Saturday Audience Participation
The last time I had any alcohol was in August 2005. In the past 6.5 years, I've had exactly two drinks of alcohol (some fruity mixed drink and a beer). I'd estimate about 99% of liquid I imbibe in is water, with the other 1% comprised of a glass of milk for occasional low-protein meals and a rare soda.
So clearly, I've never understood the global pervasiveness of alcohol. I did previously think that drinking was the consequence of mass delusion and/or widespread peer pressure, as in the Emperor's New Clothes (everyone hates it, but no one will admit as much). Yet the reality is that drinking is an important cultural aspect of essentially every society on Earth, spanning all socioeconomic and racial classes. It serves multiple functions, including a depression treatment, a social posturing indicator of class, a stimulant for confidence-building, and a relaxant partaken during social events.
But let's be honest, it tastes horrible. Yes, I'm aware that experienced drinkers attest to one acquiring a taste, but is something intended for pleasure supposed to have a steep learning curve. After all, does it take multiple unpleasant sessions for one to start enjoying soda, Oreos, or M&M's? Though, I do partly understand using alcohol to ease awkward social interactions and as a catalyst for hedonistic activity.
So the question is: Do you drink? Why do you drink? And how did you overcome the undeniable fact that alcohol tastes bad?
51 comments:
I rarely drink, but when I do it's always something sweet and fruity, like a strawberry margarita or Chambord. Wine, beer, and champagne are right out, I can't stand the aftertaste. A good tequila in a margarita is a must, though, or it too will have a bad aftertaste. I'm told port is sweet, so there's a chance I might like it, but it's so expensive I abstain.
Of course alcohol tastes bad and anyone who says otherwise is suffering from the pervasive mass delusion that's been created and bolstered by thre fact that people believe that drinking for the effect is a "crutch" and sign of weakness.
That said, I think drinking rules and I'm actually on my fourth shot of Johnny Gold right now. Furthermore I can't imagine what sort of person would have a natural aversion to the wondrous effects of alcohol. (I started drinking 30 seconds ago and on an empty stomach so this fourth shot is REALLY starting to kick in about now. Hooah!)
{A side point (also obvious) relates to the supposed "appreciation of various alcoholic beverages. Delusions of the dumb aside, what people mean by the acquired taste are two things: A) It hurts less (Johnny gold vs. Johnny red) B) You're sufficiently experienced, observant, intelligent and of sensitive taste to be able to tell the distinction between one drink and another and then IMAGINE that the distinction is actually appreciated by your taste buds rather than by your snobbish sense that's announcing by this ability to note distinctions, "I can afford to drink expensive Scotch (or wine or cognac...) on a regular basis!"}
I have not consumed alcohol since last September when I almost died from alcohol poisoning at a football tailgate. I don't miss it at all and the incident was a good excuse to give up an unproductive habit I picked up in college to fit in.
TGGP had a very similar experience to mine: http://entitledtoanopinion.wordpress.com/2008/02/19/lucky-to-be-alive/
I don't know much about the science of taste but I disagree with your assertion that alcohol tastes bad. Just because something is an acquired taste does not make it an inferior product. I still drink black coffee every day, and although it made me gag the first time I tried it, it is delicious to contemplate now.
Perhaps a good metaphor would be movies with complex themes where there is no poetic justice. Although a person might recoil from the lack of a Disney ending the first time he experiences it, he would over time come to appreciate such movies as being an deeper and more satisfying work of art.
I should point out as well that there is no learning curve for alcohol's depressant effects; only for its taste.
I've learned that well chosen wine lacks the nasty after taste. White wines generally are okay. Also after having drank some strong mixed drinks like gin and tonic and whiskey sours, beer tastes okay in comparison.
Having said all that, I would never drink alone. What's the fun in that?
You need to drink better booze. Good wine and good scotch taste GOOD!
Listen, Goofy...Just because you don't understand something doesn't mean it either doesn't exist or is a mass delusion involving billions of people.
Good alcohol, well-chosen, also enhances the flavor of food. A burger just tastes better with a good beer. A good cut of meat is improved when paired with wine.
