(Un)Usual Stories about Drunkenness: An Example of Vinjak as a Cultural-Symbolic Resource

Abstract

This paper aims to map and analyse the central themes in narratives of alcohol intoxication caused by a popular type of strong alcoholic beverage – vinjak. Stories of being “drunk on vinjak” are distinctive compared to other forms of intoxication, and the specific events and atmosphere of such drunkenness are attributed to the characteristics of said beverage. Vinjak thus takes on a specific cultural-symbolic potential within and, accordingly, to the broader social context in which it was created and is being consumed. Narratives of drinking and intoxication are generated post-festum, through the reconstruction of events and actors, and are treated as a specific form of narrative genre. By emphasizing and exploiting the mismatch and lack of order, as well as the transgression of social rules and conventions, drunken stories are intended to arouse curiosity and ‘scandalise’ the listeners, while also sending cultural messages about the potential risks and consequences of vinjak-intoxication.