https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Germany in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed A study into the drinking habits of young people has revealed a continued decrease in regular alcohol consumption among German teenagers. https://www.thelocal.de/20190508/german-teenagers-drinking-less-adults-binging-more-often Wed, 08 May 2019 16:07:01 +0200 german-teenagers-drinking-less-adults-binging-more-often A rainy, mild summer lacking big sporting events to booze along to has put Germans off their world-famous beer, official data showed Monday, as consumption slipped in the first nine months. https://www.thelocal.de/20171030/rainy-football-free-summer-dampens-german-thirst-for-the-amber-brew Mon, 30 Oct 2017 12:52:45 +0100 rainy-football-free-summer-dampens-german-thirst-for-the-amber-brew A new report shows that Germans are cutting back a bit on smoking traditional cigarettes, but are drinking at an "especially high" rate compared to other countries. https://www.thelocal.de/20170411/75-billion-cigarettes-how-much-germans-smoke-and-drink-each-year Tue, 11 Apr 2017 16:33:19 +0200 75-billion-cigarettes-how-much-germans-smoke-and-drink-each-year Early on Monday morning a drunk 29-year-old man trashed 17 cars after staggering out of Oktoberfest in Munich. It was one of several eye-popping crimes from "Wiesn" over the past few days. https://www.thelocal.de/20160927/young-man-destroys-17-cars-after-visiting-oktoberfest-wiesn-munich Tue, 27 Sep 2016 11:27:43 +0200 young-man-destroys-17-cars-after-visiting-oktoberfest-wiesn-munich On the first weekend of Oktoberfest only half a million people turned up for the booze-athon. But there was a more banal reason than security fears to blame. https://www.thelocal.de/20160919/oktoberfest-visitor-numbers-down-by-half-in-opening-weekend Mon, 19 Sep 2016 13:08:36 +0200 oktoberfest-visitor-numbers-down-by-half-in-opening-weekend If you want to mingle with local beer drinkers, you'd better speak their tongue. And your school German won't be of much help in the deep south. https://www.thelocal.de/20160914/10-words-oktoberfest-munich-beer-festival-bavaria Wed, 14 Sep 2016 12:00:08 +0200 10-words-oktoberfest-munich-beer-festival-bavaria The biggest beer festival in the world is just days away from being zapfed into life in Munich. But should you strap on your dirndl or run for the Alps? https://www.thelocal.de/20160913/5-reasons-to-hit-oktoberfest-and-5-reasons-not-to-munich-beer Tue, 13 Sep 2016 17:23:41 +0200 5-reasons-to-hit-oktoberfest-and-5-reasons-not-to-munich-beer A man has been taken to hospital in Munich with serious injuries after he was rolled over by several trains following a drunken plunge off a station platform. https://www.thelocal.de/20160411/munich-man-survives-being-run-over-by-three-trains Mon, 11 Apr 2016 13:56:41 +0200 munich-man-survives-being-run-over-by-three-trains The German Health Ministry announced on Friday plans for mandatory warning labels on alcohol, similar to those used on cigarette packages. https://www.thelocal.de/20160401/germany-creates-scare-labels-for-beer-to-fight-binge-drinking Fri, 01 Apr 2016 02:12:00 +0200 germany-creates-scare-labels-for-beer-to-fight-binge-drinking What do you do with 25,000 litres of fake tequila? Set fire to it, apparently - with the Mexican Ambassador and the Tequila Regulation Council standing by to make sure the job's done properly. https://www.thelocal.de/20151210/25k-litres-of-fake-tequila-goes-up-in-flames Thu, 10 Dec 2015 15:52:43 +0100 25k-litres-of-fake-tequila-goes-up-in-flames In Germany, those who urinate in public places have their own name: "Wildpinkler" or "free pee-ers." But they're about to face a backlash in Cologne - in a very literal and embarrassing way. https://www.thelocal.de/20151127/cologne-wards-off-drunks-with-walls-that-pee-back Fri, 27 Nov 2015 11:52:40 +0100 cologne-wards-off-drunks-with-walls-that-pee-back As if Germans could drink any more beer, a report on Friday showed that more pints were knocked back this summer than during the World Cup madness of last year. https://www.thelocal.de/20151030/germans-drinking-more-beer-than-during-world-cup Fri, 30 Oct 2015 12:58:27 +0100 germans-drinking-more-beer-than-during-world-cup Whether you're a first-timer or an old hand looking to learn a little more about the world's greatest booze-up, The Local has you covered with our in-depth guide to Oktoberfest. https://www.thelocal.de/20150918/what-to-expect-at-munich-oktoberfest-2015 Fri, 18 Sep 2015 17:52:17 +0200 what-to-expect-at-munich-oktoberfest-2015 At exactly 12pm on Saturday, the first keg will be opened and Oktoberfest 2015 will get under way in Munich. We give you seven staggering numbers about the world's biggest beer festival. https://www.thelocal.de/20150917/7-shocking-oktobefest-numbers-thatll-blow-your-ma Thu, 17 Sep 2015 18:14:00 +0200 7-shocking-oktobefest-numbers-thatll-blow-your-ma Thieves broke into a drink shop last weekend aiming to find bottle caps that would entitle them to a high-value prize in a contest – and left more than 1,000 bottles of beer they opened untasted. https://www.thelocal.de/20150818/thieves-open-1000-beers-dont-drink-any Tue, 18 Aug 2015 12:03:15 +0200 thieves-open-1000-beers-dont-drink-any It's official. If getting drunk on a park bench is your thing, look no further than Germany as an ideal location. A study released on Monday shows it's cheap. And you'll have plenty of company. https://www.thelocal.de/20150630/germany-land-of-cheap-beer-and-drunkards Tue, 30 Jun 2015 19:21:00 +0200 germany-land-of-cheap-beer-and-drunkards A Berlin man came home on Tuesday evening to find an apparent thief asleep on his couch. https://www.thelocal.de/20150513/man-comes-home-to-thief-sleeping-on-couch Wed, 13 May 2015 16:21:59 +0200 man-comes-home-to-thief-sleeping-on-couch Hamburg's St. Pauli district welcomes 20 million loud, messy and heavy-drinking party guests every year. Now residents have discovered a method to fight back against public urination. https://www.thelocal.de/20150303/st-pauli-reeperbahn-hamburg-district-pees-back-at-drunks Tue, 03 Mar 2015 15:08:23 +0100 st-pauli-reeperbahn-hamburg-district-pees-back-at-drunks A municipal politician is saying that Berlin needs to reconsider its alcohol sales rules and is proposing a ban on booze sales between 10pm and 5am. https://www.thelocal.de/20150218/politician-wants-last-call-on-berlin-beer-sales Wed, 18 Feb 2015 09:55:53 +0100 politician-wants-last-call-on-berlin-beer-sales After years of a downward trend in beer-drinking, Germany saw a bump in beer consumption in 2014, thanks to the World Cup and a warmer winter. https://www.thelocal.de/20150112/germans-finally-drinking-more-beer-again-2014-world-cup-football-warm-weather Mon, 12 Jan 2015 16:13:00 +0100 germans-finally-drinking-more-beer-again-2014-world-cup-football-warm-weather