Here's something else to consider. These things are easy to enjoy: soda, potato chips, Oreos, Snickers bar.
These things are more complex and generally acquired tastes: dark chocolate, soft cheese, guacamole, wine, sushi, a good, hot curry.
Yet it's not just posturing that makes the second list superior to the first. Seafood is harder to enjoy than chicken/beef/pork, but there are maybe ten or twenty times more flavors available with seafood than with every other kind of meat combined.
Food and drink is a lot like art, architecture, or even history. Your enjoyment grows rapidly as your knowledge increases.
People drink alcohol for effect. Period. They won't admit to it just as they don't admit to any weakness, like cheating, stealing, masturbation, etc... Remember, the active ingredient in booze is the same whether drinking beer, wine or vodka. You're not missing much. Save your money and spring for the Thunderbird.
How do you refrain from drinking and still manage to have any social life? Alcohol is the main social lubricant of our society, and if you DON'T drink, you probably don't have any friends, unless your social circle is an conservative religious group that frowns upon drinking.
I'm guessing you don't go out much. Sober clubbing is the most awkward experience in the world, unless you are a fantastic dancer.
Furthermore, drinking alcohol in large amounts is MANLY behavior, enhancing your game, chances with girls, if you have any game. If you abstain from drinking, you lose game
If you could tell me the secret of being socially successful without alcohol, please!
I have a genetic defect (Asian Glow) that causes me to have very low tolerance to alcohol. It is annoying as hell to have, and drinking alcohol usually doesn't feel very good for me. But I do it anyways, otherwise I'd be a social outcast.
On another note, I like the taste of beer. Wine and hard liquor I can't stand.
I am an alcoholic from a family of alcoholics and I may or may not be able to deal with the problem but I am trying. So I drink because I am addicted and function poorly without the stimulant.
It is not an "undeniable fact that alcohol tastes bad". Science tells us that: 1) alcohol elicits sweet and bitter taste in humans; the proportion of each seems to be at least partly genetically determined encoded and so humans vary quite a bit in ethanol taste perception. 2) Concentrated alcohol also has dehydrating properties which we perceive as burning sensation. 3) Alcohol is also a taste enhancer - it increases activity of the nerves transmitting taste signal from taste buds to brain. 4) Alcohol is also a psychotropic drug that differentially affects various neurotransmitter system in the brain - without a doubt, that is the main reason people consume alcoholic drinks. 5) very moderate long-term consumption protects against cardiovascular disease.
All in all, one can be 100% sure that there is a lot of HBD as far as response to ethyl alcohol is concerned and that the blanket statements like "undeniable fact that alcohol tastes bad" are completely unreasonable.
Asian of Reason, I am skeptical of your description of excessive drinking as MANLY behavior. The socially dominant frat brother may drink a lot but so does the homeless guy downtown. It is not the drinking so much as separate positive personality traits that make a person popular and "manly."
If you are trying to socialize in situations you find boring sober, I would caution you to find social outlets that you enjoy in all states of mind. I promise there are venues other than conservative religious groups (if this is not your thing) where there are hot girls and no one will notice if you're drinking or not.
I actually agree with Asian of Reason. For 18 and up, drinking is almost always a required part of any social situation.
I'll admit not drinking has made for some awkward social situations. But it's called having balls. I usually get a water so that I have a drink. I've always felt water was somehow respectable, much better than soda or juice. It's an ascetic drink and asceticism can sometimes be construed as a manly trait.
I also agree that heavy drinking is generally considered an alpha trait. I imagine it's because high tolerance for physically draining activity is alpha (though, there are exceptions, like running).
I drink when I go out, which isn't often. I'm always watching my calories, so I drink hard liquor.
I'm not usually interested in talking to people unless I'm at a convention or something and I know we share common interests or there's a social circle we can gossip about. Gossip brings people together but those addicted to it have small minds. Anyway, alcohol makes random people interesting.
Oh also if I'm drinking a water, I occasionally will make a off-hand allusion to "stopping drinking" which alot of people take to mean I was previously an alcoholic. This ups mysterious/bad-boy cred.
