Alcoholic drinks in Sweden

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.

The main Swedish specialty is brännvin (literally "burn-wine"), liquor distilled from fermented grain or potatoes.

This is usually drunk as a snaps, also known as nubbe, a small shot glass of alcohol served to accompany a traditional meal (especially pickled herring or crayfish).

In restaurants and bars it is usually served as "en stor stark" (literally "a large strong"), a glass usually containing 40–50 cL of starköl (see below).

As of July 1, 2005, new rules established that only fermented juice from apple or pear is allowed to be called cider.

Systembolaget introduced box wine and law allowed private enterprises to produce, import and market alcohol, and sell directly to restaurants—though the retail monopoly remained.

Class II (up to 3.5%), called folköl ("people's beer"), is sold in regular stores, but with the minimum purchase age of 18.

Producers of alcohol, such as vineyards, however, are not allowed to sell bottles of their products directly to consumers.

The only exceptions to the monopoly to consumers are export shops at airports, which can sell alcohol to people checked in for a flight outside the EU.

[6] Distilling without a commercial production license is illegal in Sweden, even for personal use, and might result in fines or jail time.

[7] It is however legal to make alcoholic drinks in a household for one's own personal use (i.e. homebrewing, and winemaking), as long as no distillation is involved.

Municipalities can permit a later closure time, sometimes as late as 5 a.m.[10] 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.

Guests are not allowed to bring alcoholic drinks into the restaurant or out from it, including if there is an adjacent convenience store, which has been a problem especially in hotel lobbies.

In trains, people are not allowed to drink their own alcohol, but approved sales may take place.

[citation needed] Scandinavian Lutherans played a large part in supporting Prohibition in the United States.