I drink very little now. MY old friends that didn't drink much when I was are now drinking more. We're going in opposite directions. But they do have some influence from some Europeans(Germans at that!), that as you say have that built in to their culture. Every time I drink I can feel my brain being abuse now. Just not something I want. Plus I notice a couple days later I get very irritated, very easily. But a drink here or there isn't gonna kill anyone. I'm surrounding myself with people that don't drink(much) and that helps a lot.
I have liquor bottles in my house that are 10 years old or more. And still have a few beers in the fridge from this summer left over. Now, don't get me wrong, every now and then I enjoy sitting and having a few with friends. But that is much less now than ever.
I posted at the MTBR site(mountain bike site) about riding in to a campsite with the mountain bike, carrying my sleeping bag, pad and a few essentials(and named them). None of which was alcohol. It didn't take long for the thread to go in the direction of how they carry their alcohol in.