A Drinking Life

Let me preface this by saying that I am not an alcoholic. I thought the title of a book by one of my favorite authors, Pete Hamill, would be an attention grabber, and perhaps start an enthusiastic discussion. (Good book, BTW, about his life as a journalist in NYC dealing with heavy alcohol abuse for many years. And also look into another excellent book by him, a novel, titled "Forever"). So, as I said, I'm not an alcoholic because alcohol doesn't control my life. It doesn't even guide it. So why this thread? I like to drink alcohol. I absolutely do not "use" anything else. I drink a few martinis a week (Beefeater gin). Annie and I go out to dinner six out of seven nights a week where I'll have the aforementioned martini or a few glasses of wine. Then we go home and have a few more glasses of wine. Primarily Bordeaux. As far as beer is concerned, if I'm at a track event, or with our son at a local brewery or brewpub, or finishing up some yard work, then it'll be a couple beers at most. But I just like to drink alcohol, and can tolerate it.

So what is the premise of this thread? Who else drinks alcohol in "extreme moderation," as I do, enjoys it, and doesn't regret it?

Depends on the time. I'm just as fine without booze as with it. I tend to lean more heavily into it around Christmas, take that for what it's worth. I have never made light of the fact that I enjoy a drink or several. I'm a big fan of unique drinks and the things that go into them. I also chase bourbon around- the whole distilling process fascinates me. So- I'm with you. Though, I can't agree on Beefeater. Hendricks. But i don't really like martinis either. Gin and Tonic with a twist of lime. 

I just remembered an epic thread related to this topic started by "bravenrace" a few years ago (who hasn't been here for a long time and I really miss his comments).

https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/off-topic-discussion/well-that-didnt-take-long/99220/page1/

I've loved lots of different kinds of red wine over the last few decades.  And when we are out, I search out wine I've never tried.

For harder- many years, the two of us were aged rum drinkers.  Which is pretty natural when my wife's home town has one of the best rum makers in the world.  

Then I've gotten into whiskey.  Mostly bourbon.  Typical- Eagle Rare, Woodford Reserve, Buffalo Trace for the 30-40 stuff.  Four Roses Single Barrel and Blantons single barrel I like a lot.  But I also like to try things I've not had, and support local craft distilleries.  Ann Arbor has one that is about 5 years old now- and they are getting better every day.

I watch the Whiskey Tribe on the tube of U's, and while they are kind of silly, they present the most thorough tasting notes.  So even though they are peaty Scotch drinkers, I've been able to calibrate their notes to whiskey I like, and that has found me a few interesting paths to go down.

They quarterly do a dry week, which is finishing tomorrow.

As I age, I'm noticing that I do have to drink less- up to two servings in a night.  Mostly just one is best.  So depending on if I want a wine for dinner, I skip the after dinner whiskey.  

Love it.  

I used to be much more of a binge drink, never controlled me however. Now with two small kids, I like my one drink a night routine. For a while it was whatever microbrew label caught my eye. I have been considering that I might be slightly allergic to beer so Ive recently stopped buying beer (notice I didn't say anything about not drinking it) and switched to a glass or red wine. I tried doing whiskey every night but I think I like wine better.

I'm not an alcoholic but I gave up alcohol about 25 years ago.  I wasn't hooked but decided one or two was never enough so I just gave it up.  

I used recreational drugs from 1978-1989 and I decided I had outgrown smoking weed and traded that for more sophisticated things like tequila and vodka.  

I don't miss any of the hangovers, paranoia, expense, or hassle of scoring my stuff.  

Life is good.  Also serving the Lord is key for me.  

I drink very rarely, but I've been known to enjoy a few Bud Light Strawberitas every so often.

Go on, laugh. 

I drink one or two beers once in a while.  Occasionally I'll go on a bender and have 3.

I use beer as a yardstick to control my car hobby. As long as the beer budget exceeds the project budget, I am OK.

Pete

This is hitting too close to home right now...

I have probably 4 guinesses almost every night.   

I'm realizing as I get older it has more and more impact on me.

I gotta slow down....  

I like bourbon too.  Maybe I should just switch to bourbon.  I only have 1 or 2 then go to sleep.

E36 M3.  I gotta slow down.

Glad I got that out there and off my mind...

I drank quite a bit between 18-30. I had quit for 6 months or so in my mid 20’s. I wouldnt say i had a real prob with it as i was just able to say “this aint cutting it” and be done.  Mainly just break the cycle of

coming home, grab a beer. 

Yardwork, grab beer

fishing, boating, beer

Garage wrenching, pretty much anything included beer. 

Saw my 30’s coming up quick and decided i had spent enough of my best years half cocked. Quit drinking. A week later my now wife and i started dating and things have been great with no booze.

there is a whole lotta excuses ive heard about the subject.  Easy to spot someone with an issue.  I get asked about not drinking and when i say yeah, NO ALCOHOL and its my choice, i regularly see a face of horror for even suggesting it. 

I also dont drink ANY caffeine. No sodas, nothing sweetened. Literally just water, unsweetened flavored seltzer water, occasional herbal tea or watered down quality fruit juice. Its been great for my palette.  Obviously good for overall health too. 

Its been almost 8 years with no alcohol and its been good. 

slowbird said:

I drink very rarely, but I've been known to enjoy a few Bud Light Strawberitas every so often.

Go on, laugh. 

There's a reason the E36 M3 sells. Even if no one admits to it, they like it. 

Hmm I need to go get a beer. 

I enjoy a few drinks occasionally. I have however found that after a few drinks I have a problem with peer pressure that leads to a few more if I'm with certain people. Living in a rural area and knowing I have to get home somehow usually keeps these events to pretty limited occasions though.

