The definitive guide to Sweden's Big Booze Debate

Sweden's famed state-owned alcohol monopoly, Systembolaget, is going through tricky times. Shaken by a bribery scandal and stirred by EU trade laws, the organisation should, by rights, be on the rocks - and yet Swedes seem strangely fond of the cocktail of narrow opening times and glass-cabineted bottles.

Christmas booze gets stuck in the post

Sending alcoholic drinks through the Swedish postal system can be a tricky business - unless you happen to order from the state alcohol retail monopoly, explains Mark Majzner. READ »

Police: Swedish teens offering sex for booze

Swedish teenagers are resorting to increasingly perilous measures in order to get their hands on alcohol, according to police in Stockholm. READ »

The Lowdown: Quality Swedish beer

Sweden is not a country renowned for its beers. But when Darren Packman has a nose around, he finds there's more to the country's brewers than meets the gut on a typical night out. READ »

Five convicted over SVT office party booze

Five members of staff at the Malmö offices of state broadcaster Sveriges Television (SVT) have been found guilty of smuggling alcohol from Germany for an office party. READ »

THE PANEL

What do you think about Sweden's alcohol policy?

Every week a panel of readers will be giving their views on the burning issues of the hour. This week: Sweden's tough stance on alcohol. READ »

'One-eye' defence fails for drunken driver

A Swedish woman stopped by police for driving while intoxicated did her best to get officers to turn a blind eye toward her offence. READ »

Smuggling charges dropped when couple revealed party plans

The busy social life of an elderly couple from Piteå in northern Sweden has helped free them of smuggling charges after being caught transporting thousands of litres of alcohol from Germany into Sweden. READ »

New study: 'Alcohol and team sports go hand in hand'

A Swedish researcher has warned that the incidence of alcohol abuse within team sports remains a serious problem. Managers are criticized for double standards and condoning the practice. READ »

Winter survival kit - Plan B: Bring a bottle

As autumn slowly turns to winter and the credit crunch makes it trickier to escape for a few days in the sun, wine expert Mark Majzner weighs up the alternatives. READ »

Sweden contemplates alcohol locks for drunk drivers

A new form of punishment for drunk drivers under consideration in Sweden would allow some offenders to keep their driver’s licences provided they installed an alcohol lock on their vehicles. READ »

Swedes smuggling less booze into the country

The smuggling of spirits and beer into Sweden has dropped by 35 percent during the first half of the year, according to researchers at Stockholm University. READ »

Swedish researchers uncover addiction's genetic roots

Researchers in Gothenburg studying the connection between alcoholism and the hormone ghrelin have found that a single genetic cause may lie behind several forms of dependency. READ »

Insider uncorks secret liquor store code

The highly descriptive terms used to describe wines sold by Sweden's alcohol retail monopoly Systembolaget are riddled with secret code, according to an inside source. READ »

Anitra Steen to leave Systembolaget

Anitra Steen has informed the board of Swedish alcohol retail monopoly Systembolaget that she intends to step down from her post as managing director in May 2009. READ »

Mass murderer denied request for reduced sentence

Mattias Flink, currently in prison for killing seven people back in 1994, will not have his life sentence reduced to 24 years, the Örebro District Court ruled on Wednesday READ »

Swedes and wine - an awkward romance

When it comes to wine drinking, it's high time for Swedes to cast off the shackles of Baltic superabundance and embrace the joys of Mediterranean moderation, argues Mark Majzner. READ »

Dramatic increase in women alcoholics

Alcoholism among women in Sweden increased by 50 percent to 100,000 between 2003 and 2007, a new report from the National Institute of Public Health has shown. READ »

Norwegians flock to Sweden's liquor stores

Norwegians are heading across the border to make their alcohol purchases in Sweden like never before. READ »

Truck driver smuggles 4,500 litres of alcohol into Sweden

A 25-year-old man has been charged with trying to smuggle 4,500 litres of pure alcohol into Sweden. READ »

Is Sweden obsessed with booze?

