ABSTRACT
The general globalisation of contemporary society has doubtless influenced alcohol consumption in these two countries, both by increasing the opportunities for consumption and by making drinking patterns more complex. In both countries, women entered the alcoholic beverages market in large numbers, mainly as a result of the diversification of consumption opportunities that occurred with the change in drinking contexts. However, clear differences can be found, suggesting that the fundamental traits of the two drinking cultures are still present in both Italy and Finland. The drinking style in Italy emphasises alcohol’s use as a foodstuff, where wine is assigned a central position at meals although, in recent years, beer is also drunk during meals. Equally, in Italy, the socialising style, which considers alcohol as a central part of social gatherings remains dominant. In Finland by contrast, the intoxication-oriented drinking style continues to prevail, although beer and wine consumption have increased.
