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Beer LawsEach Country has a unique set of laws that apply to beer. Here we list the beer laws of some of the major countries in the World. Drinking age laws cover a broad spectrum of behaviors concerned with where, when and under what circumstances beverage alcohol can be purchased and consumed. The minimum legal drinking age refers to the minimum age at which beverage alcohol can be consumed. This may be different from the minimum age at which beverage alcohol can be purchased. Some countries, including Greece and Indonesia, focus their legislation solely on the legal age of purchase of beverage alcohol, and do not address a minimum age for consumption. United StatesFrom the year 1920 until 1933 it was illegal to manufacture, sell, or drink alcoholic beverages, including beer, in the United States. In the present day, persons over 21 years of age are permitted to enjoy beer. It is illegal in the United States to sell or give alcoholic beverages to any person under the age of 21. Each individual state has its own laws regarding beer and liquor, with some states restricting the time of day that alcohol is sold, what days of the week it can be sold, and what types of alcohol certain stores are permitted to sell. United KingdomIn bars and off-licensed premises the minimum purchase age and minimum drinking age are 18. The minimum purchase age for beer and cider is 16 when purchased for consumption with meals (except when in a bar). Children over five may consume alcoholic beverages at home with a parent's consent. ArgentinaLaws prohibit the sale or serving of alcohol to those under 18. ArmeniaNo minimum purchase age or minimum drinking age. AustraliaState and Territory laws prohibit the sale or serving of alcohol to those under 18. AustriaOn-premises consumption of alcohol is subject to provincial regulation. In general, the minimum drinking age is 16. Some provinces also prohibit the consumption of spirits for those under 18. BelgiumThe law prohibits anyone under 16 (unless married or accompanied by a parent or guardian) from entering a 'dance hall' where fermented beverages are sold. BrazilLaws prohibit the sale or serving of alcohol to those under 18. BulgariaLaws prohibit the sale or serving of alcohol to those under 16. CanadaIn the provinces of Alberta, Manitoba, and Quebec, the minimum drinking age is 18 - in all other provinces of Canada the minimum drinking age is 19. Drinking by minors under adult supervision is permitted in licensed premises in provinces of Manitoba and New Brunswick and at home in Prince Edward Island, Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario and Saskatchewan. ChileLaws prohibit the sale or serving of alcohol to those under 18. ChinaNo minimum purchase age or minimum drinking age. ColombiaLaws prohibit the sale or serving of alcohol to those under 18. CroatiaLaws prohibit the sale or serving of alcohol to those under 18. Czech RepublicLaws prohibit the sale or serving of alcohol to those under 18. DenmarkAlcohol may be purchased at age 15 for off-premises consumption, but not until age 18 at on-premises establishments. EgyptLaws prohibit the sale or serving of alcohol to those under 21. EstoniaLaws prohibit the sale or serving of alcohol to those under 18. FinlandLaws prohibit the sale or serving of alcohol to those under 18. FranceThe minimum drinking age and minimum purchasing age for alcoholic beverages on-premises is 16 unless accompanied by a parent or guardian. GermanyThe minimum drinking age and minimum purchasing age for beer and wine is 16, 18 for spirits. Beer and wine may be served to people under 16 only if they are accompanied by parents. GreeceLaws prohibit the sale or serving of alcohol to those under 18. HondurasLaws prohibit the sale or serving of alcohol to those under 21. Hong KongLaws prohibit the sale or serving of alcohol to those under 18. HungaryLaws prohibit the sale or serving of alcohol to those under 18. IcelandLaws prohibit the sale or serving of alcohol to those under 20. IndonesiaLaws prohibit the sale or serving of alcohol to those under 16. IrelandIndividuals under 18 are allowed in bars, but those under 15 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. IsraelLaws prohibit the sale or serving of alcohol to those under 18. ItalyLaws prohibit the sale or serving of alcohol to those under 16. JapanLaws prohibit the sale or serving of alcohol to those under 20. KazakhstanLaws prohibit the sale or serving of alcohol to those under 18. Korea (South)Laws prohibit the sale or serving of alcohol to those under 19. LatviaLaws prohibit the sale or serving of alcohol to those under 18. LithuaniaLaws prohibit the sale or serving of alcohol to those under 18. LuxembourgThe on-premises minimum drinking age is 17 if accompanied by an adult. MalaysiaLaws prohibit the sale or serving of alcohol to those under 18. MaltaLaws prohibit the sale or serving of alcohol to those under 16. MexicoLaws prohibit the sale or serving of alcohol to those under 18. MoldovaLaws