Peru is one of the most diverse countries with many cultures and traditions. Alcohol was and is one of the great social vehicles and a socially and legally permitted drug. Alcohol consumption as a ritual has always been very important in the Andes; drinking together strengthens the bond between people.
Drunkenness in the Andes
is usually linked to the festival and does not take place every day, as is the case in Mediterranean countries, for example; getting drunk is associated with special times, such as sowing, harvest and weddings. You are part of the larger community.
Religion and alcohol
This type of celebration not only brings people together with people, but also connects people with the saints. Alcohol plays a major role in religious celebrations both today and in the past. In pre-Spanish Peru, the Incas took mummies out of their graves and drank with them. And these days people go to the cemeteries on All Saints Day to drink and dance with the dead.
In recent decades, many men and women in the Peruvian Andes have embraced "Protestantism" converted (a generic term that Catholics use to describe the Protestant churches here). This conversion requires them to completely give up chewing coca leaves and consuming any kind of alcoholic beverages, even dancing is prohibited.
You toast yourself with chicha de jora (the Inca's favorite drink), cañazo (sugar cane schnapps) and beer.
Because it is a strong drink (often over 40% alcohol), cañazo has a longer shelf life than beer and especially chicha. For this reason, these fermented drinks, which were previously used for festivals and celebrations, were replaced with it. It also costs less than beer or chicha: a 500 ml bottle of real cañazo usually costs no more than 10 soles (approx. 2.38 euros).
Of course, this alcohol consumption sometimes has serious consequences, especially since sugar cane liquor quickly leads to mental and physical dependence. The "Aguardiente de Caña" is sold bottled in plastic bottles in which lemonades were previously sold. In the place where we lived, among other things: Fertilizer (urea) mixed in to stretch the liquid and make it even cheaper. I have seen people in whom this consumption led to physical deterioration; the addicts are easy to recognize with their red eyes and faces marked by alcohol.
Unlike in Germany, this consumption does not take place behind closed doors here. In the morning, the addicts in our village don't go out for coffee, but instead go shopping for alcohol. The high-proof schnapps is also often drunk in the fields while working to make the often difficult physical work easier and to combat the cold at altitude. It is not uncommon to see drunk men staggering home on the country road. This can result in dangerous situations as cars drive past them at 80 km/h and more.
The first of August is the "Dia Mundial de la Madre Tierra"
On "Mother Earth Day" The men and women of the high Andean communities gather for a ceremony in which offerings and gifts for Mother Earth, "Pachamama", are placed in a hole dug approximately 50 deep and 100 cm wide. The gifts are wrapped in a wool blanket or "Lliclla" wrapped up. Animal fetuses are used, usually from lambs, alpacas or llamas. They are supposed to symbolize fertility. Beer, food, coca leaves, cigars, confetti, sweets and cookies are included.
You want “Pachamama” bring something to eat, drink and smoke. At the end of the ceremony, wood or firewood is placed in the hole, everything is burned and covered with earth. Throughout the ceremony, people drink beer, eat typical dishes and celebrate with dances and music.
Chicha de jora
The "Chicha de jora" (in Quechua "Aqha") is a fermented drink common not only in Peru, but also Bolivia and Ecuador. There are different varieties depending on the region, but the preparation is mainly made from jora, i.e. H. from fermented corn. The chicha was the only alcoholic drink in the Inca Empire, used in ceremonies, rituals and socially. During times of conquest, the Incas drank chicha from the skulls of their enemies to affirm their victory.
Spanish chroniclers later reported in detail about the pathological alcohol abuse, which was said to have been due to the traumatic influence of the conquest.
Celebrating festivals also has the meaning of rewarding the people, although in earlier times alcohol was rationed by the state as corn was a controlled crop.
The Incas forced their children to drink alcohol and consume coca leaves before sacrificing them
This was demonstrated by hair analysis of several mummies found in stone tombs in Argentina in 1999. Researchers at Brandford University said coca leaves, which release a mild stimulant when chewed, were thought to help cope with the effects of altitude, and alcohol in the form of chicha was given to children to cope with the cold at altitude. The consumption of these substances was also part of a series of rituals given to the girls, who were probably selected for sacrifice 12 months before their death.
The controversy over the Pisco Sour
Peruvian pisco is a designation of origin for the alcoholic drink distilled from grapes, which has been produced in Peru since the 16th century.
The “Tag de Pisco Sour” has been celebrated for 18 years. in Peru. However, the origin of the drink made from pisco, lime, whipped egg whites and ice cubes is controversial. Since its creation, there has been debate throughout South America, particularly between Peru and Chile, as to which country invented it. This controversy even reached the international courts. In the end, Peru was able to prevail in several competitions, including in 2019, when India recognized the Andean country as the country of origin of the cocktail.
More than 1.7 million Peruvians are addicted to alcohol today
This was the result of a national study conducted in 2017 by the "Cedro" - "Centro de Información y Educación para la Prevención del Abuso de Drogas (Information and Education Center for the Prevention of Drug Abuse). The Cedro is a private, non-profit Peruvian organization dedicated to preventing and educating the population about drug use and raising awareness through mass communication strategies and campaigns.
In Peru, sales to young people under the age of 18 are officially prohibited and every bottle says that excessive consumption is harmful to health.
The Peruvian state does not have sufficient capacity to treat people with alcohol problems. When you add up the numbers for both legal and illegal drug use, more than three million people needed treatment. Technical support and training of tutors, school and university teachers, and parental education regarding early detection and intervention in alcohol abuse must be intensified.
'Peruvians' favorite drink is beer
Among the alcoholic beverages most consumed by Peruvians, beer tops the list (47 liters per person), followed by wine (1.5 liters per person) and spirits (about 1 liter per person) . High beer consumption has an economic impact. Sales on the national beer market amount to S/4,000 million annually, a figure that has continued to rise in recent years. In 2019, a Peruvian spent an average of S/428.50 (approx. 100 euros) per capita on beer, with an average income of 341 euros.
Compared to other Latin American countries, Peru still occupies a moderate position here. In Brazil, per capita consumption is over 80 liters per year, in Venezuela it is over 100 liters. In European countries the average is over 120 liters!
The hidden pandemic
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around three million people worldwide die every year as a result of excessive alcohol consumption, which means alcohol kills one person on earth every 12 seconds. For comparison: 5.96 million people have died of Covid since the start of the pandemic in 2020. Alcohol is the cause of over 200 diseases and disorders. For this reason, the WHO declares "World Non-Alcohol Day" on November 15th every year. to raise public awareness of the problem.
According to recent reports from 2021, an overall trend can be observed that more and more young people are turning to the help and counseling groups offered by the Alcoholics Anonymous Association of Peru, including 14-year-olds from Lima and the interior of the country who are moving away from... Feeling affected by alcoholism.
The closeness of people living together during quarantine triggered a huge problem of pandemic stress and depression worldwide, and particularly in South America. Many people began to increasingly use psychotropic substances such as alcohol in order to forget reality a little. According to a Cedro study, 15% of Peruvians admitted to drinking alcohol every day or every other day during the quarantine period.
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