The beer drinking mistakes that Brits are making on holiday – and the surprising cheap booze destinations
HAVING a drink in the sun is undoubtedly one of the best ways to unwind on holiday.
But some people end up making huge etiquette mistakes while having a drink abroad that could easily offend locals.
Luckily, beer expert Fraser Metcalf has told Sun Online Travel the right ways to behave while on a destination holiday to not only avoid upsetting your hosts but also enjoy the local beer culture.
Author of the book How to Order a Beer in any Country in the World, Fraser knows a thing or two about having a pint abroad - and he's also all too familiar with the boozy faux pas Brits tend to make.
Firstly, he advises Brits to never approach the bar in pretty much any country outside of the UK.
He warns that it could be seen as impatient and impolite not to wait for the staff to come and ask what you want.
"In places all around the world, you sit down and wait for someone to come and take your drinks order," he said.
"It's seen as polite and it would be really strange for you to actually go to the bar and order there.
"There are people employed as waiting staff and that's what they're expected to do - it would be seen as rude for you to not wait for them. That's quite a common mistake."
There are other problems Brits encounter when visiting certain countries too.
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Plenty of people from the UK head to Hungary for its cheap pints, with the average price of a drink in its capital Budapest around £1.50.
It may feel natural to 'cheers' with your friends, especially while enjoying a holiday pint, but in Hungary, that's not the done thing.
The 10 cheapest pints in the world
- Uzbekistan - 70p
- China - 90p
- Madagascar - £1
- Vietnam - £1.02
- Ukraine - £1.06
- Belarus - £1.07
- Philippines - £1.25
- Colombia - £1.28
- Azerbaijan - £1.29
- Kazakhstan - £1.34
Fraser continued: "There was a revolution in Hungary against the Austrian Habsburgs in 1848, which ultimately failed.
"When the Austrians won and executed some of the Hungarian generals, they celebrated by clinking their glasses together.
"Hungarians never cheers with their beer because of that, so neither should you when you're visiting their country."
Further afield, some places value selflessness from their beer drinkers.
In countries like Japan and Brazil, pouring your own beer is looked down upon, with your fellow drinkers responsible for keeping your glass topped up.
In turn, your job is to ensure your friends' supply never runs dry.
Fraser explained: "It's a very social thing, the way they drink out there.
"People pour your drinks for you and you do the same for your fellow drinkers and by the end of the night, you will be best buddies.
"I think it's fascinating how those customs mimic themselves, around the world in places as far apart as Brazil and Japan."
Further afield is where Brits can find some of the cheapest beers in the world.
According to Fraser, Uzbekistan has some of the cheapest pints on the planet, while Vietnam and Madagascar aren't much more.
However, in Europe, Poland and the Czech Republic are among the places where your money will go furthest while you're in the pub.
Brits don't only run afoul of beer etiquette when on holiday, with lots of social settings presenting different problems.
Reclining seats
One place where etiquette is extremely important is on the flight to your destination - particularly when it comes to reclining seats.
Passengers should always inform the person behind them when they're going to put their seats back so they can make sure none of their belongings are in the way of the chair.
No one should recline their seats during meal services on longer flights.
Reserving sunbeds
Some people like to get up early when they're on holiday so they can put their towels out on sun loungers, making sure no other holidaymakers take their spot.
However, etiquette experts have claimed that seats can only be reserved for half an hour at the most.
After that, it's fair game to remove people's towels from the sunbeds, as long as they're not around, or using the pool.
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Meanwhile, this pub sells the cheapest pints in the UK.
And these are the top 10 cheapest beer destinations in Europe.
