Talk About Alcohol (1 Viewer)

[Joe Bryant]

Votes are private here. Wondering how much folks drink.

I don't need to say it but I'll say it - Judgement free zone here. Don't criticize anyone for their positions on this or what they're doing.

I ask I as I thought this was interesting.

In addition to discussion on how much one drinks, what do you see as the trends with alcohol and bars?

A lot of what I see, especially with younger people, line up with this article:
https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/end-dry-january-sober-culture-rcna136428

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Why this could be the beginning of the end for 'Dry January'​

The push for a truly inclusive society is shifting us all toward a cultural sea change — and perhaps the beginning of the end of America’s all-or-nothing approach to alcohol.

Today is the last day of Dry January, a yearly “holiday” celebrating temporary sobriety. In the past, this temporary experiment has paired nicely with New Year’s resolutions and renewed regularity at the gym, all to be quickly forgotten come February. But for an increasing number of millennials and Gen Z, going sober isn’t an annual health challenge.


Millennials like to go out, not burn out.


The Covid pandemic may have accelerated this trend, with its isolation fueling increasing rates of drinking, followed by a backlash. On Instagram, friends and influencers cheerfully evangelizing about their new sober lifestyles proliferate. This growing push for a truly inclusive nightlife scene is shifting us all toward a cultural sea change — and perhaps the beginning of the end of America’s all-or-nothing approach to alcohol. 2024 feels like an anti-tippling tipping point.


For an increasing number of millennials and Gen Z, going sober isn’t an annual health challenge.

I feel like my fellow Gen Xers did not exactly set a great example. At least anecdotally, I have watched many friends maintain their party-hearty heavy-drinking lifestyles until they were forced to quit completely, either for physical health reasons, family obligations or alcohol use disorder. My newly sober friends are now absent after dark. For my generation this seems normal, but I think we can all agree it’s not a great approach.


Luckily, younger generations are changing these patterns and drinking — or not drinking — more deliberately. Terms like “sober curious” and “mindful drinking” refer to increased awareness of the downsides of drinking and more conscious decision-making that doesn’t always have to do with traditional addiction.


Books like "We Are the Luckiest: The Surprising Magic of a Sober Life" and "This Naked Mind," along with a plethora of podcasts, blogs and social media accounts extoll the benefits of the lifestyle in often positive terms, highlighting the ways giving up or reducing drinking can improve your life — even if your life felt OK before. Something called "sober tourism" features sober tour companies. Meanwhile, mocktails are popping up on everything from Michelin restaurant menus to your local bar's blackboard. Gone are the days when Dry January meant miserably sipping a seltzer in the corner.

There is a parallel here, I think. In the mid-1990s and earlier, many restaurants didn’t cater to vegetarians very well. The choices for us were separate hippie veggie restaurants or “regular” restaurants that begrudgingly offered a cooked-from-frozen veggie burger or an extra-large iceberg salad. Today, of course, most restaurants plan for vegetarians and vegans, and often offer gluten free, dairy free and other menu options. And importantly, chefs now attempt to make these special meals of equal quality to the restaurant’s regular dishes.


But that’s what’s still currently missing in many cocktail bars.


Despite the homemade ingredients and freshly squeezed juices and sometimes clarified, centrifuged, deconstructed drinks on menus, nonalcoholic cocktails are often still an afterthought, even at top-rated spots. This is not a recipe for future success.


I don’t have statistics to back this up, but the cocktail bars I see with younger cosmopolitan customers seem to offer more and better low- and no-alcohol options. Natural wine bars (optimized for low-ABV options) seem to be thriving.


To be fair, adjusting your menu to include more mocktails has its challenges. In addition to being free from alcohol, some patrons also want their drinks to be free from sugar and calories; others want them to taste identically to existing drinks; still others wouldn’t mind if they contain cannabis, caffeine or other “functional” elements that create a sense of relaxation or a buzz. And then there’s the price point: Many, if not most, customers expect to pay less for these mocktails than they would for drinks with alcohol.


While a glut of new nonalcoholic “spirits,” liqueurs and aperitif/digestifs has entered the market over the past few years, frankly a lot of them are not very good — especially the ones meant to imitate base spirits. I’ve sampled many zero-proof gins and nearly all taste like perfumed water with capsaicin added for spice; the whiskeys taste like caramel and that same capsaicin. Some have xanthan gum or other thickeners to increase the liquid’s body, but these can register as slimy on the palate rather than weighty.

Worse yet, these new alcoholic substitutes can cost as much (or more) per bottle than the spirits they’re meant to replicate. (There’s a vegetarian parallel here too: faux meat burgers can cost more than the ones that come from cows.) That can make nonalcoholic cocktails less profitable on a per-drink basis.


Millennials traveling in more mixed-consumption groups highlights a potentially key, stigma-busting breakthrough.

