Every country’s culture is different; these differences are between everywhere. I like to drink alcohol, so I’d like to know something about American Alcohol culture. After spend a few days to research, Today I’d like to talk about Alcohol cultures in America and the differences between America and China.

For the first part, I’d like to talk about legal drinking age. In America, purchasing any Alcohol drink are required the office ID, like your passport. If any store is found selling alcohol to the people whose age are below 21, they will be published by the law, buyers are also face the risk to be punished. The situation is pretty different in China, even the law ruled teenagers can’t drink alcohol, but it was in 2006, and there are still have not a very clear definition to some parts, so stores continue to sell alcohol to young people, even they are found, they won’t face a so serious punishment.

The second part is related to the expressions and signs about alcohol between China and America. In Chinese, people express the “drinking alcohol” as “drink wine”, but “drink wine” in America culture is just express drink grape (red or white grape). People often use “have a drink” to express “drinking alcohol”, and drink means liquid contain alcohol. Second, the definition to the hard liquor between two countries are also different. In China, hard liquor means the liquid which has 20 degree or more alcohol concentration.  But in American it’s different- different state have different law to the definite about hard liquor and where to sell it. In the state of Minnesota, big markets are only allowed to sell beer and hard liquor just be allowed to sell at special liquor store, the open time is very strict. In Minnesota, liquor store is not open in Sunday, from Monday to Saturday, liquor store must be closed before 8 pm. But this situation is not same in Michigan, in the supermarket of Michigan, they sell both beer and hard liquor. In the state of Wisconsin, Liquor store is still open until 2pm in Sunday. In China, the law is about alcohol is not like the situation in America, different states have a very similar law, the law is not strict and nearby all supermarkets are allowed to sell alcohol. Also, there is no special law ruled the open time of the place which sell alcohol.

The third part is related to the university alcohol culture. Each year, the Princeton Review will evaluate and rank the universities in America, one of the rank named “Party school”. The standard of” Party school” is by the students’ alcohol spend and the amount of Fraternity and Sorority. The original aim of establish Fraternity and Sorority is help students communicate, make friends and do volunteers, but now, more and more Fraternity and Sorority become the place where students have parties and drink alcohol.

Next part is about the social drink. In America’s social contact, alcohol is very common and happened in everywhere. For example, in the interval of some business or academic meeting, there will be many bars. The business holders will put a corner of the room be a bar counter and provide alcohol to tired people. Bar is a very common in America, you can find a bar very easily. In traditional China, there is no bar, Chinese usually drink alcohol when they are eating, so in China, “Drinking alcohol” also means eating together.

For the last part, I’d like to talk about the Alcoholics Anonymous. There are many alcoholics in America, which takes about 6% to the whole population (not an office data). For this situation, America has a very complete system which support alcoholics.  Alcoholics Anonymous is a part of the system; it provides a place where alcoholics can discuss, communicate and help each other. This organization is very familiar for most American. China has no some origination which provide this kind of service, but Alcoholics Anonymous has two branch in the city of China and Shanghai.