“The drinking culture is different depending on what part of the country you are in,” adds Mike Santos, Last Word Hospitality’s director of operations (including the Portuguese restaurant Barra Santos), whose family emigrated from Portugal to the United States during his childhood. “In the north, a lot of vinho verde and Port is consumed because that’s where it comes from. In the more central region, including Lisbon, there is more of a cosmopolitan vibe, so socially, cocktails, beer and wine are consumed. In the south, it is very touristy, so along with local wine, there is more of an international influence around drinking. Then there is Madeira, which produces Madeira wine and is commonly consumed both as an aperitif and a digestif.” (Speaking of vino, Portugal is still the leading European country in wine consumption per capita.)