As champagne showers come bucketing down over Stockholm, David Bartal wonders if excessive drinking is the key to successful living in Sweden. READ »

Swedish singer loses fight for his right to party

A 21-year-old singer tried to weasel his way out of Sweden’s hefty tax on imported alcohol by claiming that partying and free-flowing booze were occupational requirements for rock 'n roll stars. READ »

Drink driving pensioner in double trouble

Police in western Sweden must have thought they were seeing double on Sunday night when they picked up the same pensioner for drunk driving twice in the space of four hours. READ »

Older Swedes are drinking more

Concerns are growing about increased alcohol consumption among Sweden’s retirees, as the number of people over 65 in Stockholm exhibiting at-risk drinking habits has gone up by half in the last decade. READ »

Six convicted over boozy bribes

Six members of staff at drinks maker Vin & Sprit have been found guilty of paying bribes to managers at Sweden's state-run alcohol retail monopoly Systembolaget. READ »

Drunk in charge of a lawnmower

Two men were arrested for being drunk in charge of their lawnmowers in Svenljunga in western Sweden on Friday night. READ »

EU delays sale of Absolut

Pernod Ricard has proposed making concessions to the European Commission to avoid competition problems in its acquisition of Sweden's Vin & Sprit. READ »

Photos: tkachuk; Claudio Bresciani/Scanpix

Swedish teens shun condoms and cigarettes

Swedish teens drink and smoke less than their peers in most other countries, but when it comes to sex, young people in Sweden are far from being the most careful. READ »

Grocer Lidl in six pack setback

Sweden’s consumer ombudsman (KO) has ruled that the Lidl grocery chain's marketing campaign is inappropriate because people must purchase alcohol to participate. READ »

Swedish alcohol monopoly down the hatch

Mark Majzner looks at how two landmark EU decisions have affected the alcohol retail trade in Sweden. READ »

Booze licences subject to bribes

Four out of ten local officials claim to have been offered bribes to secure alcohol licences. Six out ten claim that many licences should never have been issued, according to a new survey. READ »

WHO adopts Swedish alcohol resolution

The WHO has announced the adoption of a Sweden-backed global alcohol resolution at its annual World Health Assembly which was concluded in Geneva on Saturday. READ »

Man sets new Swedish drunk driving record

A 22-year-old from Varberg in western Sweden may have arranged his own sad entry in the record books. READ »

Walpurgis Night revelries run the usual gamut

Most parts of Sweden experienced a typically chaotic Walpurgis Night on Wednesday. READ »

Victory for Sweden in EU beer row

A European court has ruled that differences in taxes levied by Sweden on beer and wine don’t conflict with EU-regulations. READ »

Swedish and English cider: How do you like them apples?

State alcohol retailer Systembolaget claims to be committed to stamping out underage drinking. Why then does it describe its range of ciders in terms best understood by connoisseurs of children's candy? wonders cider aficionado René Rice. READ »

Sweden reacts to sale of Vin & Sprit

Reaction from Sweden’s press and political establishment ranged from shock to scathing criticism following Monday’s announcement that Pernod Ricard would assume ownership of Vin & Sprit. READ »

Pernod wins auction for Vin & Sprit

French drinks giant Pernod Ricard has won an auction for the ownership of Sweden's Vin & Sprit. READ »

Dozens wrongly accused of drunk driving

Around 100 Swedes may have been wrongly suspected for drunk driving due to faulty breathalyzer test machines. READ »

Civil servant showed up drunk to deportations

An employee from Sweden’s Prison and Probation Service showed up to deportation proceedings under the influence of alcohol on several occasions. READ »

SVT workers charged with smuggling alcohol

Six members of staff at the Malmö offices of state broadcaster Sveriges Television (SVT) have been indicted on alcohol smuggling charges. READ »

