Boozing for Cheap: What To Drink Where

by Martha Edwards on

The average backpacker is typically always looking for ways to entertain themselves inexpensively. And whether we agree with it or not, the fact is that most of the time, drinking=fun. But also, drinking=expensive, in many cases. Unless, of course, you know what to get. Based on my experiences, here are the cheapest things you can get wasted on, depending on where you are:

  • When in Australia, drink the boxed wine. A box of wine will run you about $10 AUD for 4L. And 4L is alot when you’re talking wine. That’s enough for you and you close travel buddies to have a few really good nights on, not to mention a few really bad of days battling hangovers. Not that I have any … um … experience with that or anything …
  • When in Thailand, drink Thai Whiskey. Sure, Chang Beer is a favourite among many travellers and locals alike, and it’s fairly cheap, but if you’re going for the best value, Thai whiskey is where it’s at. Especially if it’s of the home-brewed variety and you pick it up from some random dude in a remote village. But … um … be careful ….
  • When in Greece, drink Ouzo. A couple of my travel buddies bought a 4L bottle of Ouzo for about 3 €. It wasn’t the best Ouzo I ever had, but it wasn’t bad when mixed with something, and it did the trick. We travelled together for a month and it seemed like every night was an ouzo night. Still, I don’t think we finished it …
  • When in Mexico, drink the tequila — from Wal-Mart!: I felt a wave of shame when I entered the Wal-Mart in Puerto Vallarta, but that passed when I got to the alcohol section. There was at least half a dozen aisles of just tequila, and it was so, sooooooo cheap. Did I mention so cheap? Now, if I could only stomach the stuff ….
  • When in Canada, drink … water? Seriously, I love my country, but based on my travels, I think we must have to most expensive alcohol in the world. It’s always a shock coming back from a trip and realizing that 4L of anything will cost me 10 times as much as that Ouzo … unless it’s homemade moonshine. What do you think — is Canada an expensive place to drink, or is it just in my head?

Which European Country has the Worst Drunks According to YouTube Videos

by Neil Woodburn on

Europe has a long tradition of drinking. While this may not be such a bad cultural norm, there are a few bad apples who embrace their love of alcohol just a little too enthusiastically.

If you’ve been to Europe, you know what I’m talking about. Sure, my home country of America has its share of drunks, but for whatever reason I always see far more stumbling, incoherent, word-slurring reprobates on the streets of Europe than I ever do back home.

So which country is the worst? Which European country is plagued with too many drunks encountering difficulty riding bikes, crossing the street, holding a tune, or otherwise trying to go about their daily lives while debilitatingly inebriated?

Well, now thanks to YouTube, you can be the judge. Just click the play button on any of the below videos and then vote for Europe’s most intoxicated country at the end of the post.

Cheers!

Poland

Poland #2

Russia

Germany

Switzerland

Czech Republic #1

Czech Republic #2

Slovakia

Croatia

France

England

Ireland

Scotland

Ukraine #1

Ukraine #2

Romania

%Poll-3050%

Some Wineries are Banning Buses to Avoid ‘Limo Lushes’

by Martha Edwards on

Some California wineries are taking action against ‘Limo Lushes’ — those uncouth hooligans who head for wineries for the purpose of getting drunk, rather than sampling wine. The nerve! Who would have the audacity to go to a winery to get drunk. Um …. well, me, for one. Call me crazy, but I think one of the appeals of visiting a winery is the chance to get a buzz on in the afternoon for free, provided you’re not driving and you don’t get too obnoxious or out-of-control. But then again, I don’t have the most sophisticated palate (I think that much is obvious)

Some wineries are going to start banning tour buses, and they’ll even start charging for samples too. In Long Island, some wineries even have a policy in which they can kick out too-rowdy tasters. Here are suggestions for following proper winery etiquette:

  • Don’t treat the tasting room like it’s happy hour. You’re there to sample, not go crazy
  • Don’t monopolize the tasting counter — let someone else have a try.
  • And for the love of pete, don’t get rowdy and obnoxious. Stealing is not funny. This isn’t your neighbourhood pub.

Perhaps in the future, I’ll choose brewery tours over wineries. I think it’s more my style.

(via Reuters)

The Worst Places to be Hungover When Traveling

by Martha Edwards on

Most of us have gone a bit overboard on the local beer or spirits when in another country. My worst experience was in Sydney, where my two friends and I found ourselves with a 4L box of wine that we bought for $10 and refused to haul any further on our way up the coast. We had one night to drink it, and it just happened to be Mardi Gras.We finished it all right. But most of my share ended up coming up the way it went in, if you get my drift. Running through the halls of the hostel, trying desperately to get my key card to open the door to the communal bathrooms before spewing up last night’s ill-advised double serving of fries rates up there as one of the worst days of my life. Make that two days.

Here’s what I consider to be the worst places to be hungover. Feel free to add your own in the comments:

  • On a boat off the coast of … well … anywhere: After one tequila-fueled night in Puerto Vallarta, my friends and I had to take a booze cruise or forfeit our deposit. So we went and oh my goodness, I’ve never been so seasick in my life. Actually, I’ve never been seasick period, besides that day. The Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Cairns is also notoriously choppy — one girl on a boat trip I went on had to be air-lifted back to shore!
  • In a Tuk Tuk: Bangkok is beautiful but it’s also hot and polluted and I can see why people splurge on cabs — breathing in the exhaust is enough to make anyone hurl, whether they’re already feeling a bit queasy or not.
  • In transit: Not only will exhaustion make you prone to missing your bus/flight/train/ferry but the motion/turbulence/rocking is bound to make you feel a bit ill. Plus, those miniature bathrooms leave something to be desired when you’re feeling nauseous.
  • Locked out of your hostel: Many hostels have lock-out rules during the day so while you want nothing more than to sleep it off, you’ll have to do it elsewhere. I recommend a nearby park if it’s nice out. If it’s not, you might be outta luck.
  • Outside when it’s hot: Laying on the beach with a bunch of bottled water is an okay way to recover, but there’s a fine line between being tolerably hot and being unbearably hot. Insane heat is uncomfortable when you’re feeling your best, so it’s really, really brutal when you’re feeling your worst.

So while we don’t ever really plan to be hungover, next time you’re tempted to say ‘cheers’ a few too many times, look at your surroundings. Must-haves for the hangover are air-conditioning, a decent bed that you can crash in for as long as you want, a supply of water and aspirin, and good friends who will bring you greasy food when you’re too sick to move.

Where to Get Your Drink On

by Jonathon Morgan on

For those of you looking to get roaring drunk on your next holiday abroad, you’re probably in the market for a really good pub crawl. I spent my college days in Liverpool — formerly rated the UK’s number 1 party city — so, rest assured, I know what I’m talking about.

But beyond the unchecked inebriation, and poorly-harmonized group renditions of “Lean On Me” that often accompany these sorts of excursions, in some cities, pub crawls are the best way to get to know the local population.

Thanks to Vincent Crump and Chris Haslam at the Times Online, you can review a handpicked list of the best pub crawls in the best pub crawl cities — Sydney, Dublin, Boston and Edinburgh. Not only do they give you a run down on the cultural significance of all their chosen watering holes, but the pair are even so thoughtful as to offer culinary suggestions for the morning after — pleasant ways to ease out of that hangover (or beat it to death with fried eggs and bacon).

Bottoms up.