There is still one thing that I do not understand about Scandinavia and don’t think I ever will is the price of ale.
Now I know that if you go to a bar in Stockholm you’re going to be paying around 66 SEK for a beer but even if you head out to the suburbs you’re still going to be paying around 40SEK for even the local beer. Yet it is not the price of the beer that worries me as any capital city will charge more than most but it’s the actual beer that they sell.
Let’s take the Bishops Arms for example. Firstly I really like this bar; it feels like a British pub, warm atmosphere, good food and an excellent range of beers. But the beers that they sell are the same that you can pick up here in a local supermarket for next to nothing. Let’s compare
Four bottles of Bishops Finger in Stockholm 264 SEK (approx £25)
Four bottles of Bishops Finger in London £3.99 (Approx 40SEK)
The beer does not taste that nice anyway but I feel that maybe the overpricing is a good thing. In the UK we have a tendency to drink far too much; we are in fact the worst abusers of alcohol in Europe. Many a time you will find people going to the pub each and every day to indulge in cheap drinks. Far from me being an expert on the Swedish drinking culture I do feel it’s more of a social event rather than an occurrence. Maybe it is a reward for a Swede to work hard Monday to Friday and then enjoy some well earned drinks with his friends on a Friday night knowing that they are indeed well earned. Rather than what happens in the UK where someone will drink until they vomit just because the drinks are cheaper.
It will take an incredible amount of time for me to adjust to the cost of Swedish life but as far as alcohol goes I’m not really a big drinker anyway so this will be more of a reward than an event.
Only time will tell.