OneSTDV,
Drinking is a part of almost every social situation but it is not a required part as you yourself demonstrate.
Your statement about tolerance for physically demanding activities is right on the money.
I hate the taste of alcohol and haven't had a drink in decades. I don't understand the herd mentality of drinkers. It seems to bother them that I'm not drinking while they are. They want to know why I'm not drinking and try to pressure me to drink.
Do you drink?
Yes, but not frequently.
Why do you drink?
Because some of it tastes very good.
And how did you overcome the undeniable fact that alcohol tastes bad?
Well it's not so much a fact. What tastes horrible is the stuff like mike's lemonade, I can't stand it.
...including a depression treatment,..
I wouldn't necessarily call it a depression treatment.
But let's be honest, it tastes horrible.
Wimp. :p
Do you drink?
Yes. All the time. In fact, I just poured myself a shot of Wild Turkey.
Why do you drink?
To fit in. To score with girls. To numb the pain of existence. Alcohol is the lubricant that greases the cogs of human interaction. Cultures in which drinking is verboten are invariably fucked-up ones (see: the Middle East).
And how did you overcome the undeniable fact that alcohol tastes bad?
Stick to alcohols you can tolerate. I prefer beer, bourbon, and rum myself. I'll occasionally partake in wine, but only on special occasions.
But let's be honest, it tastes horrible.
Depends on what you are drinking.
I find the taste of German beer such as Beck's to be nicely crisp and refreshing.
And yes, taste isn't the only reason I drink beer moderately. A bottle of beer every now and then helps me unwind and relax.
Maybe you should try to acquire a taste for spirits by trying alcohol that has a more subtle taste?
After all, does it take multiple unpleasant sessions for one to start enjoying soda, Oreos, or M&M's?
Some foods and drink have very distinctive tastes and odors which ay take time for your senses to appreciate.
For example, when I was a kid I hated licorice. And by licorice I mean the pure stuff not the cheap Twizzler version of licorice.
But today licorice is my favorite sweet snack. But I only eat candy moderately because I am careful to restrict my carb intake.
Ha, I love the way OneSTDV eloquently states the obvious. I used to say that someone would have to tell you that drinking alcohol is fun because you could not figure it out on your own. I drink very rarely. I like Auslese which is a dessert wine. I also like a very cold Weissbier or Glen Livet. Honestly however, Coca Cola tastes much better as does fresh squeezed valencia orange juice.
As for being social. Nobody cares if you don't drink. It is just your imagination or insecurity.
Consumption of Alcohol is something that spread widely, across the Eurasian Landmass, as soon as it was invented, around 8,000 BC or so. So obviously it has benefits.
The benefits to drinking, are in no particular order:
1. Relief of pain before aspirin, tylenol, etc.
2. Protection against bad water (booze diluted with water kills bacteria).
3. Relaxation.
4. Enhancement of flavors of food, many of which are awful (before modern cuisine).
So these all have advantages. Archaeologists have theorized that booze was spread throughout Europe by the Beaker People in the Neolithic. So its that old.
As for taste, booze works best taste-wise with food. A well crafted (not American mass-produced, inferior) beer tastes delicious, however beer in general does not travel well. The best is from micro-breweries made on-site.
Wine (if well made) can be quite delicious. Again best with food.
Hard Liquor is an acquired taste, to be sure, but it is relatively recent. Beer seems to be the first booze made, then wine and various meads and fruit-wines (i.e. non-grape wines).
The key is moderate consumption, and of course genetic adaption. Eastern Mediterranean peoples seem to have been drinking the longest and have the least amount of problems with booze. Amerinds the least experience with it and the most problems, along with Aborigines in Australia.
Its like lactose tolerance. Being able to drink milk (and consume milk products) gives people the advantage to consume proteins year-round when fish/meat are scarce. It is an evolutionary advantage, just as moderate consumption of booze watered down can make bacteria-laded water potable. Consumption of tea (water drank after boiling, in porcelain cups) is another advantage.
