Who hasn’t idly wondered which countries hammer down the most alcohol? Thankfully, the World Health Organization has released a report that answers that crucial, nagging question.
Where does the U.S. stack up? We’re middle-of-the-pack, actually. Americans consume, on average, 9.4 liters of alcohol per person, per year — about half the average of the booziest nations. Of that amount, 31 percent is consumed in spirits, 16 percent in wine, and 53 percent in good old beer. I feel that I have done my share in the beer category, at least.
Who’s number 1? The wine-swigging French? Nope, they barely crack the top 15, finishing at number 14. What about Ireland? That would be wrong, too — the Irish barely beat out the French, finishing at number 13. How about our vodka-guzzling Russian buddies? Closer, but not quite. The Russians finish at number 4. No, the top three are Hungary, the Czech Republic, and overall winner Moldova. The studly Moldovans pound down 18.22 liters of alcohol per capita and they apparently aren’t picky, either: they drink about as much spirits (4.42 liters) as beer (4.57 liters) and wine (4.67). In short, Moldovan partiers will be happy to drink just about anything you put in front of them before they collapse.
Where in the world is Moldova, anyway, you ask? It’s a former part of the Soviet Union, located between Romania and Ukraine. It’s also so small — only slightly more than 4 million people — that a few serious tipplers could skew the national average.
Webner House 