Sweden loves drinking, and among the 15+ years olds, it has a per capita alcohol consumption of over 7 litres (it ranks 53 in total alcohol consumption per year).
But buying alcohol in Sweden is rather complicated.
To begin with, Sweden has a government alcohol monopoly, i.e., only government stores can sell any alcoholic drinks stronger than 3.5% by volume.
This government-owned chain of liquor stores is called Systembolaget and the minimum age to buy from Systembolaget is 20 years (18 years at licensed restaurants and bars).
Beer is legally divided into three classes: Class I (under 2.25% alcohol), Class II (between 2.25% and 3.5%), and Class III (above 3.5%).
The drinks are taxed by the content of alcohol, e.g., the tax on spirits with 40%+ alcohol is over 250 Swedish Krona (INR 2000+ or US$30).
This means a U$30 Vodka bottle will cost US$60 in Sweden.
Wines are taxed at 25 Swedish Krona, while beer (4%+ alcohol) is taxed at around 4 Swedish Krona.
In most Swedish municipalities, drinking alcohol in public is prohibited and may incur a penalty of 500 Swedish Krona.
Also, the government-run liquor stores are openThe days and hours are decided by the Parliament and may change from time to time. Monday to Friday 10am-7pm and on Saturday 10am-3pm.
So, you can’t just run to the liquor store next door for your late-night parties—everything must be planned in advance.
While the big cities have several Systembolagets, smaller cities/towns have just one or two.
If you missed going to the Systembolagets during their operating hours, you could still get your liquor from licensed bars and restaurants, but they have their own rules, and the drink may cost you much more.
