6 Weird Beer Laws from Around the World

Many of us love to a drink a beer after a hard day’s work or study, but it’s something that we might be taking for granted.

Not all countries are chilled out when it comes to drinking a chilled one. Apart from the obvious alcohol bans in Muslim countries, many other nations and states have strange anti-beer laws enshrined into their legal constitutions.

So, the next time you crack open a can, bear these legal oddities in mind!

Chugging in Texas

Anyone who has been to a US college party – or any university-based get-together, for that matter – will know that ‘chugging’ is a common sight.

For those not familiar with the term, it basically means drinking as much beer as possible in one gulp. While it’s hardly something that doctors would recommend, it’s an extremely popular student drinking game around the world.

In Texas, though, you could get in trouble for drinking more than your fair share at once. The law their states that it’s illegal to take ‘more than three sips at one time while standing’, so clearly the state authorities are concerned about its impact on people’s livers.

However, the wording of the law raises two important questions: How exactly do we measure a ‘sip’? After all, three sips may be less than two gulps.

Secondly, the ‘standing’ part: are people allowed to do it sitting down? While it may be a tad safer in that the drinker is less likely to fall over, it’s hardly going to save their liver!

‘Zion Curtain’ in Utah

Up until 2017, all drinks in restaurants and bars, including beers, had to be served behind an opaque sheet of glass known as a ‘Zion Curtain’ in Utah. The motive? To block children from seeing alcoholic drinks being poured.

The name ‘Zion Curtain’ comes from a term coined by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a heavy influence within the state, which urges its members to stay away from alcohol.

The concept is a strange one. Does watching a deck of cards being dealt out make a kid want to go and play video poker, for example?

While this legal practice has been overturned in the State court, it still exists in various places throughout Utah, so you may get to experience it yourself if you’re ever passing through.

Kilt beers in Scotland

One of the most common questions a Scotsman faces when wearing a kilt is what he’s wearing underneath it, with the traditional answer often being ‘nothing’.

One ‘law’ there takes this to extremes by insisting that anyone wearing underwear must pay for two beers to give to his friends. We’ve put the word ‘law’ in quotation marks as we’re not sure if it’s just an old wives’ tale but, given how seriously the culture of kilt-wearing is taken there, it may just be true.

If it is real, then it begs the question: how do the authorities check?

Strong beer in Sweden

In the mood for a strong beer while in Sweden? Well, you’ll need to ask the government for one.

That’s because of an alcohol industry monopoly called Systembolaget where only the local government can sell beer over 3.5%. The aim is to control how much of the strong stuff is sold throughout the country, and the impact it has on the population’s health as a result.

While there have been several campaigns to bring it to an end, the system is still going strong to this day.

Can-crushing breasts in Australia

While this isn’t a specific law in Australia, it breaches certain regulations. A barmaid there was fined A$1,000 ($900) for ‘crushing a beer can between her bare breasts’ while on duty at Premier Hotel in Pinjarra, Perth.

The unusual action was compounded by her hanging spoons off her nipples, proving that her assets were capable of more than one trick.

Instead of applauding the acts, however, state officials were not impressed. The barmaid was summoned to court where she had to face a stern judge.

The fines came about because the acts broke ‘public indecency’ laws, but it makes us wonder if Perth officials wrote something into the local statute book about can-crushing breasts and spoon-hanging nipples. You never know, it could be possible

Iceland beer ban

This final law actually ceased to exist back in 1989, but its after-effects linger on today.

In the early 20th century, Iceland banned alcohol completely. While red wine was re-introduced a decade later, and spirits soon after, beer remained off the menu until the late 80s.

The reason for this goes beyond the alcohol industry and into politics. For years, Iceland struggled for independence from Denmark, and one of the Danes’ biggest exports was beer. Icelanders refused to drink it out of patriotic pride, with the ban being the biggest step toward removing it from the country.

Even after its reintroduction, proud citizens refused to consume it for the fear of helping their historic rivals, with wine and spirits often considered to be more patriotic.