Humans since fire have been exploiting food sources with technology to extract more nutritional value (i.e. cooking makes meat/starches easier to digest, requiring fewer physiological resources for digestion and allowing more for brainpower) as an evolutionary adaptation since the first humanoids branched off from apes. It is indeed the key evolutionary advantage humans have over apes: technology to extract more food value from the environment.
Booze is part of that: you can get a lot of calories from beer (sometimes called liquid bread) which stores better and in rough times when food is scarce, provides calories.
---------------
The recent, post industrial food plentifulness is really only a function of the 1870's onward, with railroads and steamships and so on providing lots of cheap, industrial scale food. Most of human history has been a struggle for calories.
I drink quite often. Up to three nights a week, always when out in social situations in the evening.
As Hoste said, alcohol makes people seem more interesting than they actually are.
I don't like the taste per se, although I've acquired an ability to tolerate it in order to meet my goal of slight inebriation and maximum social lubrication.
I used to drink quite a bit when I was a young man (age 19-40), but my party days are over now, so I limit myself to one or two drinks a week. Nothing life-threatening happened to me; I just outgrew it. I still like the taste, though: really good beer or wine actually does taste good. Even vodka tastes good when mixed with certain juices.
Yeah, two-year-olds love beer because of social pressure and because they want to get drunk. Or has the current demented puritanism driven this once universally known fact into limbo?
This is, by far, the stupidest post ever on this blog.
And what Whiskey said, but what's the point? I would drink good beer if it had no alcohol, as would lots of other people.
@ Bill:
Read a little closer:
"I did previously think that drinking was the consequence of mass delusion and/or widespread peer pressure"
You also said, "Let's me honest, it tastes horrible."
My son doesn't like spicy food. To both of you I say the same thing: unsophisticated palate.
I don't drink alcohol. I drank it on occaision with my friends in middle school and again in the first two years of college. I never abused it, but I never took to it either. The only time I drink alcohol is at toasts at weddings. I could happily do without ever again tasting alcohol in my life.
I would probably drink more often now if not for acid reflux (not that I used to drink a lot -- only in moderation.) I occasionally have a aingle beer or glass of wine.
Why? I find the occasional alcohol-induced alteration of consciousness is useful for snapping you out of certain mental ruts.
How did I overcome the taste? Got used to it.
JB
Asian of Reason, biochemist Bruce Ames has some interesting thoughts on the possible use of vitamin B-3 to reduce or eliminate the "Asian flush."
As for myself, I find that Source Naturals' Hangover Formula or Life Extension's Anti-alcohol Anioxidants works well on those occasions when I over-indulge in strong drink.
I turn into Casanova when I drink. Is that a good enough reason?
It's an acquired taste. I'm a beer and wine guy. There are so many great wines and beers today. Currently into Oregon Pinot Noir and various craft pale ales and pilsners. I do drink to 3-4 a week for social reasons and to deal with mild anxiety...
I drink rarely, mostly at family gatherings and office parties, and only if I feel that I'd attract negative attention by refusing. Every single alcoholic drink I've tried tasted horrible, so I've never had enough of any of them to get drunk. For a while I assumed that the awful taste of all the wine I had tried was caused by its cheapness and low quality. A few years ago, to test that hypothesis, I bought a bottle of real Bordeaux for $30. It was disgusting - like dust and soap mixed with my idea of how medicinal alcohol would taste. Later I tried Veuve Clicquot, which is probably in the $50 - $60 range. Same thing. I know that wine prices go up into the thousands, but since I didn't taste any difference between the $8 and $50 varieties, I'm skeptical that my opinion of that whole industry would change if I spent an entire paycheck on a bottle.
The warm feeling you get in your throat from this stuff strikes me as neither pleasant nor unpleasant. A few times I've had a type of CAT scan where they inject you with contrast liquid that makes you feel the exact same warm feeling all over your body. So what?
My current guess is that most people drink because inebriation, by lowering inhibitions, makes socializing easier and more fun for them. I'm comfortable with being a nerd, so I don't really need that. And I always want as much mental clarity and control over my emotions as I can get. The opposite seems scary, not fun.