I imbibe.   I have for decades now and I enjoy.   Literally went to Bourbon County high school back in the day and live in the very heart of bourbon country.

Whatever the meal calls for, pizza gets a beer (something tasty and interesting), pasta gets a nice red wine.   
 

Generally I have a bourbon or two in the evening while watching tv or a movie.   
 

But it's rare that I feel uncomfortable with my ability to function and according to my pocket breathalyzer I process alcohol really well.  (Pocket breathalyzer is the best $25 you can spend on Amazon if you like to imbibe, DUIs suuuuuuuck)

My father was an alcoholic and died of it.  I'm exquisitely aware of how things could have gone, but at this point I'm very happy with my consumption.  It doesn't control me in the slightest, it's just something I enjoy.

I used to really enjoy beer, but in the last couple years my tastes have moved more towards whisky and rum.  Mostly Bourbon because I'm from Kentucky and because there's a lot more variety of quality juice in the lower price echelons as opposed to Scotch.  Won't touch the Canadian stuff and whatever Ireland does to distilled spirits should be considered a war crime.  Japanese whiskey is very interesting, albeit a bit harder to come by and a little spendy.  I like to have a splash of something served neat while I work on a project, but it is unusual that I'd have more than a single shot's worth of booze in a day.  Weirdly, I only really like to drink when I'm in a good mood.  If I'm pissed off or feeling down, the idea of having a drink to drown my sorrows doesn't really appeal to me -- I wind up eating junk food instead.

On those occasions when I do wind up having more than a shot in an evening, I am fortunate that I'm not really afflicted with hangovers.  So I got that going for me, which is nice.

I drink about 1 beer every three months or so. I cannot fathom drinking like some of you, not a knock. When I was younger it would take a lot to get me tipsy due to my size and never enjoyed it enough to do that.

Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one left who does not drink. I've never actually been drunk.

One reason is I cannot "portion-size" comfort foods.  If liquor will bring pleasure, I know I won't be able to stop.

In reply to Gary :

Confession time.  
I'm cheap!  Or racing is my priority.  I would rather spend money on the race car than drinking.  
That said I do like an occasional wine or aperitif  I prefer soft white fruity wines. And particularly like Ice wines. 
I don't claim any man credits, frankly I don't like beer. There I've said it. 
let the flaming begin. 

In reply to frenchyd :

I do enjoy a good ice wine, and grapes will freeze with some frequency around here.

My beer snobbery started with a roommate and I each grabbing a six of something that we had never tasted.   After a full plate rail of "let's save that bottle so we remember it" neither of us could ever drink a Bud product again.  That was close to thirty years ago, now we are both on to Whiskey tasting.   

Currently a beer in the garage works for me or whiskey on the rocks for some down time or socializing.  I could have a problem if left alone, that's why I have a wife and kids.  

In reply to akylekoz :

I don't know if it's my cheap nature or my father that I have to thank for my intolerance of drinking to excess. 
My father lived in a time when a man was judged by how much he could drink. At that time he was the sales manager of a cardboard box company and part of his job was to take customers out drinking.

Cardboard was a commodity so price was fixed. The reason a company did business with one company over another was based on relations rather than price.  Hence the required drinking. 
Yet Dad was expected to show up bright and fresh every morning. 
listening to the tricks and techniques he used  showed a young me how important controlling your drinking was.  That plus it was never forbidden fruit.  At 14 Dad made Johnny Walker Black Label  Scotch Alexandria's for me.  ( Ice Cream drink ) 

As I've gotten older, I find I enjoy the taste of drinks more, but I enjoy the after-effects less.  My breadth of drinking has increased- I'll drink white wine, red, bourbon, gin, rum, pretty much any type of beer.  I enjoy the different flavors- whether its the cool refreshment of a nice light beer, or the complex notes of a good dry red, or the interested distilled concoctions my friends make.

Try to keep it to 1-2 drinks a night, unless we're in a social situation.  Lately I've been drinking more tea, or soda water with a splash of juice, that also scratches the itch for a nice flavorful beverage that isn't too sweet.  

I enjoy alcoholic drinks a great deal, but if they tasted the same with no intoxicating properties I'd enjoy them just as well. I like savoring different hard liquors, I enjoy good wine, and I love a good craft beer. But If I never got a buzz from any of them that would be fine with me. As it is, I've been working on decreasing my intake purely for caloric reasons. Enjoying a double bourbon most evenings might as well be sitting down with a bowl of candy bars.

I do a fair amount of business traveling and schmoozing with vendors and customers, and alcohol still figures prominently in those outings. There are plenty of people in the industry that DON'T drink for a number of reasons, though, and they are never given grief for it. They're usually right there hanging out at teh bar or restaurant with the rest of us.

There is some shade for people that get sloppy from drinking, doesn't matter if it's from one drink or 20. Lack of control and irresponsibility is an issue no matter what you're doing. The attitude is - look, if you want to drink, fine, but getting E36 M3faced is bad form and will reflect badly on you.

Confession time part deux 

I’m a bit like frenchy in this regard. I hate pissing away money on alcohol.  I hate the taste of beer and only drink liquor when the taste is obscured with mixer.  My father pretty much drank himself to death at 46.  I never saw him drunk, but a day never passed he didn’t have a snort or two.  Jim Beam was his poison of choice. 

If I do drink, it’s never more than two drinks or beers. I don’t like the way I act when liquor has loosened my tongue.  

I also hate being around beer snobs and liquor snobs trying to one up each other.  

Alcohol doesn't add anything to my life, so in general I avoid it. I know that I'm better off physically, and financially as a result, and have never felt like I'm depriving myself of anything. I avoid fast food and soda for the same reasons.

But I also grew up in a family with a very high percentage of addicts/alcoholics so I saw first hand how it can ruin people's lives, which is always in the back of my mind.