The minimum age for purchasing alcoholic beverages varies depending on the type of drink, as well as whether the drink is purchased for off-premises consumption or for consumption on-site in bars and restaurants.
Depends on the alcohol.
Some countries establish different age restrictions depending on the category of the drink: beer, wine, or hard liquor. There are also differences between buying a drink in a supermarket, without immediate consumption, and buying it for consumption in bars and restaurants.
The lowest age threshold is set in Côte d'Ivoire, where children aged 14 can legally purchase beer in stores. However, reaching 18 years old is required to buy wine and hard liquor.
In the Central African Republic, the minimum age for purchasing beer is 15 years. In Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Switzerland, and several other countries, the age for purchasing beer is 16 years.
There are countries where there is no specific alcohol legislation, and consequently, no minimum age requirements for purchase are established. Such countries include Sierra Leone, Cambodia, and Guinea. Conversely, the highest legal age for purchasing beer is 25 years in Eritrea.
In Brazil, one must reach the age of 18 to purchase any type of alcohol.
