What is the legal drinking age in France?
Officially it is as follows France – 16 for beer & wine, and 18 for drinking strong liquor on premises Belgium – 16 for beer & wine; 18 for strong spirits(20%+), but drinking at home no official age UK – 18. At 16 you may consume wine, beer or cider with a table meal, provided they are with an adult and an adult orders it That’s the official line and you can read the details here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_drink… Unofficially it is often a little different, especially outside of the big cities UK – this is the most strict from my experience. Under-age drinking is always in the news and licencee’s are being forced to check more carefully. Belgium – well you can be asked for ID but in the smaller villages it’s rare In France – well that is def.
by Ashley (Tennesse) How old do you have to be to drink wine in france? Answer: What is the legal drinking age in France Hi there Ashley, There is no age limit for drinking wine in France, but there is a limit for buying wine – you need to be 16 years of age. It is common for French families to have wine at lunch and dinner, so children are more used to being allowed to have a little taste of wine than in some other countries. In my observation, French teenagers don’t drink to get drunk like some other nationalities, it’s more of a social event and they have no need to over indulge. Hope this helps, Cheers Teena Click here to post comments. Join in and write your own page! It’s easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Paris Travel Questions.
The age is exactly what Rillifane has answered. I just want to make an addition to the other part… Children in France, Spain and Italy have been raised in wine drinking families. Some drink wine very early, but it is usually “watered down” with water or a clear lemon soda till it is just barely “pinkish” coloured. Though this custom was more used in the early part of the 20th. century than it is now. With the introduction of soft drinks to the european market, things began to change. Now french children drink mostly fruit juices, mineral water and some “cannettes” (coke, pepsi, or the likes). In France one of the first french softdrinks was an orange or lemon fizzy beverage called “Psshitt” I think it still exists.. (When I first saw it the name cracked me up!) French children also drink mineral water with a “sirop”, which is a concentrated fruit syrup, one part to 6 parts water. There are many flavours from strawberry to orange or lemon, peppermint to aniseed!. My husband is spanish