Father sentenced for drunken driving lesson

A 46-year-old Swede has been convicted for drunk driving even though he wasn’t behind the wheel. READ »

Man gulps his way out of drunk driving citation

A suspected drunk driver with a blood-alcohol level ten times over the legal limit was released after claiming he got drunk only after arriving home. READ »

Parents’ crime costs man prison warden job

A man was forced to leave his job as a prison warden after the conviction of his parents. READ »

Teacher accused of making beer run for 15-year olds

The teacher was also seen handing cigarettes to students during recess. READ »

Drunk crew members stall take-off

A cargo plane has been grounded at Malmö Airport after two crew members were found to be under the influence of alcohol. READ »

'Stop pushing alcohol on developing world'

Sweden needs to do more to prevent alcohol and tobacco companies from exploiting countries in the developing world, says Left Party member of parliament Kent Persson. READ »

State booze stores enjoy record Christmas

Record numbers of customers made their way to Systembolaget over the Christmas period. READ »

Swedish politicians propose alcohol-free Riksdag

Alcohol is a part of every day life for many Swedish politicians, causing some members of parliament to suggest better guidance as to when drinking on the job is appropriate. READ »

Internet booze ban could be axed

Sweden could soon allow people to buy alcohol online and have it delivered home. But buying foreign booze won't be cheap. READ »

'Silly' EU vodka rule slammed by Sweden

New EU rules mean that Swedes buying 'brännvin' - traditional Swedish vodka - will need to be informed by the labels that they are purchasing a 'spirit drink'. READ »

Auction to begin on home of Absolut vodka

Sweden is set to begin its sale of state-owned wine and spirits manufacturer, Vin & Sprit. READ »

Sales of spirits high

Sweden's state-owned alcohol monopoly Systembolaget has reported that sales of spirits have increased this year. READ »

Swedes smoke and drink less

The number of regular smokers in Sweden has fallen again to a record low, according to a new report into the nation's drug use. People are also drinking less than before. READ »

New agency to combat drug and booze abuse

The Swedish government is to create a new organisation for dealing with drug, alcohol and tobacco-related issues. "It is important that the work is long term," said public health minister Maria Larsson. READ »

Alcohol-related illnesses shoot up among young women

The number of women aged 16 to 24 admitted to hospital in Stockholm suffering from alcohol-related illnesses has risen 119 percent since the late 1990s, a new report says. READ »

Euro-court throws out Swedish booze ban

Sweden's ban on the private importation of alcohol breaches European law, the European Court of Justice has ruled. READ » | DISCUSS (4 POSTS) »

Firefighter faces drunk driving charge

A fireman in western Sweden is facing prosecution after allegedly driving a fire engine into a ditch while heavily under the influence of alcohol. He claims he was just changing channels on the radio. READ »

Sweden's alcohol laws set for changes

Swedes should soon be able to enjoy sake with their sushi, under new plans to modernize the country's alcohol laws. Restaurants will no longer have to serve warm food to get an alcohol licence. READ »

No money back for confiscated booze

The state is not obliged to pay compensation for confiscated alcohol ordered over the internet, the Chancellor of Justice has ruled. READ »

Sweden's wine tax 'breaks EU law'

Sweden should not be allowed to have higher tax on wine than on beer, a top EU judge has said. The higher wine tax benefits Sweden's beer producers over foreign wine producers, says the commission. READ »

June surge for Swedish booze sales

Systembolaget's sales continued to increase in June. Compared to the same month last year, sales at Sweden's state-owned alcohol retailer climbed 7.4 percent when measured in alcohol volume. READ »

Sweden to introduce booze warning labels

After the summer many Swedish brewers are to beginning labelling their products with warning messages for young people, pregnant woman, motorists and people who should be doing some work. READ »

Online booze shops refuse to cooperate with tax board

A number of suppliers of online alcohol have indicated that they will not release details of their customer's transactions after the tax board announced it would track down people who hadn't paid their alcohol tax. READ »

