During my first week in Granada, Spain, I’d walk home and notice that every day, most people were drinking as I passed by restaurants and bars. It would be during the weekday, 2PM, and I was shocked. As I walked, I couldn't stop staring. Every bar I passed was full. Not with tourists, but with locals. All of them were drinking beer or tinto de veranos (a Spanish red wine cocktail) during lunch time… on random weekday afternoons.
I asked myself: is this part of the siesta culture? Back in Michigan, drinking at 2PM on a random Tuesday would make people think you’re an alcoholic and probably have a real problem. Alcohol in the United States is for getting drunk during the nights and weekends. Not for a Tuesday afternoon.
I couldn't let it go. So, for my Spanish class final project, I decided to investigate. I interviewed ten people—five granadinos and five American students—to figure out what I was missing.
The granadinos were clear from the start. Clara, a university student, told me that it’s very normal, but that she doesn’t drink during the day; she goes to the bar to socialize nonetheless, and to take a break from her studies. That was my first surprise: she doesn't even drink, but she still goes to the bar. This made me think that maybe alcohol was never the main point.
Carmen, my host mom, put it even more directly: "No es para emborracharse. Es para crecer amistades, para relaciones. Y con la tapa es mejor, porque comes" (It's not to get drunk. It's to grow friendships, for relationships. And with the tapa it's better, because you eat). It was never about just the drink or getting drunk, and it was clearly a healthier relationship in Spain because it’s served with food (la tapa - the small, free dish served with the drink in Granada).
The topic of the tapa became a fundamental part of the conversation. Free food with every drink means having one beer isn't really "drinking." It's a cheap, low-stakes way to take a break, meet a friend, or break up a long day. The tapa changes everything. You're not ordering a beer. You're ordering a small meal that happens to come with a beer.
Meanwhile, every American I interviewed admitted they were just as surprised as I was about this culture difference. My friend Rhianna from my program told me that it would be seen very negatively in the US. Makayla even mentioned that her Granada residence hall serves wine with lunch, something she said would simply never happen in the US.
Cecilia, a café worker originally from Uruguay who now lives in Granada, laughed when I asked if she was surprised when she first arrived. “Here everyone loves to drink, smoke, and play the lottery all day,” she said. Even newcomers from other cultures notice it.
Another cultural aspect I came across was the fact that the bar seemed to be the main place to get together with friends, something confirmed by Milena, another granadina I interviewed. She said that here it's uncommon to invite people over to your house, and instead it's easier and less pressure to invite people to meet at a bar.
The answer was almost never about alcohol. It was primarily about connection, a break, and something small to eat. An excuse to break up the day. By the end of my project, my perspective had completely shifted, and I realized that these are the cultural practices that I will miss when I leave.
So here's my advice to future students going abroad, especially if you're coming from a culture where day drinking feels strange. First, don't assume drinking equals partying. Second, don’t feel like you have to participate. And third, ask locals why they do things, not just what they do. The answers might surprise you.
Different doesn’t always mean wrong; it can be beautiful!
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