“Lo que le toca es servirte, diablo”. Alcohol consumption and drinking habits in southern Peru. 1780-1845

Belan C. · Revista de Indias (2026) · DOI: 10.3989/revindias.2026.1888

Resumen

This article examines alcohol consumption and drinking habits in southern Peru between 1780 and 1845, with particular emphasis on chicherías and their role in the social life of Arequipa and its surrounding areas. Its main objective is to analyze how these spaces for the consumption of chicha and aguardiente shaped social interactions and cultural structures, as well as their relationship with violence and class and gender tensions. To this end, the study draws upon the complete set of criminal records preserved in the Regional Archive of Arequipa. The findings reveal that alcohol consumption was widespread among all ethnic groups, despite the prejudice commonly associated with Indigenous peoples. Alcohol was linked to spaces of violence, criminality, and rebellion. Nevertheless, chicherías also functioned as sites of community cohesion among subaltern sectors. The chicheras, who managed these establishments, subverted the patriarchal order, emerging as ºres of economic and social autonomy.

Instituciones: Universidad Continental