The Famous Bottle of Smirnoff

The Famous Bottle of Smirnoff

1471904_544419895642529_447747922_nThis is something a visitor to Sri Lanka will most likely see while riding a tuk tuk. The scenario will probably look like this:

You’re stuck in traffic and, like most days at any given time, it’s hot, and you can see a traffic policeman up ahead directing the traffic. The tuk tuk driver reaches for a bottle of Smirnoff or another famous alcoholic brand. Screws the cork off and starts chugging straight out of the bottle.

You’ll probably wonder what’s going on. While you try convincing yourself that it’s not actually hard liquor he’s chugging out in the open.

Turns out, there’s no need to worry: drinking water out of glass bottles is, one could say, just as common as the mosquitoes.

If you work in an office, you’ll definitely spot multiple people with vodka and wine bottles at their desks. And while being drunk on the job might fit the exotic country label. It is definitely not acceptable in Sri Lanka.

They’re simply giving the finger to plastic and reusing glass bottles for drinking water.

Or in fact it has moved on from this as in some offices it’s seen as a bit of a status symbol to those drinking out of bottles like Grey Goose, Bombay Sapphire or Glenfiddick are seen as high earners.

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