this post was submitted on 19 May 2024
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[–] [email protected] 25 points 5 months ago (4 children)

Best Norway fact I have is that their wine (and spirits) is nationalised. Anything over 4.75%.

You can only buy it from the government in places called Vinmonopolet (English: The Wine Monopoly), and it is directly taxed.

[–] [email protected] 23 points 5 months ago

And it's awesome. The staff have to actually study and pass a test so they can advise on wine selection. The selection is huge and far beyond what's visible in the stores - and there's a great app for ordering stuff. They even have massively subsidised wine courses and a free wine magazine that's surprisingly good.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 5 months ago (1 children)

It isn't terribly different in practice from state and local regulations in the US, except the rules in Norway are the same nationwide.

For example, where I live in Ohio, I can buy beer at the grocery store with some restrictions on Sundays. I can also buy harder liquor in the state store, which is located in a physically separated section of the grocery store and where you have to be 21 (legal drinking age) to shop. Alcohol is subject to special taxes here, as well.

In Norway I would buy beer at the grocery store then go across the street to Vinmonopolet and buy some wine. I could do that at age 18, though some harder liquor is/was restricted to 21.

So it's not all that different, except in the US the limits are a little different, it's more likely to be regulated at a local level, and typically run by some private for-profit entity.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 months ago

Certain parts of the US (typically further southeast) anything over like 5% is exclusively in ABC Stores, a completely separate building and company from grocery stores.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 5 months ago (2 children)
[–] [email protected] 6 points 5 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago

Another fun place, I guess

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Another reason for Torvalds to become sad after leaving Finland.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago (2 children)

He moved to Sweden, which also does the same

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago

Linus Torvalds has lived In the US for almost thirty years.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago
  1. He did not.
  2. Is seems Sweeden is anuther fun place.
[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Nice.

Also, can you buy something like 96% ethanol?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago (1 children)

It's probably poisoned like in many countries

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

In Russia I can buy probably only 96% methanol.