The World Cup isn’t until next June, but we’re already starting to think about it after last week’s draw. U.S. head coach Jurgen Kilnsmann has described our team’s draw as “the worst of the worst” after we were pooled with Germany, Portugal, and Ghana… three teams that are more than capable of kicking our asses. Fantastic.
People may think there’s something in the water over in those three countries that makes these players so great at soccer, but we’re thinking it’s actually in the booze. We did a little research to learn about drinking trends in Germany, Portugal, and Ghana so that we can report back to the U.S. team and tell them how they may want to change their drinking habits over the next few months. We are extremely patriotic like that.
Germany
Germany is well-known as a beer drinking country and there’s a good reason for that: German people love to drink beer. Crazy, right? They’re really big on brewing their own and different regions of the country are in to different types of beer. They also really like their Schnapps. No, not like that stuff your girlfriend used to drink in college – in Germany, Schnapps refers to any very strong, clear, fruit-flavored (but not necessarily sweet) alcoholic beverage. They will usually drink one to aid digestion after a big meal (or before a massive World Cup game).
Portugal
Although beer is also popular in Portugal, in this country, wine reigns supreme. Portugal has been creating some of the finest wines since the Roman Empire era and they’re still one of the top wine producers in the world today. Besides wine, a popular liqueur in Portugal is called Ginjinha (or Ginja) and it’s made by infusing ginja berries (sour cherries) in Aguardente (Portuguese brandy). It is typically served in a small glass with a cherry in it.
Ghana
In Ghana, the locals are fond of a little beverage called Palm Wine. The frothy, milk-like liquid may seem unappetizing to look at, but most people will agree that once the wine hits your lips, you can’t help but fall in love. Many say you can barely taste the alcohol, but be careful – if you drink too much, you’ll feel it. Another drink, Akpeteshie, is made from distilling palm wine and this stuff is strong. People say that when you drink it, it will actually make you feel like you’ve had the wind knocked out of you. Challenge accepted.
We’re looking forward to getting our hands on all of these foreign booze favorites. Right in time to drink up and watch the U.S. team get pulverized.