People around the world drink differently. Southerners and those of western latitudes appreciate “longer” drinks, mixed, with lots of ice.
In the north and east, things look different. There, people prefer something loud and fast.
Different peoples, different preferences…
Bartender Dimitar Dimitrov of Example Bar Consultancy tells “Trud news” about the consumption habits of people at different latitudes.
Dimitar Dimitrov is a firm believer that peoples of different latitudes drink in different ways. Lui quoted Kenji Jesse, who was a former consultant to the World Class competition, as saying that the way alcohol is consumed by different nations is similar to the four directions, north and south, east and west.
“Candy Jessie said people in the South drink softer drinks so they can enjoy the drink longer, while those in the north, where it’s colder, drink stronger drinks to warm up faster. ‘Southerners’ live longer long and don’t want to finish the evening so quickly, while in the north and east it is the complete opposite,” says Dimitar Dimitrov.
“Jesse also makes a comparison between Eastern and Western Europe. In the Eastern part, which is also poorer, people do not have many economic opportunities and therefore drink more spirits (vodka or whiskey, straight or with some ice) , without mixing alcohol, because their goal is to get drunk faster. And in Western Europe they drink “longer” drinks, with the aim not to get drunk quickly, but to enjoy the alcohol in the glass for a long time. “long drink” I mean blended, for example by mixing whiskey and cola, made into a long drink with more ice, so you can enjoy the drink longer,” explains Dimitar.
“In hot countries, low-alcoholic drinks are drunk, such as vermouth, for example. I really want this to become a trend in our country soon. For several years these drinks have been very popular all over the world and should also become popular in Bulgaria. In Our country vermouth is still considered very low quality, and it shouldn’t be. In Bulgaria, cheap analogues are called vermouth, and “Martini” is called expensive vermouth. It is actually a brand, it is basically a cocktail that was skillfully used by owners of the brand, and because of this, many people still ask for a martini when they actually order vermouth. Meanwhile, vermouth with tonic is a very topical combination all over the world,” explains Dimitar.
He adds that in southern countries, in addition to drinking drinks with a low alcohol content, more diluted ones are also consumed, such as Spanish gin and tonic.
“There they use one part gin to four parts tonic, while the standard in Bulgaria, at least some time ago, was to drink a glass of gin to two tonics.” The Spanish version is more mildly alcoholic and is drunk in a large 500ml glass called a “copa”. Fill with ice and add about 250ml. liquid in it, which, mixed with ice, is diluted and obtained in the order of 350 ml. a liquid that is drunk more slowly, taking at least 15-20 minutes to consume. And a small 50ml one. you drink it up in no time,” explains Dimitrov.
He adds that Bulgaria also belongs to the countries with strong and fast consumption, although there has been a slight trend towards a change in the consumption style of the locals in recent years.
“Ten years ago, Bulgaria was the first in Europe for sales of spirits. At the moment this is not exactly the case. People prefer to drink more mixed long drinks. For example, Spanish gin has become popular and has entered 4-5 years ago. This was one of the first steps to introduce customers to these ‘long drinks’, which can be enjoyed for half an hour, rather than downing some in 5 minutes or making two small shots in 10 seconds,” he added. . .
“Currently, substitutes for alcoholic cocktails are being sought. A cocktail can be made with substitutes that have the aroma and taste of a gin and tonic but lack the alcohol content. Years ago this was a very tough sell, as the price of this type of drink is higher than the standard imported gins. Thanks to the non-alcoholic distillates it is possible to have rum-flavored drinks and any other flavor…”, Dimitar Dimitrov also tells us.
