Since a couple of years red plastic cups are now being sold in stores in The Netherlands alongside the more common plain white cups. Not because the Solo company started selling them here, but (ostensibly) because a red cup carries the connotation of college students partying and alcoholic drinks, and apparently that image sells cups.

The colour of these cups is a cultural import from the US; if your frame of reference is the cup's portrayal in media, then the red Solo cup appears to be exclusively used for partying and drinking with abandon (e.g., consider the image of college students playing beer pong), so you get red cups if you're a teenager organizing a party.

When I was in high school, the foreign exchange students took home Solo cups as souvenirs (they were fascinated especially by the blue ones). It seemed strange to me at the time, like, "what's so special about plastic cups?" And that's how I discovered the true nature of American party culture.

Yep. I'm a dual American-Dutch citizen and I've noticed that as well. You can find "American party cups" in practically every store that sells the plain white ones (I've only seen one store that breaks that rule.)

Funny enough, the Dutch ones are completely inferior, and way more expensive. They crush easily, don't separate well, and are weirdly small, not to mention several euros for a tiny package. This has annoyed me to the point where I now bring a little stack of Solo cups each time I fly to the Netherlands.

The latter has to do with the fact that those cups have a very different purpose, which is why the solo cups are marketed as "American party cups". The "American" refers to the format of the party as much as the cups.

At normal parties in the Netherlands we just drink beer from bottles because we have an entirely different beer and alcohol culture, without the whole age limit BS (despite recent legal changes raising the purchase age to 18).

With the exception of the transparant hard plastic cups used is stadiums and at festivals, we tend to not drink our alcohol from plastic cups.

Terrific. #1 American cultural export is National Lampoon's Animal House

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWjtI6n5xWM

the stereotype is accurate. We really do use red solo cups in college parties.

Well, yes. Foamy keg beer of dubious provenance deserves no less than a cheap plastic cup.

When I was in school, we called the blue Solo Cups, "Blue Red Cups".

The music video for the song Toby Keith did a few years ago is very entertaining if you haven't seen it. Talisman indeed!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKZqGJONH68

For what it's worth, up until now I'd never heard of them; the entire phenomenon seems to have passed me by.

Now I know. Thanks, internet.