Top 5 best drinking nations according to the Chinese!

[Richard ridealgh]

5: Ecuador

You know you're off to a bad start when the local liquor is known as "hangover in a bottle." The best-selling Zhamir is a cheap but brain-penetratingly potent juice made from sugar cane that will get even the hairs on your head drunk after a couple of sips.

There is a drinking etiquette in Ecuador. You must wait until a toast is made until you take the first sip of your drink. After that, you're on your own, but it hardly matters since no one -- least of all you -- will remember anything about it.

Classic drink: Cristal. Another headbanging local hooch, not the posh champagne.

Hangover cure: In a country known for its coffee, obviously the best cure is oregano tea.

4:France

 

 

The French may sneer at the uncivilized drinking habits of their European neighbors, but they're usually sneering with a glass of French vin close at hand.

In France, wine is consumed alongside every meal except breakfast. It's often more freely available, and cheaper, than water.

Only French wines will do though. Despite regularly losing taste tests to New World rivals, the French remain steadfastly loyal to their own vineyards, almost to the point of denial.

Supermarkets rarely sell alcohol that isn't French. They're happy to eat snails, but they won't touch Belgian beer.

Classic drink: Chateauneuf-du-Pape -- bold, peppery and over-confident. In other words: French.

Hangover cure: Onion soup. Sorry, French onion soup.

3:Russia

 

 

Russian for "endurance sport."For better or worse, drinking is a way of life in Russia. Not something that's necessarily done for enjoyment, but something that's stoically endured. Like a Siberian winter, gloomy literature or a shirtless political leader.

Classic drink: Vodka.

Hangover cure: Vodka

2:China

 

China's rapid economic expansion has seen it become a major consumer of oil, steel and other raw materials. With all that thirsty work, it must surely also have its eyes on the rest of the world's refreshments.

In the meantime, apart from Shanghai billionaires splurging on US$10,000 bottles of Chateau Margaux, the Chinese mostly stick to fiery grain-based liquors.

The Chinese love celebratory drinking. Weddings, birthdays and business deals are all good excuses. Drinking takes the form of a series of increasingly incomprehensible toasts. To the outsider, this might seem tortuous. Just wait until the karaoke starts.

Classic drink: Baijiu -- a white spirit that can also be used to clean vomit from inside a taxi.

Hangover cure: Congee -- a porridge-like soup that unfortunately resembles stuff that could have been cleaned out of a taxi.

1:Great Britain

 

While the Irish have one date to celebrate their country's abiding love of alcohol, the British have three: yesterday, today and tomorrow.

The near-constant drinking in the UK revolves around the pub. After a few pints, sometimes the pub begins to revolve, too.

Alcohol is used by many Brits to overcome their traditional reserve. And so pubs are the places where relationships begin and end, deals are struck, scores are settled and the whole theater of life plays out to its dramatic conclusion.

A range of light snacks may also be available.

Classic drink: Pint of bitter -- traditional ale that, contrary to popular belief, is rarely served warm.

Hangover cure: Full English breakfast -- a greasy plate of fried meat that, contrary to health and safety regulations, is rarely served warm.

 

 

[Chris Knight]

Bai jiu ... drinkable acetone.

[Richard ridealgh]

I think you are on to something with that jack

[Richard Roman]

Brilliant!

I love the Russian morning after hangover cure

[Jack Field]

I like it but what about the aussies?

Also i cleaned my white board with bai jiu, 4 months of texta/pen marks literally wiped clean and brought to a sparkling white. I cant imagine what it must do to the stomach linings. ghastly stuff.

good read richard.