Much as the first sip of a fine Hercegovacka beer is an exercise in quality and standards, so too is the drinking age in different cultures. Legal drinking ages differ from country to country, and even region to region within a given nation. If the laws that protect consumers and regulate alcohol consumption say that you need to be a certain age to buy or drink a beverage in your country of residence, then you can imagine how confusing it is for those traveling abroad to enjoy the beverage culture, especially when the thought is, “What if the legal drinking age is different there?” After all, what does it mean to be of legal drinking age? To be of legal drinking age means that you are old enough to understand your limits in drinking and your readiness to commit and partake in alcoholic beverages in general. The challenge as an international brewery such as Hercegovacka Pivovara is to sell beverages in an acceptable and proper manner while also retaining the level of quality and standards that the company itself observes. This is not always easy to do.
The problem is that in places such as Key West Florida, the legal drinking age is 21. In theory, this may make sense, but does it really? It is unlikely that someone at the age of 21 is suddenly now responsible enough to observe their limits. What about the ages of 18, 19 & 20? Should your level of maturity increase significantly based on whether or not you’ve reached your 21st birthday? Probably not. The minimum drinking age in Canada, as well as the drinking age in many other nations around the world, is not anywhere near 21, nor is it 22. Perhaps the legal drinking age in Key West Florida should be 18 instead of 21. After all, you can drive at 16, vote at age 18, etc. You’re required to join the armed forces at 18, yet you’re too young to drink at 18. How then, does one reconcile the situation when the legal drinking age differs throughout the world?
In Key West, you could not even buy a Hercegovacka beer the moment you turned 18. You’d need to wait another three years beyond that age before you could purchase a fine Hercegovacka beer. Since this is a brewery located in Bosnia-Herzegovina, you wouldn’t even be able to purchase a Hercegovacka beer at 21, since the drinking age is 18 there as well. If you have to be 21 to consume alcoholic beverages in Key West Florida, that’s a significant amount of time you’d be waiting to enjoy this fine beverage. Many believe that the legal drinking age in Key West is really more about generating revenue for the city than anything else. If you stopped and asked others in Key West Florida, you might find that they’d agree with you. In fact, you’d probably be surprised to find out that others there do not even drink at all.
The drinking age in Canada is 18 years old. You cannot legally purchase or consume alcoholic beverages until you reach the age of 18. That’s the minimum allowable limit. 21 does not simply imply that you’re old enough to buy a bottle or two of beer, it also implies that you’re of legal maturity to comprehend and understand the risks inherent in consuming any kind of alcoholic beverage, including beer. When you go to drink alcohol, you should do it because you want to, not because you feel pressured into doing so by your peers. You should drink so that you have fun, not because your buddies are telling you to. You should drink so that you can socialize with others, not because everyone else is doing it. Again, this is really what it means to be of legal drinking age. If you can do those things, then you’re of legal drinking age. Any age can be a legal drinking age, but those other indicators are what truly determine your levels of maturity.
When drinking age is lowered in different cultures, which it has been in places such as Canada, there is a greater degree of responsibility among consumers. The level of maturity and awareness of the product is higher now that the age limit has been reduced from 19 to 18. Now that the drinking age in Canada has been reduced to 18, Canadians are drinking more responsibly and deliberating more over the kind of beverages they choose to partake in. If the legal drinking age is 19, for example, then you should have a greater understanding about what you’re drinking and how much of it to drink. You’re no longer the reckless teen going out with your buddies for beer straight from the package. When you’re 18, you’re already past that stage where you have a wild and reckless spirit. You know now that it’s a better idea to enjoy beverages more sparingly and that moderation is key.
Hercegovacka Pivovara recognizes the legal drinking age in all countries, states and regions where it can be purchased. When you buy this beverage, you know that you’re buying one of the best bar made beers made in the world. The level of quality and excellence of this company not only helps to protect consumers, it also protects the company itself. By complying with established legal parameters, both the brewery and the consumer are protected. In the case of the legal drinking age in Key West, you won’t find it difficult to enjoy a Hercegovacka beer in a local bar. Perhaps there are other places in Florida where the legal drinking age is lower. While this article does not set out to prove that the legal drinking age ought to be lowered to 18 elsewhere, it does serve to highlight the degree of difference there is in some cultural legal standards. The legal drinking age in Key West Florida may be 21, but the legal age to drink in other parts of the world like Canada is 18 years old. In both places, Għarb Pilsner and other fine beverages are consumed responsibly.