous variety of stout in Russia is, of course, Guinness, but in general there are a lot of them. Stronger than beer, traditional serving is a pint. Stout will definitely be available in any self-respecting Irish pub (as if there are others?)

Mead traditionally translated into Russian as "honey", pronounced in English as "honey" - the middle sound is soft, a cross between "e" and "i". This is the very drink that we learned about back in school, from the Stevenson ballad. It happens not only heather, by the way. The drink has existed for a couple of thousand years, from the point of view of the recipe it is boiled with honey and some plants or fruits, and then fermented water. Heather honey, respectively, is boiled with heather flowers (more precisely, with the tops of the stems). It tastes like a cross between mead and ale, usually sweet.

Traditionally honey is produced in Scotland, in London it is rarely on sale, mainly in stores good alcohol or delicacies. It is useless to search for it on tap. In the eyes of tourists, especially those not alien to poetry, it looks very romantic, but the taste, to put it mildly, is specific (like many drinks according to other ancient recipes) and not everyone likes it.

Image copyright Thinkstock

From bar furniture to the noise level of a drinking establishment, everything in a modern pub is designed to maximize alcohol consumption. These design and marketing gimmicks have influenced one generation of Britons more than others, the correspondent notes.

My first encounter with alcohol was in the late 1980s.

It was the morning after one of the parties at my parents' house. My sister and I (both about nine or 10 years old) were at home alone and began combing the living room for forgotten cans.

I remember that I acted methodically: I took the can, shook it to understand if there was anything left inside, and if so, I started drinking.

I can still feel the metallic taste of exhausted Heineken beer on my tongue, not to mention the cigarette butts in the same can.

The real acquaintance had to do with drinking at the university.

I remember my first week as a bang of excitement from cheap alcohol - a harbinger of what awaits me in the next four years.

In 2004 we drank 9.5 liters pure alcohol - more than 100 bottles of wine - every year

At one ball, I drank so much free wine that I started vomiting through my nose. My diary entry, made that evening in turquoise pen, consisted of four oversized and clumsy words: "Drunk. Nauseous. Beginner's Ball."

But what is, that is: sometimes you load people in taxis, sometimes they load you.

Recently I wondered if my generation had some abnormal relationship with alcohol. Looking at the numbers, I realized that this is indeed the case.

I found that 2004 was the peak of drinking. Then the British drank more than in the previous century and the next decade.

Alcoholic climax was reached through the efforts of those of us who were born around 1980. No generation of 20-year-olds drank as much. How did it make us happy ?!

Anyone who has researched the phenomenon of drunkenness knows this diagram. It reflects changes in the United Kingdom's annual alcohol consumption measured in liters of pure alcohol per capita.

Of course, none of us drinks pure alcohol. A liter of pure alcohol is equivalent to 35 pints strong beer (an imperial pint equals 0.57 liters - Ed.).

In 1950, the British drank an average of 3.9 liters per person. Let's look to the right. The line barely rises at first. Then, in 1960, it rushes upward. The rise becomes smoother in the 1970s.

The upward trajectory ends in 1980, but this turned out to be temporary. By the late 1990s, consumption was growing rapidly again.

With the onset of the Peak of Drinking in 2004, we began to drink 9.5 liters of alcohol on our face, which is equal to more than 100 bottles of wine - and so every year.

The reasons for all the ups and downs in the consumption curve cannot be ascertained, but scientists say economic downturns, marketing practices and gender factors affect the way people in Britain drink.

In the meantime, let's take a look at an ordinary pub as it was half a century ago.

Post war pub

In the late 1930s, a group of observers began to record what was happening in British pubs. The result was the book "Pub and People".

The section of the pub where working-class men gathered was called the "basement" or "crypt": "Along the base of the bar, whose mahogany countertop is pretty frayed and carefully wiped, runs a strip of sawdust about six inches wide ( 15 cm - Ed.), where people spit, throw cigarette butts, matches and empty cigarette packs. "

And, of course, they do. In post-war Britain, they drank mostly in pubs. Mostly men drank, most often beer.

Little has changed two decades after the publication of The Pub and People. It wasn't until the 1960s that there was a fundamental shift in British drinking culture.

Part of the explanation for the change is that the British have learned - or were persuaded - to love the drink they for a long time abhorred.