Tax board tracks down online booze shoppers

The Swedish tax board has decided to chase down people who have purchased alcohol online but failed to pay the necessary taxes. People can be hit with fines up to six years after importing the drinks. READ »

Only five people have paid booze taxes

Only five people have paid tax on private alcohol imports to Sweden since the ban on buying drinks from foreign online stores was lifted earlier this month. The current system is unworkable, says Moderate MEP Christofer Fjellner. READ »

Sweden's ice bar invites Shanghai to chill

China's largest city Shanghai may be sweltering under muggy summer heat, but with fifty tonnes of ice shipped in from northern Sweden a new 'ice bar' looks set to be the coolest place in town. READ »

Swedish Customs lets online booze through

Swedish Customs has stopped confiscating alcohol that is imported via the internet by private people, according to the head of the agency's crime unit. READ »

Thriving market for smuggled booze

A new study has shown that Swedes are major consumers of alcohol imported into the country by illegal means. READ »

Sweden defends state alcohol monopoly

The Swedish government has said that it will defend its restrictive alcohol policy and the Systembolaget retail monopoly. But there were also positive reactions to Tuesday's EU ruling, which paved the way for private imports of alcohol over the internet. READ » | DISCUSS (41 POSTS) »

European court slams Sweden's alcohol import ban

Sweden's ban on the import of alcohol by private individuals is in breach of EU law, the European Court of Justice has found. 'The state has been caught with its pants down,' says lawyer. READ » | DISCUSS (41 POSTS) »

Cuba blocks Swedish alcohol demands

Swedish attempts to get the international community to adopt a tough strategy to curb alcohol abuse have been blocked by Cuba at the World Health Organization. READ »

Europe could make wine cheaper in Sweden

Swedish wine lovers could get a welcome break if Sweden loses a case due to open in the European Court this week. Sweden's policy of higher taxes on beer than wine is illegal, the European Commission says. READ »

Irish, Brits and Swedes 'all big binge drinkers'

Swedes do love a drink or five. But are they the biggest bingers in the European Union? READ » | DISCUSS (26 POSTS) »

Smuggled booze fuels Swedish buses

Every day Swedish customs officers confiscate large quantities of liquor from Swedish travellers who exceed their allowances. But the impounded alcohol is put to good use, as bus users in one Swedish town are finding. READ »

Swedes smoke less and drink more

Swedes are changing their patterns of sinning: smoking has become less popular, but the number of people who drink heavily is up. Working class people smoke more and drink less than middle class professionals. READ »

Reinfeldt says no to alcohol tax cuts

Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt has rejected proposals by members of his own party to reduce taxes on wine and beer. READ »

Booze tax could fall to stem illegal imports

The Swedish government's is considering reducing the tax on beer and wine, it was revealed on Sunday. But in return, the tax on spirits could be increased. READ »

Swedes bigger boozers than immigrants

First generation immigrants drink in greater moderation than their new hosts, says study. READ »

Swedish booze websites shut down

Only a handful of the 30 websites selling cheap foreign alcohol to Swedes are still running, two months after the European Court ruled that the drinks were liable to Swedish tax. READ »

Champagne-swilling Swedes party like it's 2006

If the wealth of a country can be measured in the amount of champagne consumed, then the country is enjoying an unprecedented boom. Sales for 2006 are likely to smash those of 1999. READ »

Bubbly ban for tennis toffs

Stockholm's partying elite are to be banned from spraying champagne in public during Båstad tennis week. "Swedish envy," says nightclub owner. READ »

Teacher plies kids with booze, loses job

A teacher at a school in Malmö has been suspended for making sure students were stocked up on booze. READ »

Record number of bars hold spirits licences

Around 10,500 restaurants in Sweden have a licence to serve alcohol. That's five times more than at the beginning of the 1970s, according to new figures from the Swedish National Institute of Public Health. READ »

