() is the act of pouring out

champagne Champagne (, ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, that demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, spe ...

in the

sink A sink is a bowl-shaped plumbing fixture for washing hands, dishwashing, and other purposes. Sinks have a tap (faucet) that supply hot and cold water and may include a spray feature to be used for faster rinsing. They also include a drain to ...

. Sinking probably started in

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

as "a reaction to the ban on spraying champagne in many bars" and the sinking is usually done by a person ordering two bottles of champagne and asking the

bartender A bartender (also known as a barkeep, barman, barmaid, or a mixologist) is a person who formulates and serves alcoholic or soft drink beverages behind the bar, usually in a licensed establishment as well as in restaurants and nightclubs, but a ...

to pour out (sink) one of them.Johan Åkesson
"Vaskning är bratsens provokation" (Eng. ”Sinking is the brats’ provocation”)
''Dagens Nyheter'', 2 August 2010 The term "sinking" is a translation of the Swedish term, "vaskning," derived from "vask," which means "sink".

Background

In 2007 and 2010 respectively, bars in the Swedish cities of

Båstad Båstad () is a Urban areas in Sweden, locality and the seat of Båstad Municipality, Scania County, Sweden, with approximately 5,000 permanent residents. It is however one of Sweden's most typical summer resorts. The population is presumably more ...

and

Visby Visby () is an urban area in Sweden and the seat of Gotland Municipality in Gotland County on the island of Gotland with 24,330 inhabitants . Visby is also the episcopal see for the Diocese of Visby. The Hanseatic city of Visby is arguably th ...

, popular party destinations for the wealthy youth, banned the spraying of champagne. The ban referred to champagne spraying possibly violating the law’s requirement on servers of alcohol to maintain good order. The ban caused some people to sink the champagne instead, while others chose to buy more expensive champagne.Josefine Hökerberg
"Vaskning – myt eller trend?" (Eng. "Sinking – myth or trend")
''Aftonbladet'', 30 July 2010 According to Marie Söderqvist, CEO of the analysis company

United Minds United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...

and author of the book ''Status – vägen till lycka'' (Eng. ''Status – the road to happiness''), sinking is not just a protest against the ban on spraying champagne: "One gives the finger to everything – bans, global justice, saving the planet and equality."

Spread and media attention

Sinking has been the subject of articles by national newspapers like ''

Aftonbladet ''Aftonbladet'' (, lit. "The evening paper") is a Swedish daily newspaper published in Stockholm, Sweden. It is one of the largest daily newspapers in the Nordic countries. History and profile The newspaper was founded by Lars Johan H ...

'' and ''

Dagens Nyheter ''Dagens Nyheter'' (, ), abbreviated ''DN'', is a daily newspaper in Sweden. It is published in Stockholm and aspires to full national and international coverage, and is widely considered Sweden's newspaper of record. History and profile ''Da ...

,'' but it is unclear how much sinking actually occurs. In a survey among barkeepers in Båstad,

Stockholm Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...

, and Visby, one of them said they get "approximately one serious sinking request per night," while others claimed sinking was a myth. Sinking has also been the theme of a music video by ''Kakan och Julia'' featured on Swedish Public Television. Variants of the phenomenon have reportedly taken place, such as ''hamburger dumping'' (purchasing a large number of hamburgers at a

fast food restaurant A fast-food restaurant, also known as a quick-service restaurant (QSR) within the industry, is a specific type of restaurant that serves fast-food cuisine and has minimal table service. The food served in fast-food restaurants is typically ...

, and throwing all but one into the trash).{{cite news, url = http://www.aftonbladet.se/sommarisverige/article12407312.ab, title = "Hamburger-dumpning" – den nya trenden i Visby

References

Waste Champagne (wine) Drinking games Society of Sweden 21st century in Sweden Urban legends

Background

Spread and media attention

See also

References