The use of alcohol and drugs among youth from a number of North European countries has changed significantly since the early 1990s: there are signs of increased drug use and of growing sessional consumption of alcohol. Hence a number of researchers have argued that a new culture of intoxication is emerging which is centered around the pursuit of intense and spectacular states of intoxication. Similar changes may be underway in France and other South European countries. Drawing on a phenomenological approach, this article describes some key features of the new culture of intoxication which is emerging among young people from Denmark. The article is based on fieldwork among young Danish tourists at an international nightlife resort. The author and four assistants collected the data during the summers 2007 and 2008. Various methods were used including surveys, field observations and interviews.