Snerk…

The Icelanders have obviously ‘forgotten’ how much beer Americans drink…

A national crisis hit Iceland this week when a force of 7,000 American sailors and Marines who know nothing about the third president’s propensity for alcoholic self-restraint invaded the country’s capital city of Reykjavík, flexed an unquenchable thirst for frosty suds and swiftly drained much of the city’s beer supply.

Full article, HERE.

The only ‘real’ beer in Iceland before 1989 came from the US military. You have to understand that until 1989, Iceland beer was limited to 2.25%, so people drank hard liquor, or traded with sailors and airmen for beer from the bases.

We left there in 2006, pulling all the support and exchange/commissary was closed, which meant no more American beer. From what I’ve heard, even today their ‘beer’ isn’t real good… And they don’t import beer from the states as far as I know. Hence the ‘drought’ when the Americans hit town.

And hopefully the kids were smart enough to NOT try the Ákavíti… That s**t is NASTY…

Comments

Snerk… — 18 Comments

  1. “Iceland had survived the assault, the Americans had drank their fill and there have yet to be any reports of overindulgent debauchery — a true success story.”
    Well, that’s a relief.
    Let that be a lesson to them…

  2. We just flew out of Reykjavic, I was wondering why there were so many obvious US service personnel wandering around…

    As to their beer, The Boli lager was actually pretty decent. The aquavit was.. Different.

    The main problem with alcohol in Iceland is it’s crazy expensive. Plan on at least $10 for a long neck and cocktails starting at $20.

  3. Ah yes, the old days: which port is this? What’s good? What’s not? And the “water of life” usually isn’t.

  4. The money quote was “Iceland had survived the assault, the Americans had drank their fill and there have yet to be any reports of overindulgent debauchery — a true success story.” This is as opposed to the Brits port visit in Mayport recently or the Jax Jag’s in London last night

  5. Ed- LOL

    Heath- Wow! Prices have gone up! And I don’t even remember Boli, that must be one of the ‘new’ beers.

    Rev- Hehehe, yep…

    George- Great point!

  6. We were in Bremerhaven on payroll duty (the Army paid you in cash in the 60’s) when the Navy was in town being introduced to German beer. First two nights the town was full of sailors. The third night just lifers who had drunk every kind of swill all over the world.

    We asked one what the scene was like in the heads aboard.

    The reply was one word, “Ghastly”.

  7. Hey Old NFO;

    Never made it to Iceland during my drinking days where I made a point of boosting beer steins of the local beer, and I still have them, LOL

  8. Imagine, Old NFO – the bragging rights from drinking an entire country dry.

    • Staggering, isn’t LL?

      I never had any Icelandic or Danish or Nordic beers.

      I would certainly hope they were more civilized than the carbonated camel’s piss I had in the Mideast…..

  9. I am married to a Dane. When “obliged” to drink Aquavit I did so politely. Twice. I then offered the following to my Father in Law, “I have siphoned gasoline in America that tastes better than this.” Thus, I was no longer offered the national drink under any occasion.

  10. Presumably the Ákavíti is something more.. flavorful / uniquely flavored / potent than the Linie Akavit I’ve had? I found that was something for very occasional sipping, and the flavor was rather intense (strongly caraway, perhaps a hint of anise). But then, I can and do deal with Jeppson’s Malört straight, so it is quite possible that I “ain’t exactly normal.”

    • Linie Akavit is aged in sherry casks and carried in ships to a particular southern latitude and turned back. So, shellback booze.
      The stuff you may want to miss in Iceland is ‘hákarl’ – smells like whitefish soaked in Top Job. I actually ate surströmming and survived, but didn’t try ‘rakorret,’ which is made by abandoning trout to the ambient bacteriological elements.

  11. Was stationed in Keflavik in 1975 to 1977. introduced to Brevivin (Black Death) by the couple living on the second deck (wife was an Icelandic gal{real looker]and husband worked as civilian for communications. New Years Eve 1977 we were having the usual year end/new year party and they produced the bottle of Brenivin which was frozen in a block of ice…… from there I know nothing.