I can't comment in US habits but I was born and raised in a turistic town (Rimini, IT) and have been living in souther Germany for 5 years.
The type, quantity of alcohol AND the goal you're drinking for couldn't be more different between the 2.
Back home, if you're out partying or there's girls involved you're going to have cocktails.
If you're in a restaurant you're going to order some wine, matching with the food.
In any case, this will rarely turn into an addiction because the reasons (anniversaries, girls) are limited in time and tend to be particularly expensive lol
Here in Bavaria drinking is part of their mindset: you're going to see people of any age gathering EVERY weekend and get devastated with the mere purpose to get drunk. Talking 4-5L (like over 1Gallon) as standard measure.
Beer is cheap and you're going to see people opening bottles on their way home on fridays, on trains (Feierabendbier, literally the 'post work celebrating beer'), to a point they stark drinking at home alone.
It's not necessarily a knock on the germans but it's very much reflecting of our social habits and interaction 'strategies'.
Pretty sure it's one of the things you'll never get to understand if you haven't been raised with it