The rare guys who drink alone are probably simply suffering from a chemical dependency.
I'm guessing that the high-end wine industry is a scam. Either that or I was born without the taste buds that French people and snobs all over the world possess.
By the way, I have the same opinion of restaurant food. Granted, I've never spent more than $80 on a meal, but nothing I've ever tried at a real restaurant with waiters and tablecloths was better than the average fast food meal.
Do you drink?
Yes. Full bar downstairs, but I mostly drink beer.
Why do you drink?
Almost always when I drink, I only drink what I like (last night was a bourbon barrel stout with added chocolate, vodka, and coffee). Some stuff I like, some stuff I don't like.
When it's more than a drink, it's due to it being some sort of event (like someone's 21st).
And how did you overcome the undeniable fact that alcohol tastes bad?
I think what tastes terrible (or good) varies from person to person. I can't stand tequilla as a shot and am not such a fan of scotch. But rums I like and have liked from the first time.
Wine has also always tasted good to me.
Cheap frat beer does taste bad. To an extent, you get what you pay for.
Whenever I am away from home, I am driving. Thus, and knowing my limitations, I rarely if ever drink, and mostly order club soda. Not only is it better than tap water, if you spill it on yourself you won't get a stain. Good for airplanes too, avoid caffeine, water (it is horrible, trust me the tanks are NASTY onboard) and booze particularly when flying over datelines in the Pacific or Eastbound. Jet lag is not fun.
A good cocktail (there has been a renaissance of this as part of recipe revivals ) can work wonders for booze.
My favorite is a variation of the Manhattan (whiskey, vermouth, orange peel, bitters). It is the Biscayne (as in Key Biscayne or Biscayne Bay in Florida) Manhattan:
Juice of one-two oranges, freshly squeezed and strained.
Jigger of whiskey.
Pony of sweet red vermouth.
Five-seven drops of Angostura Bitters.
Stir briskly.
Add Ice.
Add Maraschino Cherry.
It is very good, sweet enough from the vermouth and orange juice to be nice. not too soda-y or such like. Good for Jack Daniels or other lesser Whiskey.
For a nice smooth whiskey drunk straight, try Bushmills or Bushmills Black (aged in Sherry casks). Quite nice.
I'll have that about once every two weeks or so. Often I'm too tired to make it, or too lazy, or just not in the mood. Like I said, in LA you drive a LOT so best be sober and ready.
I love red wine at dinner and when I'm out I almost always take some whiskey. Some beers can be nice and cold in the summer; a Bailey's now and then is fine.
But, all in all, I'm no drinker; the sweet alcohol drinks such as Malibu, Breezer and Passoa I find bloody awful.
My son doesn't like spicy food. To both of you I say the same thing: unsophisticated palate.
Capsaicin tolerance is a matter of genetics, not sophistication.
I'm guessing that the high-end wine industry is a scam. Either that or I was born without the taste buds that French people and snobs all over the world possess.
It could be that, like me, you are sensitive to the preservatives added to all wines sold in the U.S. Even the pricey, high-end stuff tastes harsh to me. But when I'm in Europe, where they don't generally pump their wines full of nasty-tasting preservatives, even the inexpensive mid-level stuff (~ $15 a bottle) tastes pretty good to me.
Anonymous said: "I used to drink quite a bit when I was a young man (age 19-40), but my party days are over now, so I limit myself to one or two drinks a week."
I'm like Anonymous here -- drank my fair share when I was younger and going out, but now that I'm a housefrau I don't drink that much. I have the very occasional wine or whiskey (hot whiskey in the winter!) or Bailey's, but that's about it. Not really into drinking at home alone (the husband is allergic to almost every alcholic drink so he can't join me).
As for the taste of alcohol, except for the cheap stuff, I've always thought it was soooo tasty! So, there must be something genetic to the taste side of it. I took to the taste of whiskies immediately. Mmmmmmm! The only drink I could never stand was Campari (what the h*ll is in that stuff anyway?! Yuck!). Bleh.
De gustibus non est disputandum.
