Reykjavík Grapevine - 21.10.2005, Side 18

{ 20 }Grapevine Airwaves 2005 Friday October 21 – Issue 1 of 3
BY ELIZA REID
Beer was illegal in Iceland until 1987. A very cheap bottle of
wine costs 800 ISK (12 USD). It is no surprise that no tradition
of casual drinking has developed here. Instead, coffee is the
drink of choice. Ironically enough, coffee-drinking is one area
where the Icelanders are not highest “per capita” (the Finns
have achieved this honour), but coffee drinking and coffee
culture are staples of Icelandic society.
Here are the local favourites for this non-alcoholic beverage
consumption:
Café Paris and Segafredo: Most known for their locations
near key pedestrian squares. Great for people-watching.
Kaffitár and Te og Kaffi: Leading importers of coffee in
Iceland, along with Segafredo, Kaffitár and Te og Kaffi
dominate the local barista competitions.
Kaffi Mokka: Is the local institution—the oldest and most
storied coffee shop in town.
Café Paris,
Austurstræti 14, 101 Reykjavík, 511 1020.
Segafredo,
Lækjartorg 5, 101 Reykjavík, 562 5200.
Kaffitár,
Bankastræti 8, 101 Reykjavík, 511 4540.
Te og Kaffi,
Laugavegur 24 and 27, 101 Reykjavík, 562 2322.
Kaffi Mokka,
Skólavörðustígur 3a, 101 Reykjavík, 552 1174.
BY PAUL F NIKOLOV
The first thing you need to know is, if you just arrived in Iceland, you better
have bought some booze at the airport. Especially if you’re visiting someone.
No forgiveness on this one. Still, if you’re here, we guess you have to deal. A
large beer in a bar will cost you 600 ISK (about ten US dollars) on average, but
it is possible to drink both cheaply and with quality in Iceland, provided you
know where to go.
Any night out involving drinking should begin with a trip to Vínbúð, also
known as The State Alcohol and Tobacco Monopoly of Iceland. A half-litre of
Víking beer, which in a bar goes for 600 ISK, is only 216 ISK at Vínbúð. Stock
up here, go home, get your drink on with some friends and then go out around
midnight (the bars don’t begin to get interesting until then anyway) and you’ll
end up spending a fraction of what you normally would on a night out.
For those who are more interested in quality spirits than getting wasted for
less, Vínbúð not only has a decent variety of quality wines, but the price of a
good European wine is often lower than that of a cheap American wine. For
example, while 750mL of California’s Delicato Merlot goes for 1220 ISK, the
same volume of France’s Le Piat d’Or is only 920 ISK. That’s right: now you
can act like a Sideways-style wine snob without killing your budget. Except of
course they drink California wine in that movie... and we just dissed American
wine... ahem.
In terms of liquor, keep in mind that low quality spirits often sell for about
the same price as top shelf stuff: 700 mL of Smirnoff costs the same as the
same volume of Finlandia, 2990 ISK. This is because prices for liquor are
determined by alcohol content and popularity, so you can drink like an adult
instead of a college freshman for the same money.
If you need something particularly exotic, like sake or absinthe (albeit
hallucinogen-free), you should know that not all Vínbúð outlets are created
equal. You’re more likely to find more obscure products at the larger outlets.
For Reykjavík, this means either the Kringlan mall or Heiðrún, which is in the
east of town.
A Foreigner’s Guide to
Drinking in Iceland
For more information on your alcohol options,
plus locations, you can check out Vínbúð’s
website at http://www.atvr.is.
Vínbúð at Kringlan
Mon.-Thurs. 11:00-18:00
Fri. 11:00-19:00
Sat. 11:00-18:00
Closed Sundays
Vínbúðin Austurstræti (downtown Reykjavík)
Mon-Thurs. 11:00-18:00
Fri. 11:00-19:00
Sat. 11:00-14:00
Vínbúðin Heiðrún (best selection)
Stuðlahálsi 2 Tel. 560 7720
Mon-Thurs. 9:00-18:00
Fri. 9:00-19:00
Sat. 9:00-16:00
TÍU DROPAR (ten drops) on Iceland’s
Favourite Beverage
DRINK
DRINK