The Bavarian Josef Groll brewed the first batch of Pilsner, a light, golden beer known as lager, in Pilsen, Bohemia, in 1842.

The rumor about him went for a walk around the world. Soon German brewers began to brew their own pils, and the word "pilsner" no longer meant beer made by Pilsen, but new type drink.

Lager conquered the world, but the British stayed true to the homegrown light ales... The alcohol content was less than 5% typical for many lagers, which was more in line with the drinking habits of the British.

The popularity of lager was literally explosive and spread very quickly after years of unsuccessful marketing "Pete Brown

"The strength of mild ('moderate', one of the types of beer) was about 3%, - says Pete Brown, author of publications on beer. - Men who worked in factories and mines drank pint by pint after work, in part for to replenish the body's moisture reserves without getting drunk. "

This was also in line with the kingdom's taxation system, since beer taxation depended on its strength.

Even the delight that Prince Albert experienced from the lager ( 1819-1861, Prince Consort, Consort of Queen Victoria - Ed.) did not convince the British.

Brewers actively popularized lager after World War II. The generation that had matured in the late 1960s and yearned for change finally became their clientele.

“The popularity of lager was literally explosive and spread very quickly after years of unsuccessful marketing,” says Brown. “We still drink mostly in pubs, they are still dominated by men, and the beer is still the same strength. But Heineken is the first time in the history of beer advertising in Britain used the key word - "refreshing".

The ad went on the air in 1974 and the campaign went "well," Brown says. The hot summer in Britain for two years in a row - in 1975 and 1976 - was the time when the word "refreshing" really took off. The lager suddenly began to sell.

In one of the videos, a man is reading a newspaper while sitting in an armchair. The furniture in the room is covered with sheets of brown paper.

Lager is firmly rooted in British identity

Hearing someone walking, he jumps up and pretends to study the wallpaper. Enraged Wife enters. The renovation should be completed by my return, she says. The man waits for the car door to slam, sits back in the chair, picks up a piece of paper, and a foaming mug of Heineken beer appears.

The camera pulls back and the viewer sees a dog whistling and painting the wall with a roller clutched in its paw.

The ad is whimsical, but totally British. There is a grumpy wife, a naughty husband, and an absurd pet painting the walls - a direct reference to the "Dulux" dog, the old English shepherd, whose image is used in the advertisement of the popular paint brand.

During a vacation with his cousins \u200b\u200bin the late 1980s, I remember older boys imitating the dancing walk of George the bear in a Hofmeister beer ad.

Lager now accounts for three quarters of all beer consumed in Britain. The drink is deeply rooted in British identity.

Pint lager is the main choice for guys who like to joke and watch football.

You cannot hide the truth if it is in wine

Around the same time, the British fell in love with another imported drink - wine.

In 1960, wine accounted for 1 / 10th of the total alcohol consumed in Britain. But a few years later, the government made it easier for UK supermarkets to buy wine.

By 1980, the volume of alcohol consumed had roughly quadrupled - and almost doubled between 1980 and 2000.

Of the 4,000 British adults surveyed this year, 60% said they prefer wine to all other alcoholic beverages.

The meaning of wine is that it is drunk mostly at home. Thus, pubs are no longer the only center of attraction for British drinkers.

“The rise in popularity of wine represents one of the most significant changes in British drinking culture over the past half century, driven by sales in take-out establishments and supermarkets,” writes James Nichols, director of research at the charity Alcohol Research UK. studying alcohol problems in Britain.

The success story of wine in Britain is also a tale of drinking women, which the pubs traditionally did not like.

The history of wine in Britain is a tale of drinking women

As the authors of the book “Pubs and People” noted, women were not allowed to enter some rooms: “The crypt and beer hall were exclusively for men, they were taboo for women who drank in the“ living room. ”A pint of beer in the living room cost one penny more. ".

Another custom did not allow women to stand at the bar. Even the dictionary used by the compilers of the book, we would perceive as a manifestation of sexism.

“Women didn't have a place in drinking establishments until relatively recently,” Claire Herrick, a geographer at King's College London, told me.

It was believed that "women should drink sweet sherry, and if beer - then half a pint, but not a pint."

This, according to Herrick, was due to fears that women would become more masculine than men and compete with the latter by drinking the same drinks.

