History UsefulNotes / NationalDrinks

** Also, Israelis enjoy drinking Goldstar beer (or Maccabee if you're a masochist) and Araq Ayalim (Deer Araq - Domestic, cheap, Israeli brand that has some deer drawn on the bottle). ''[[LowerClassLout Arsim]]'' pregame for clubbing with vodka and Red Bull. Israelis who hail from the former Soviet Union love their vodka - straight, thank you very much. That being said, binge-drinking and excessive drunkenness are frowned upon by most Israelis - so a lot of bars cater to expats (especially diplomats), who have a reputation for drinking like fish.
** As for the non-alcoholic stuff, Israelis MustHaveCaffeine, so nearly every Israeli has a jones for the java. Instant coffee is widespread (commonly referred to as ''nescafe'' or just ''nes''), but coffeehouse culture is huge in Israel. The combination of Middle Eastern coffeehouse culture with the introduction of Viennese coffeehouse culture from Central European refugees in the '30s might have something to do with that. Consequently, in big cities you will find cafes all over, and people will linger for hours, drinking black coffee with cardamom, playing ''shesh-besh'' (backgammon) or chess. Tea is also widely available, and more popular with Russian immigrants. Herbal teas are also popular. As for cold stuff - before Coca-Cola arrived in TheSixties, people craving fizzy contented themselves with ''gazoz'' - fruit syrup mixed with seltzer water. It should be noted that Coca-Cola's presence in Israel created a "Coke is for Jews, Pepsi is for Arabs" stereotype that prevailed in the Middle East for over a generation (Pepsi did not move into Israel until TheNineties), though today both Coke and Pepsi can be found throughout the Middle East and the stigma has faded considerably. Now a variety of Coca-Cola and Pepsi products are available, but ''limonana'' (a mint-lemon drink) is also popular, as is its variant ''rimonana'' (mint-pomegranate).

** Also, Israelis enjoy drinking Goldstar beer (or Maccabee if you're a masochist) and Araq Ayalim (Deer Araq - Domestic, cheap, Israeli brand that has some deer drawn on the bottle).

*** In the area around UsefulNotes/{{Philadelphia}}, Yuengling Traditional amber lager is king. If you ask for "a lager" you'll get Yuengling Traditional (possibly after being queried "bottle or draft?"). The current formulation dates from 1987, but it's based on a pre-Prohibition recipe that's a reasonable facsimile of what the brewery was making in the late 19th century.[[note]]While Yuengling as a brewery dates from 1829, it was definitely not making amber lager when it opened; that beer style was not even invented until the 1830s, when it first showed up in Vienna. However, amber lagers were the most popular German/Central European beer style by the end of the 19th century, so it's unimaginable that Yuengling wasn't making it before Prohibition.[[/note]] Yuengling has since expanded from Philadelphia to become massively popular throughout the Keystone State, to the point where some small town bars will only have Yuengling (and sometimes also Yuengling Black and Tan) on tap -- if you want something else, you'll have to order a bottle or can.

** The most widely known spirit native to France is cognac. However, cognac is usually seen as a more upscale drink, perhaps to spirits what champagne is to wines. That said, much like champagne, there's no shortage of modest cognacs that, while nobody's idea of an amazing spirit, are ''just'' good enough to sip straight and won't break the bank (a bit like the most common blended Scotches (your Johnnie Walkers and Famous Grouses and Dewarses of the world), and at about the same price point, too). A common spirit in France is ''eau-de-vie'': clear fruit brandy.

** The chianti in the fiasco are really just Tuscan; different regions have different wines and different bottles. That said, any remotely realistic depictions of Italians will have them drinking a simple red wine. Exceptions: White wines may be drunk with certain dishes, and Italians are universally agreed that a beer, especially a cold pale lager, is an ideal accompaniment to pizza--Italian breweries probably survive primarily on sales combined with pizza. (Americans, rejoice: For once, you got something about foreign cuisine right!)