Swedish line wins in EU alcohol case

A ruling from the European Court has supported the Swedish government's line that alcohol bought over the Internet from another European country should be liable to Swedish duty. READ »

Alcohol consumption 'costs Sweden 20 billion'

Alcohol costs Swedish society over 20 billion kronor a year in increased health costs, increased criminality and loss of productivity. "Sweden has an alcohol problem," says one of the men behind the study. READ »

Booze tax 'won't be cut'

Around sixty percent of all alcohol consumed in Sweden is bought outside the country. But public health minister Maria Larsson has said that there will not be any cuts to alcohol taxes. READ »

Strindberg schnapps hard to swallow for author's family

Should the name of the great August Strindberg be allowed to be used as a label for schnapps with a hint of absinthe? The Swedish literary giant's family doesn't think so. READ »

Systembolaget managers admit to corruption

Two of the six store managers in the third bribery trial surrounding the Swedish state-owned alcohol retailer, Systembolaget, have admitted to taking bribes. READ »

Alcohol locks fooled by slimmers

Alcohol locks on cars can confuse heavy dieters with people who have been drinking. Both dieters and drinkers have high levels of acetone on their breath. READ »

Swedish beer: things can only get better

There is more to Swedish beer than mass-produced lager. Eddie de Oliveira reports that a new wave of microbreweries are in danger of giving Swedish beer a good name. READ »

Customs 'lets the rich import more booze'

People bringing in alcohol to Sweden from the continent are more likely to get it confiscated if they look poor, Malmö's chief prosecutor says. READ »

Bodström turns on road killers

People who cause fatal car crashes could face tougher sentences under plans unveiled by justice minister Thomas Bodström. The news comes after criticism of lax punishments for drink drive killers. READ »

Absolut Vodka employees face bribe charges

Ten people who worked for Sweden's state-owned drinks maker Vin och Sprit are being prosecuted for allegedly bribing managers of Systembolaget alcohol stores. READ »

Young northern men buy most Net booze

Men in northern Sweden buy most alcohol on the Internet, according to a new study. The most common buyer is a man under 50 who drinks more than average. READ »

Sweden welcomes EU alcohol crackdown

The EU plans to take a more robust line on alcohol and its effects on public health, according to reports. Health minister Morgan Johansson says the move is a success for Sweden. READ »

Support for booze tax cut slumps

A majority of Swedes wants the tax on beer and wine reduced - but they are not so concerned about the tax on spirits. So says a survey for the Swedish Brewers' Association. READ »

State booze company drinks in profits

Vin och Sprit, the state-owned maker of Absolut Vodka, has announced first-quarter profits of 417 million, up 31 percent on the same period last year. READ »

Record booze seizures by Swedish Customs

Customs officers at Swedish ports seized record amounts of alcohol in the first few months of the year. The drinks were mostly ordered by Swedes over the Internet, which is illegal. READ »

Online booze ban breaks EU law

Sweden's ban on importing alcohol for private use breaks EU monopoly law, says the Advocate General in the European Court - unlocking the door to online ordering. READ »

Girls steered car while drunk woman slept

Two ten-year old girls had to steer the car they were travelling in after the drunk woman driving fell asleep, police have said. The incident happened in Västerås on Wednesday night. READ »

Drunk women refused more often

Bars are more likely to refuse to serve drunk women than drunk men, a study carried out in Malmö claims. Drunk men manage to intimidate their way to a drink, it is alleged. READ »

Swedes stay off the booze medicine

Despite the fact that two medicines combating alcoholism have been shown to be effective, their use is almost unheard of in the Swedish health service. Now the authorities want a concerted drive to change that. READ »

Green politician wins drunk case

Per Gahrton, a leading figure in the Green Party, has had his conviction for drink driving overturned. The policeman who administered his breath test was not qualified to do so, the court says. READ »