prohibit the sale or serving of alcohol to those under 18. MongoliaParents and guardians may not offer alcohol beverages to their children under 18. NetherlandsThe minimum purchase age for spirits is 18, 16 if accompanied by an adult. The minimum purchase age for beer and wine is 16. New ZealandIn designated areas persons under 18 may purchase and consume alcohol if under the supervision of their legal guardian. NorwayThe minimum purchase age for spirits is 20. For beer and wine the minimum purchase age is 18. PeruLaws prohibit the sale or serving of alcohol to those under 18. PolandThe minimum purchase age for alcoholic beverages (more than 4.5% alcohol by weight) is 18. There is no minimum purchasing age for beverages under 4.5% ABV. PortugalLaws prohibit the sale or serving of alcohol to those under 18. RussiaLaws prohibit the sale or serving of alcohol to those under 18. SamoaLaws prohibit the sale or serving of alcohol to those under 21. SingaporeLaws prohibit the sale or serving of alcohol to those under 18. Slovak RepublicLaws prohibit the sale or serving of alcohol to those under 18. SloveniaApplies only to buying or drinking in public places such as bars or discos. South AfricaLaws prohibit the sale or serving of alcohol to those under 18. SpainThose under 16 may purchase beer and wine if accompanied by their parents. SwedenSweden continues to have one of the most highly-taxed and highly regulated brewing industries in Europe, though EU membership has brought about some relaxation. This is a summary of the most important rules they have to stop you getting the beer you want, when you want it. Systembolaget (literally system company) is the name of the state monopoly responsible for retailing alcohol. Its shops - marked with distinctive green and yellow signs - are the only outlets allowed to sell spirits, wine and full-strength beer (Class III). Supermarkets and other shops can sell no alcoholic beverage stronger than Class II beer. Systembolaget shops can be a bit of a shock to foreign visitors. It's like being transported back to the Soviet Union circa 1975. There are no shelves with enticing displays of the goods on sale. The interior is bare, except for a display cabinets, where a single example of each item on sale is safely held behind protective glass. At the back of the shop is a counter, where the customer tells the assistant what is required, which is then retrieved from a hidden storeroom. Not very welcoming and quite an obstacle for a foreigner wanting to browse through what is available. The austere image has been softened in some outlets, which have, daringly, adopted the self-service system. They are still, however, the exception. Of the 390 shops, only 30 are fully self-service, but with a further 60 self-service for beer. The intention is to create 10 more supermarket style shops, but no more. The argument is that it encourages people to buy more, so is intrinsically bad. The opening hours are the second hurdle the consumer has to negotiate. These seem to be designed to make it as difficult as possible to buy alcohol at the times when you might want to consume it. They open 10:00 - 18:00 Monday to Wednesday and 10:00 - 18:30 or 19:00 Thursday and Friday. A recent development is Saturday opening: between 10:00 and 13:00 to 15:00, depending on where you are (Stockholm seems to have the longest opening hours). On Sunday it remains impossible to buy alcohol to take away, unless you're in Southern Sweden and take a ferry to Denmark. Very convenient if you're visiting the country for the weekend. Being a retail monopoly, the Sytembolaget decides what beers you can buy. If they choose not to sell a certain beer, tough, you wont be able to get it. They insist on a minimum volume of sales which can rule out minority tastes. Having said this, their selection isn't that bad and is certainly better than what British supermarkets offer. The 300 or so beers they stock includes a good few of the Belgian classics and some decent British ales, but nowhere can sell anything else. Specialist beer shops are, by definition, unknown. When you consider that a good Dutch or Belgian beer retailer will have 500+ different brands on their shelves, you will appreciate what a restriction this is. It makes the level of knowledge of beer which some Swedes have even more impressive. SwitzerlandFederal law prohibits supplying spirits to those under 18. The minimum drinking age and minimum purchasing age for beer and wine is controlled by the Cantons and varies between 14 and 16. ThailandLaws prohibit the sale of alcohol to those under 17. The is no minimum drinking age. TurkeyLaws prohibit the sale or serving of alcohol to those under 18. TurkmenistanLaws prohibit the sale or serving of alcohol to those under 18. UkraineLaws prohibit the sale or serving of alcohol to those under 21. UruguayLaws prohibit the sale or serving of alcohol to those under 18. VenezuelaLaws prohibit the sale or serving of alcohol to those under 18. |
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