The bartender poured a pint for my friend and then, without asking, reached for a half-pint glass for me.

Today it is taken for granted: a woman can walk into a pub and order whatever she pleases.

This is a reflection of the profound changes in the financial and social status of women over the past half century.

By 2004, alcohol consumption by women had nearly doubled.

Rave wave - club boom

The 1980s were a special time for the British drinking industry.

After nearly 30 years of continuous growth, alcohol consumption stabilized around the same level from 1980 to 1995, when high unemployment ruled Britain's thirst.

But the alcohol industry did not hesitate. She set her sights on a new generation of British drinking and set about transforming drinking establishments.

One of the industry's initiatives was the introduction of a new category of beverage that was born out of a culture that used to pose a threat to alcohol producers.

The rave culture came from the youth of my generation. Even the most withdrawn of us bought glow-in-the-dark bracelets and T-shirts with a smiley face on our chest.

Ravers didn't need beer, they preferred ecstasy

As I remember now, # 1 of the British charts in 1992 - the song of The Shamen (who played first indie rock, and then acid house and techno), Ebeneezer Goode, and her chorus "Es are good". ( "E - good." "E" in slang means "ecstasy". The song was initially banned by the BBC for drug propaganda - Ed.).

My friends and I sang along without knowing why.

The ravers didn't need beer, they preferred ecstasy. This is probably partly why from 1987 to 1992 pub attendance declined by 11%.

The industry fought back. The government has legally confronted the club owners, as alcohol policy consultant Phil Hadfield put it, with a tough choice - "work within the system or close the shop."

Some chose the second option. The more successful ones opened licensed dance floors, as was the case with the Ministry of Sound ( started working in 1991 as a non-alcoholic establishment and eventually developed into a club network - Ed.).

Small tall tables have replaced old low tables with chairs, as people are believed to drink more while standing

The beverage industry saw this as a chance to "re-position alcohol as consumer productable to compete with the nocturnal drug economy, ”wrote liquor researchers Fiona Mesham and Kevin Brain.

Were put into production new and more strong alcoholaimed at a youthful and culturally diverse crowd: strong bottled lagers, new beers and cider.

The time has come in the mid-1990s low alcohol drinks, alcopops - for example, Hooch. Later, energy drinks appeared, containing caffeine and guarana extract.

The goal was to ensure that alcohol was not perceived as a stupefying depressant, but rather a pleasant tasting stimulant drink consistent with youth culture.

Dance clubs, according to Mesham and Brain, helped revolutionize the alcohol industry in the 1990s.

At the same time, work began on the transformation of British pubs. With the advent of the Alcopops, pub chains such as the Firkin Brewery decided to convert old buildings - banks, theaters, and even factories - into drinking barns.

Glass panels have replaced the exterior brick walls. The restructuring, Mesham and Brain say, was aimed at attracting "a new consumer base who preferred to spend their free time in dance clubs, gyms and malls."

In other words, not just older men.

In new pubs, small doses of spirits have become popular - shots ( analogue of the Russian stack - Ed.).

Whiskey lovers in Scotland have always drank it with their beer, but the shots themselves were new to the rest of the kingdom.

A novelty was the bartenders, who began to sell shots to customers right at the tables, from which sometimes they had to remove the "trunks" and holsters.

Here "vertical drinking" has become the norm: small tall tables have replaced low tables surrounded by chairs, as people are believed to drink more while standing than sitting.

Having lost their foothold, clients grabbed the glass and began to drink faster. The noise made it difficult to chat, and instead they had to drink.

"A lot of bars have removed interior walls and furniture to accommodate as many as possible of what the drinking industry, with its inherent humanism, refers to as" high-volume vertical booze, "write Simon Winslow and Steve Hall, a sociologist and criminologist who have studied economics. nightlife Britain.

Marketing tricks in pubs, bars and clubs, such as happy hours and other great deals, have also encouraged Britons to drink more.

In 2005, when a change in legislation allowed pubs to operate longer ( after 23.00 - Ed.), some managers in pubs with a "vertical method" were offered bonuses of up to £ 20,000 for using sales techniques to generate profits (say, selling more single portions than doubles).

At the same time, due to inflation and rising incomes, the real price of alcohol from 1984 to 2007 steadily decreased.

