User blog comment:The Leader/Allow Alcholic Beverages/@comment-81.154.137.121-20101026133739/@comment-987386-20101026214819


 * Dublin wouldn't be such a grand city as it is now if it weren't for the Guiness brewery! (Just kidding)


 * I do agree that alchohol can be just as distinctive to a culture as food. Ireland has many different types of alcohol: whisky (Jameson, Bushmills, Inishowen, Kilbeggen, Tyrconnell), Guiness(which is a stout), Poitín (brewed from Potatoes, how much more stereotypical can ye get!), Irish Cream (Baileys, Carolans), Beer, not to mention lots of different mixed drinks. We are well known for our pubs (which have declined in popularity since they removed smoking in pubs and legally require you to purchase, and eat, the pub grub), and our stereotype of being drunks (even though most of us aren't, we are just open about our drinking, most Irish are Social drinkers). Anyway, my point is, alcohol and food go together when definging a countries culture.


 * You can drink at 5 in the UK, and in Ireland no one cares....


 * Although I don't think we should include it too much here. Maybe briefe mentions or something, but nothing pushy. We can use fizzy drinks as alcohol substitutes (which are just as unhealthy if not more).