page_title: Alcoholic drinks in Sweden
section_title: Restaurants and bars
hierarchical_section_title: Alcoholic drinks in Sweden / Restaurants and bars
caption_attribution_description: Restaurang East vid Stureplan i Stockholm (f.d. "Brända tomten")
context_page_description: Alcoholic drinks in Sweden are as common as in most of the western world. Sweden is historically part of the vodka belt, with high consumption of distilled drinks and binge drinking, but during the later half of the 20th century, habits are more harmonized with western Europe, with increasing popularity of wine and weekday drinking. Wine is now also grown and produced in several parts of Sweden and the southernmost region of Skåne is turning into a hub experiencing a strong growth in number of active vineyards.
context_section_description: Alcohol can be sold in restaurants, bars and nightclubs. The age limit is 18, though some nightclubs voluntarily require a minimum age at the door above 18 (usually 20 or 23, occasionally up to 27; 30 has occurred). Alcohol may be served only between 11 AM-1 AM. Municipalities can permit a later closure time, sometimes as late as 5 AM.
  Alcohol is only allowed to be sold at bars if they are defined as restaurants, which means they have to offer warm food on location. After 23:00 a simple menu is enough. Restaurants, bars and pubs need permission from the municipality to sell alcohol. Overly drunk people must not be allowed to enter premises with an alcohol license. People who get noticeably intoxicated while at the premises must not be served more and in more serious cases have to be removed immediately.
  
  The alcohol must be for immediate consumption, meaning that the staff has to open bottles. Guests are not allowed to bring alcoholic drinks into the restaurant or out from it. This includes if there is an adjacent convenience store, people are not allowed to buy 3.5% beer and drink in the restaurant, which has been a problem especially at hotel lobbies. In trains, people are not allowed to drink their own alcohol, but sales might take place if there is a permission. Outdoor areas in restaurants must be clearly separated from the street.
  
  Restaurants must claim payment for every single glass and bottle sold. The inclusion of a first drink in the admission fee is prohibited. It is legal to sell large bottles of hard alcohol to groups, but not after 1 a.m.
  From the 19th century to 1977 restaurants had to serve warm food when alcohol was sold. Many people bought simple food which they did not eat. It could be as simple as a boiled egg. Regulars who were known not to eat the food were often served food which had already been served to other customers.
caption: Restaurant outdoor areas have to be separated from the street to get alcohol permit
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