One liver specialist told me, "My patient, who drinks 100-120 units of alcohol a week, can now afford three times as much alcohol as in the mid-1980s."

Purposeful drunkenness

The fall in alcohol prices, the promotion of stronger and easier to drink drinks gave, according to the researchers, an impetus to the phenomenon of "purposeful drinking".

People over 40 can get drunk one evening, but this will not be their main goal. But for young people from 20 to 30 years old, the goal is just that.

By 2004, the British were drinking twice as much as half a century ago

For young people, alcohol has become synonymous with "good evening," says the book "Alcohol, Drinking, Drinking". They deliberately speed up the process of intoxication, first "taking on the chest" at home, and then playing drunken games and mixing everything.

By 2004, the British were drinking twice as much as half a century ago. The country has climbed to the Peak of Drunkenness. My generation climbed to the very top.

More than 500 people a year began to die on British roads due to the fault of drunk drivers.

The culprits of drunken accidents were most often young drivers. Most of them were men, and almost a third of the victims were women.

Roughly half of the victims of violence say they believed the attackers were under the influence of alcohol.

In the 1996 film Trainspotting, there is a terrifying scene in which one of the characters throws a beer glass in the face of a visitor.

Throwing glasses ( glassing from englishglass - "glass" - Ed.) became quite common and some pubs began to use plastic cups or safety glass dishes.

Something about British drinking culture is evidenced by the fact that Trainspotting footage was used in a media campaign to mark the 10th anniversary of Revolution Vodka bars.

It is tempting to link the amount of alcohol we drink to the frequency of alcohol-related disasters, but there are other factors as well.

Drinking when it's fun, drinking when it's sad, or when a can of beer is lying in the fridge - for many of my peers any excuse is good.

The number of victims of drunk driving, for example, has declined since the 1970s, possibly due to media attention and improved outreach to offenders. British roads are safer because we probably drink more at home.

The decline in road deaths temporarily reversed between 1999 and 2004, a period of sharp increases in alcohol consumption. It is difficult to say what is the cause and what is the effect.

The Drunken Peak Generation is hurting itself. There are no nerve endings in the liver, so we do not feel what is happening in it.

But according to statistics, mortality from liver disease in England and Wales rose consistently every year until 2008, when the numbers stabilized.

Several experts told me that tightening alcohol policies, which made alcohol less accessible, had a positive effect on reducing the number of deaths from liver disease.

Other alcohol-related diseases - degradation nervous system, poisoning, etc. - also began to decline after the Peak of drunkenness. And again we do not know where is the cause and where is the effect.

Now the younger generation drinks less, and many of its representatives are generally teetotalers.

This may be due to financial difficulties, an increase in the number of those who do not drink for religious reasons, and an increase in the length of time people spend online.

It's hard to say how long the recession will last, but this generation's relative indifference to alcohol has led to a drop in per capita alcohol consumption in Britain to just 7.7 liters in 2013.

For many of my peers, going to the bar after work on Friday is the norm. Drinking when it's fun, drinking when it's sad, or when a can of beer is lying in the fridge - any reason is good.

Even when we are already over 30, when we have a husband or wife, children, a job and a mortgage, we understand well those who lose their wallet through drunkenness, vomit in a taxi, sleep without undressing, and barely crawl to work with a hangover.

Drinking is part of our identity. Perhaps it could not be otherwise. After all, we grew up to the accompaniment of alcohol advertising on TV, surrounded by a sea of \u200b\u200bpoured cheap booze in supermarkets.

Spirits ads are heavily regulated today, but wine producer-sponsored TV cooking contests and logo T-shirts brewing companies remind us that alcohol remains a normal part of everyday life.

The peak of drunkenness left behind a mental burden. Many of us are more dependent on a glass of cold white wine or a perky gin and tonic at the end of the day than we would like.

It is important for me to realize that drinking for me is a choice, not a need.

But if I suddenly decide not to drink one evening with friends, I frantically seek an explanation and try to convince people that no, I'm not pregnant.

A month of sobriety is seen as a manifestation of willpower, and charity campaigns like Dry January show how deeply alcohol is ingrained in our lives.

It could also be understood if drunkenness were our own conscious choice. Sometimes it seems that it was it who chose us.