I'm going to a disagree with you STDV on "asceticism" as manly trait. I would consider it to be more of a SWPL leaning characteristic.
As to faking past alcoholism, that's cool, but isn't it kinda phony?
I would love to know what social scenes outside of conservative religion don't require alcohol.
As to whether B3/Mega Vitamin doses actually work, I am highly skeptical of its efficacy. The research is preliminary, and it smells of Antioxidant theory, which I found out recently isn't too impressive. I've tried it before, I guess it works OK for me, I can work up to 5-6 drinks vs 2-3, but it still doesn't feel very good!!!
Perhaps I should quit succumbing to pressure. After all, I am a young man.
Asian of Reason, don't be so quick to discount the use of antioxidants and vitamins. Evidence exists to support both sides of the argument. The matter is far from settled.
In any case, this "theory that isn't too impressive" enabled you to more or less double your booze intake.
Lots of people have varying sensitivities to light and sound, these are relatively easy to test for.. not so are variances in the norm for taste and smell. I've had friends, quite learned and well-educated friends, tell me to my face that ethel alcohol is in fact flavorless.. which my own experience told me was patently false.. (though I also had to stop shopping at some stores because I couldn't get over the harsh smells of whatever cleaning agents they used on floors and fixtures, smells noone else seemed able to detect.)
But let's be honest, it tastes horrible. Yes, I'm aware that experienced drinkers attest to one acquiring a taste....
You're egomorphizing, and not everyome is like you.
No one drinks 200-proof alcohol, so the taste of alcohol is not really what you should be talking about. The real question is whether drinks containing alcohol taste horrible, and the answer is ... it depends on the drink and the drinker.
Many people -- I, for one -- like beer the very first time they taste it. I had a different reaction to bourbon-and-water and scotch-and-water; those whiskeys, even diluted, were distasteful (though not "horrible"). I don't really remember my initial impresision of wine, except that I couldn't have been too put off if I drank four glasses.
A funny thing is some animals will drink beer. My grandfather's dog loved beer. I also had a friend in high school who had a ferret that would drink beer.
1. I drink once of twice a week and usually to excess.
2. I 'black out' quite frequently.
3. I rarely drank in college.
4. I am 24 years old with an engineering degree.
5. For me, alcohol is a virtual requirement in getting random women to sleep with me. That is one of the main reasons I 'go out'.
Note in regards to my aversion to alcohol:
I actually have an aversion to drinking liquids period. I only drink liquids when I'm very thirsty. I don't enjoy sipping on drinks. I really only drink liquids (almost always water and my twice daily protein shakes) with a purpose.
It's not a conscious effort either. That's just how I've always been.
@ Anonymous:
I think what you describe is quite common. I don't get the blackout thing. I fully understand getting a buzz, but why drink till you blackout? I'd imagine anyone who desires blacking out while drinking is included in one of these categories:
1) serious alcoholic
2) incredibly stressful job and home life
3) severe depression
"alcohol is a virtual requirement in getting random women to sleep with me."
Are you saying you need the "liquid courage" or that women will only sleep with you if they're incoherent?
Are you saying you need the "liquid courage" or that women will only sleep with you if they're incoherent?
You should know better than to ask these idiotic questions, 1STDV.
1. Alcohol is yummy. Mmmm, whiskey. Oh, and red, red wine.
2. Yes, I've got a Scottish/Irish background [not to be confused with Scotch-Irish, though I bet they're in there, too], why do you ask?
3. Do you drink coffee? How did you acclimate to the nasty flavor? It's taken me about ten years to actually drink it regularly.
Look, tastes differ. Nothing wrong with that. Don't get all snooty.
I don't stick my nose in the air because some people like Diet Coke. I think that tastes nasty, but obviously not everyone agrees with me.
Is alcohol consumption truly universal though?
I don't think so.
Besides Muslim regions, there are areas of the world that don't traditionally drink much (say like South or southeast Asia).
Wild Turkey Honey American- My Wife drinks it neat. ishis delishish ;) Plenty of drinks in the 5-10% range are like candy, and candy is an acquired taste.
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