Systembolaget managers fined

Fifteen former managers of Systembolaget stores in the south and west of Sweden are fined after being found guilty of accepting bribes from suppliers. READ »

Top Liberal admits drunk driving

Liberal Party member of parliament Karin Pilsäter is to leave all her political duties until further notice after driving her car while over the alcohol limit. Pilsäter was caught by a police unit on Saturday. READ »

Swedish soldiers "train with hangovers"

One in three conscripts in the Swedish army admits to turning up to exercises with a hangover, a survey shows. Every fifth soldier says he believes his peers are taking illegal drugs. READ »

Bureaucrats ban brewers' binge

Sweden's keenest home brewers have been left feeling bitter after a health watchdog said their annual meeting is illegal. People just see beer as a cheap drink to get drunk on, complains the organiser. READ »

No drop in alcohol tax - Nuder

Plans for sharply reduced alcohol tax have been shelved by Sweden's finance minister Pär Nuder. He can't get support in parliament for the proposals, he claims. READ »

Swedes drank less in 2005

Alcohol consumption in Sweden dropped this year for the first time since 1996, with imports from abroad the hardest hit, according to the Centre for Social Research on Alcohol and Drugs. READ »

Guilty verdicts in 'Systemet' bribery case

Store managers at the Systembolaget alcohol retail monopoly accepted bribes from a supplier in return for promoting the company's products, a court in Stockholm has decided. READ »

Systemet suppliers blame bribes on ex-boss

On the last day of the Systembolaget corruption trial, the former managing director of alcohol wholesaler Vin-Trägårdh - who was charged with bribery but was too ill to face trial - has been blamed for all the company's misdemeanours. READ »

Editorial: One last swig?

Systembolaget is in its death throes, with the EU, corruption and a heavy dose of hypocrisy draining Sweden’s alcohol policies of credibility. READ »

Swedish alcohol monopoly targets EU with ad campaign

Systembolaget celebrates its fiftieth anniversary with a marketing campaign aimed at decision makers in the EU. The message: leave our system alone. The cost: 3.5 million kronor. READ »

'Systemet' under fire for lavish party

Sweden's state alcohol monopoly has been slammed for spending 14 million kronor on a party for its staff - two days before several Systembolaget staff went on trial for bribery, and in the middle of a cost-cutting programme. READ »

Systembolaget supplier: I know nothing

The vice MD of alcohol wholesaler Vin-Trägårdh, one of the defendants in the Systembolaget corruption trial, says he has no idea how a notorious sales letter fell into the hands of the state-owned monopoly's store managers. READ »

Drunk elks attack police

A pair of elks, mother and calf, who got boozed up on a garden full of fermented apples, attacked police in the northern Skåne town of Sibbhult last weekend. READ »

Systembolaget supplier too sick for trial

The managing director of alcohol wholesaler Vin-Trägårdh, one of many accused of bribery in the far-reaching Systembolaget corruption affair, is too sick to stand trial, the court has decided. READ »

Dismay over drunk killer sentence

A drunk driver who killed a baby and her grandmother in 2003 should only serve 18 months in prison, Sweden's Supreme Court decides. The law needs toughening, say politicians. READ »

Systemet bribery lawyer charged with corruption

The lawyer representing Vin-Trägårdh, the wine supplier accused of bribing managers of Systembolaget stores, quits after allegedly accepting a gift of a wine chiller. "I can't be the defence lawyer for 18 days then a suspect on the 19th," he points out. READ »

Ordering booze online "carries no risk"

Despite strict rules on importing alcohol, the risk that wine or spirits ordered online from abroad will be confiscated by Swedish customs is practically zero. They say they have bigger fish to fry. READ »

Police chief avoids drunk driving charges

A senior policeman was arrested drunk in his home. Outside stood his car, smashed up after collisions with four other cars. Easy to explain, he says: someone stole it and brought it back. READ »

"Slash booze tax ? in Skåne"

