Russian drinking laws

[mendeleyev]

From the Mendeleyev Journal:

In a fascinating study released by Market Logic for the Russian Federation State Duma, some very interesting trends emerged:

- Vodka consumption in Russia grows by over 3% annually. While growth has slowed somewhat as compared to rates of consumption in the 1980s and 1990s, one must remember that a 3% growth rate may not seem like a lot, but for a country that takes it's vodka seriously it represents a 5 liter increase annually per capita.

- Over 23% of Russian are now accepting of flavoured ingredients mixed with vodka, a radical change over previous decades where the mix of vodka and other ingredients was considered taboo.

- The level of fear about the dangers of bootleg vodka on market shelves has driven Russians to be very brand conscious, regardless of price. That fear has also led to increased sales of "low alcohol" products such as western styled wine mixers.

- The amount of per capita consumption in Russia ranges from 14 to 18 litre of pure alcohol annually, roughly 38 litres of 100 proof vodka, or about a 750 ml bottle of vodka every other day (Simpura et al., 1997; Treml, 1997; MacKellar et al., 2003; Nemtsov, 2003).

Those reasons were apparently enough to convince the Duma to act and President Medvedev has signed the Federal Law On Amendments to Article 16 of the Federal Law On State Regulation of Production and Circulation of Ethanol, Alcoholic Beverages and Alcohol-Containing Products.

The new amendments to the 2005 law prohibit any retail sale of alcoholic beverages to minors and requires that in case a salesperson has doubts about a customer's age such customer must be requested to produce an ID, including an identification document of a foreign national or a stateless person staying in the Russian Federation.

Russia has had a legal drinking age of 18 on the law books for quite some time, but it has historically been ignored for the most part. The new law seeks to change that problem by adding stricter penalties for those who sell to minors.

[tfcrew]

 --   Most popular  right now, is Grey Goose...a French vodka.

[Phil dAmore]

Over 23% of Russian are now accepting of flavoured ingredients mixed with vodka, a radical change over previous decades where the mix of vodka and other ingredients was considered taboo.


It's about time.  I still recall the first time I made a screwdriver in front of a group of Russians.  They looked at me like I had just pulled an Ozzy Osbourne on the side of Lenin's tomb.

WRT Grey Goose... All I will say is that they have one heck of a marketing department.  It plays perfectly into the Russian mindset of high cost = high quality.

It's not a bad vodka, but nowhere near as good as everyone makes it out to be.

[Shadow]

Russian drinking laws :

- Only alcoholics drink alone. If you drink in company you are just drunk, not alcoholic.
- When drinking vodka the second must follow the first quickly. after that, you can slow down the pace to your liking
- Always drink some beer first, to enhance the effect of vodka
- Be sure to eat a lot when drinking, it will reduce the effects and makes you want to drink (and eat) more.
- After a glass of vodka, eat some pickled vegetables or drink juice. Guaranteed to lower or remove the hangover.

And finally:
Anything below 5% alcohol is not an alcoholic drink but considered lemonade and suitable for children. 

[Gator]

- The amount of per capita consumption in Russia ranges from 14 to 18 litre of pure alcohol annually, roughly 38 litres of 100 proof vodka, or about a 750 ml bottle of vodka every other day (Simpura et al., 1997; Treml, 1997; MacKellar et al., 2003; Nemtsov, 2003).

Math is wrong.  38 L/yr of 50% vodka  = 63 bottles of store bought vodka (750mL, 40%).  This is not much different than American consumption.

I have been to Turkey and Egypt several times with RW, staying at an all-inclusive resort with predominantly Russian clientele.  Being all-inclusive, booze is free.  One would imagine boisterous RM everywhere.  In all those times, i have seen only one knee walking drunk.  Evidently the drunks seen on the streets in the FSU don't go to Turkey. 

Just because we don't see people passed out on the streets in America (at least in average neighborhoods), the occurrence in Russia should not be confused as a widespread drinking problem.  Nevertheless, I consider alcohol to be a larger problem in the FSU than here.  My only data is when meeting RW, a high percentage of RW asserted that their ex- had a drinking problem.   

Alcoholism is not limited to RM.  A schoolmate of my Cossack woman is the father of three children.  His wife was an alcoholic and abandoned the family.   The father stayed home and raised the kids, and all three kids are doing well today (one works in Passport Control, hence the encounter and the story).  So don't believe the story that all RM are drunks and don't care about their children.     

[Lily]

Russian drinking laws :

- Only alcoholics drink alone. If you drink in company you are just drunk, not alcoholic.
- When drinking vodka the second must follow the first quickly. after that, you can slow down the pace to your liking
- Always drink some beer first, to enhance the effect of vodka
- Be sure to eat a lot when drinking, it will reduce the effects and makes you want to drink (and eat) more.
- After a glass of vodka, eat some pickled vegetables or drink juice. Guaranteed to lower or remove the hangover.

And finally:
Anything below 5% alcohol is not an alcoholic drink but considered lemonade and suitable for children. 

one more:
If the glass of vodka is quickly emptied down, it doesn't count as a drink.

In good Russian: быстро выпитое - не считается налитым Any better translations into English?

[Gator]

If the glass of vodka is quickly emptied down, it doesn't count as a drink.

This suggests that vodka has some taste.  The premium vodkas have little taste IMO compared to mescal, whiskey, cognac etc., which indeed should be sipped not chugged.  And the cheap vodkas have a metallic taste.

[Shadow]

This suggests that vodka has some taste.  The premium vodkas have little taste IMO compared to mescal, whiskey, cognac etc., which indeed should be sipped not chugged.  And the cheap vodkas have a metallic taste.

I have found many different tastes between the vodkas, where in spite of the alcohol percentage being equal the softness of the taste increases with quality.
It is true that whiskey and cognac can have a more flavoured taste, where the taste also rises above that of the alcohol with increased quality.

As for vodka, many of the export oriented varieties are created for mixing, meaning a very different taste from those who are expected to be drank pure.

[Gator]

I have found many different tastes between the vodkas, where in spite of the alcohol percentage being equal the softness of the taste increases with quality.....As for vodka, many of the export oriented varieties are created for mixing, meaning a very different taste from those who are expected to be drank pure.

Please tell me you don't prefer vodka over jenever.

[mendeleyev]

Anything below 5% alcohol is not an alcoholic drink but considered lemonade and suitable for children.

So true! Those 10-12 year old boys standing in line at the summer KVAS tanks know the score. 

[mendeleyev]

If the glass of vodka is quickly emptied down, it doesn't count as a drink.

In good Russian: быстро выпитое - не считается налитым.  Any better translations into English?

Idea of: "if emptied quickly, its as if it wasn't even poured."