Sometimes you don’t realize how different cultures can be until you reach for the wrong drink.

So, what would you do if you grabbed a drink at a house party, thinking everyone was sharing, only to have someone snatch it back and say it was theirs? Would you walk away embarrassed? Or would you apologize and offer them some of your drink?

In the following story, one international student finds himself in this situation and is still not sure what to think about it. Here’s what happened.

AITA for picking up a bottle of drink at a BYOB house-party where everything was kept together? Was This Rude or just a cultural difference?

I’m an international student from Asia, currently studying at one of London’s major universities.

I arrived in the UK about a month ago and have generally been having a great time settling in.

However, I recently had an experience that left me a bit confused about cultural norms here, especially around hospitality and social etiquette.

He noticed a bottle of wine and wanted to try a little.

I attended a housewarming party hosted by a friend.

The invite mentioned BYOB (Bring Your Own Beverage), so I brought three bottles of beer, even though I don’t drink beer myself. In my culture, it’s considered impolite to show up empty-handed, so I thought others might enjoy it.

While at the party, I noticed a bottle of sweet wine with low alcohol content and picked it up, thinking I might try it.

Stunned, he handed the bottle back.

Almost immediately, another guest came over, took the bottle from my hand, and said, “I brought this, it’s mine, and I’d like to finish it.”

I was stunned for a moment, but handed it back and said, “No worries,” even offering him some of the beer I had brought.

He did say he felt a bit bad afterwards, but I reassured him that I wasn’t planning to drink anyway.

Now, he’s struggling to understand the cultural differences.

Still, I was genuinely surprised. In my home country, this kind of behaviour would be considered quite rude. We usually offer drinks/food to others and share freely, especially at social gatherings, often even at our own cost.

I understand that cultural norms vary, and I’m trying to learn and adapt.

But I’m curious, is it common in the UK for people to be possessive about what they bring to BYOB parties? Is sharing not expected in these settings? Or do you think this person was just rude?

AITA?

Yikes! That guy might have been a bit more extreme than others.

Let’s see how the folks over at Reddit feel about what happened here.

Here’s a good explanation for him.

Here’s someone who doesn’t think he did anything wrong.

According to this person, it’s definitely a cultural difference.

Yet another person explaining BYOB well.

Lesson learned.

If you liked this post, you might want to read this story about a teacher who taught the school’s administration a lesson after they made a sick kid take a final exam.