Liquor smugglers nabbed at the border

It’s that time of year again, when the annual holiday party season boosts demand for wine, liquor and beer. That kept customs inspectors busy at the border crossing at Svinesund over the weekend, where seizures hit a new record. The customs inspectors seized more than 6,000 liters of alcoholic beverages, with Saturday the busiest day. [...]

Research claims alcoholism is genetic

A joint Norwegian-American report claims that 71 percent of alcoholics have inherited the condition genetically, a far higher total than expected or previously put forward. The results of the project, which comes from cooperation between Virginia Commonwealth University and the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, contradict previous findings that suggested genetic causes lay behind half [...]

‘End of an era’ for Vinmonopolet

Norway’s state wine and liquor monopoly, Vinmonopolet, was ending an era this week by phasing out the last of its retail outlets where customers had to place their orders from behind a counter. For decades, that was the norm when buying wine, liquor and even strong beer in Norway. Customers weren’t allowed to wander through [...]

Drunk and disorderly

COMMENTARY: As Norwegians head into the last weekend before Christmas, the holiday party season known as julebordsesong will hit its climax. It won’t be unusual to see drunken Norwegians staggering  along Karl Johans Gate in Oslo, or along Bryggen in Bergen. Sleeping city residents can often be rudely awakened at 4:30am by drunks yelling on [...]

‘Julebord’ guest reached new heights

It’s julebord (holiday party) season in Norway, known for drunken exploits by party guests who imbibe far too much aquavit or other alcoholic refreshments. One julebord participant took his partying to new heights last weekend, quite literally. Imagine the surprise among air traffic controllers in the tower at Stavanger’s main airport at Sola, when an [...]

Record liquor seizure at Svinesund

Customs officials at the border crossing between Norway and Sweden at Svinesund made their biggest liquor seizure in years over the weekend. They’ve now reported that they found 14,560 liters of spirits in a large truck from Poland that had failed to voluntarily stop to register its load. The truck was then pulled over and [...]

Sales dip at state wine monopoly

For the first time since the 1980s, sales at Norway’s state liquor and wine monopoly Vinmonopolet have declined. Some blame competition from far lower taxes and prices in Sweden, and are calling for an end to tax-free sales at, for example, Norwegian airports. Newspaper Aftenposten reported on Wednesday that Vinmonopolet’s sales normally rise around 4 [...]

New drinks debate bubbles up

Farmers’ attempts to sell their locally produced alcoholic beverages on site have set off another drinks debate in Norway, and threaten to divide one of the goverment’s coalition parties. Agriculture Minister Lars Peder Brekk of the small, farmer-friendly Center Party has spent time this summer visiting several farms that want to generate new sources of [...]

More support for strict alcohol laws

You’d never guess it after seeing the crowds in Strømstad, the Swedish border town where booze costs much less than in Norway, but a new survey indicates that more Norwegians now support their country’s strict laws regulating the sale of alcoholic beverages. A solid majority still thinks alcohol is too expensive, however, while another survey [...]