Alcohol taxes should be cut, but only in southern Sweden. That's the suggestion of a leading crime prevention think-tank. READ »

More Swedes in favour of "Systemet"

Support for the Swedish alcohol monopoly has risen, according to a new poll. People are realising the value of the system, says the government. They're just ignorant of the alternatives, say Moderates. READ »

Systembolaget sanctions to punish suppliers

Sweden's alcohol monopoly, Systembolaget, is getting tough with the suppliers who are accused of systematically bribing shop managers. A sanctions scheme will cost the suppliers millions of kronor. READ »

Government tax reforms to slash booze prices

A 40% cut in the tax on spirits. A lowering of income tax. Increased sickness benefits. A cynic might note that 2006 is election year - but everyone else is too busy working out how much cheaper a bottle of vodka will be (70 kronor). READ »

Persson - reduce tax on alcohol

Prime Minister Göran Persson says Swedish alcohol taxes should be reduced in order to preserve Sweden's restrictive alcohol policy. But the Green and Left parties say they will resist any attempt to make booze cheaper. READ »

Systembolaget punishes "bribery suppliers"

Sweden's alcohol retail monopoly has cut ties with one of its suppliers, Vin-Trädgårdh, and has cancelled orders from two others suspected of bribing store managers. READ »

Swedes return to Systembolaget

Anitra Steen, managing director of Systembolaget, announces an upturn in the fortunes of Sweden's state-owned alcohol monopoly. No champagne yet, though. READ »

Alcohol "costs Sweden 50 billion extra a year"

Sweden's alcohol consumption is up 30 percent since the mid-nineties, according to a teetotal lobby group. The government should reduce import quotas, the group says. READ »

Sweden's Centre confirms move to the right

Limits on trade unions and reduced alcohol tax: two new policies for the Centre Party outlined at its conference in Stockholm, at which leader Maud Olofsson underlined her party's place on the right of Swedish politics – and her grip on the party. READ »

Swedish girls drink and smoke more

Drinking among teenage boys in Sweden has dived over the past year, but alcohol consumption among girls has surged. And twice as many girls as boys are regular smokers. READ »

Why does Sweden have a reputation for being liberal?

Last week: Who is the greatest ever Swede?
Sweden is tough on prostitution, users of soft drugs are considered morally suspect, you can't buy booze after 7pm or drink in many parks, and more and more hotels refuse to show porn. Why is Sweden considered liberal? Answers please. READ »

Alcohol makes your brain grow

Moderate alcohol consumption stimulates the growth of brain cells, according to a new report from Swedish scientists. But that doesn’t mean that drinking is good for you. READ »

Swedes back alcohol monopoly

Should it stay or should it go? The future of Systembolaget is safe according to a new survey which has found that most Swedes are staying faithful to the country’s loved and loathed alcohol monopoly. READ »

Alcohol inquiry proposes 30% tax cut

Kent Härstedt, the man heading the government's inquiry into the problem of alcohol smuggling, finally delivers his cocktail of recommendations designed to save the ailing Systembolaget. READ »

Systembolaget supplier charged with smuggling

A director at alcohol supplier Vin-Trädgårdh AB - already in trouble for allegedly forking out almost a million kronor in bribes to Systembolaget - is in custody on suspicion of selling 121,766 litres of spirits and 11,760 litres of wine on the black market. READ »

Government pours cold water on booze tax cut

If Sweden's state owned alcohol monopoly is to survive, alcohol taxes must be slashed immediately, says the government's own "alcohol investigator", Kent Härstedt. But to the dismay of politicians and drinkers alike, the ruling Social Democrats have put off a decision until the autumn. READ »

Vodka taster not guilty of drunk-driving

After testing 40 different types of vodka a senior employee of Vin & Sprit is stopped by traffic police and found to be somewhat over the limit. But the appeal court releases her on the grounds that "she had not intended to become intoxicated". READ »