​Differences in northern/eastern vs. southern European drinking cultures still persist in terms of drinking frequency and amounts of alcohol drunk per drinking day. In all countries traditionally termed as spirits drinking countries from North and East of Europe, the frequency of drinking is on average lower and volumes consumed per drinking day higher as compared with the countries belonging to Mediterranean cultures. In the former countries, beer and/or  wine have typically come to dominate over spirits, while in the latter countries wine is losing its dominant position in favour of beer and spirits.