Overcoming these obstacles is the job of each bar’s lead mixologist. Part of the trend — a very positive part — is the way sober and nonsober friends are mingling. Millennials traveling in more mixed-consumption groups highlights a potentially key, stigma-busting breakthrough. A sober-inclusive culture will be more successful if it doesn’t silo individuals and groups based on their needs and preferences. This has long been a problem for people who don’t drink — where can you go to hang out or bond with co-workers when the culture assumes that entertainment revolves around drinking?


I think the future is not about separate spaces for drunken wild times or else full, forced sobriety, but about de-emphasizing/decentralizing alcohol as the core of socializing. Coming together over art or culture or food or drinks is a list of excuses for coming together; not a list of justifications for getting tanked.

Maybe in a few years we won’t be talking about Dry January at all — because we won’t need a special month for people to “test out” a dryer lifestyle. As better nonalcoholic options proliferate and the stigma around sobriety eases, it’s certainly possible that choosing not to drink will become as common as choosing not to eat meat.

 

[Joe Bryant]

Again, judgement free zone, but if folks had reasons on why they do what they do, would love to hear the discussion.

 

[Joe Bryant]

And also maybe discussion if you are currently planning to change, or would like to change how much you're currently drinking, discuss that.

 

[rockaction]

I could have sworn I read a similar article to this one before, and lo, I have. Back then I was skeptical and I still am, but I don't know enough young people to really have an informed opinion these days.

Anyway, presented without comment nor prejudice.

Swinging, Young, and 'Sober Curious' (What Are Three Things Members Of This Board Aren't?)

The 'Sober Curious' are on the rise? Please... https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/08/tech/alcohol-alternative-sober-curious/index.html?utm_source=pocket-newtab

forums.footballguys.com

I'll bow out, hopefully gracefully. I think people on the board know of my personal experience with drinking, and there's no need to beat it to death. But for the grace of God . . .

 

[ChiefD]

I'm for it.

 

[NewlyRetired]

I have not had a drink since college (33 years). I simply don't like the taste of alcohol, no other reason.

 

[TripItUp]

I've almost completely cut it out. Maybe one special occasion a year and an occasional glass of wine when having dinner with the wife.

When I left regular alcohol consumption 8 years ago, my life quality and personal happiness became exponentially better. One of the best personal decisions I've ever made.

I don't regret my two decades of drinking, but I wished I would have started my non-alcohol life 10 years earlier.

ETA: It's a personal decision, I wouldn't presume to know what's best for anybody else.

 

[Snoopy]

With my depression, I laid off alcohol as it is a depressant.

 

[The General]

Usually have a drink maybe twice a week. Have a big collection of wine so easy access.

When I hang out with friends though can go through a few weeks worth in one night very easily.

No plans to cut back.

 

[Joe Bryant]

I've been all over the spectrum. I went many years of no drinking.

Then some drinking.

Then some time when I was drinking 2 drinks a day.

I'm one of those people that processes alcohol seemingly well. I never ever wake up feeling groggy or even remotely hung over.

6 months ago, I would have said I can have two drinks in the evening and I wake up feeling exactly the same as if I'd nothing to drink.

And then I bought an Oura ring. https://ouraring.com/. I was honestly surprised at how much better my sleep and readiness stats are the morning after no drinks.

My resting heartrate is almost always 3-5 beats higher on a night after having had 2 drinks. And my REM and Deep Sleep are always significantly better on days when I don't have a drink. And I would have said I sleep fine on nights after a drink.

Really interesting.

 

[TLEF316]

Was never a huge drinker, even in college (drank most weekends, but very rarely to the point of being sick/fall down drunk, blacking out, etc).

Now....its just not a big part of my life. When I get together with my college friends we'll have a few.(Maybe 5 or 6 drinks over the course of an entire day at someone's house...with plenty of food and non-alcoholic drinks mixed in) I might knock out 2 or 3 High Noons or a transfusion during/after a round of golf. But I'm not wine/straight hard liquor guy and I'm not someone who is gonna sit down and put down a six pack while watching a football game. Just doesn't appeal to me.

At some point, I noticed that nearly everyone around my age who was in BAD shape (I'm now 40) was that way because of drinking (mostly beer). I'd rather eat my calories.

 

[Joe Bryant]

Here's my biggest question.

From the article I linked:

Gone are the days when Dry January meant miserably sipping a seltzer in the corner.

I don't get what's "miserable" about drinking a non alcoholic drink like a seltzer. There are tons of non alcholic drinks that taste good. In fact, I'd prefer a non alcoholic drink that tastes good on it's own and is marketed and designed to taste good over a mocktail or non alcoholic beer which mostly tries to mimic the taste of an alcohol drink.

 

[snellman]

I have not had a drink in 22 years. It didn't start by choice.

It was 2000 (holy cow, it doesn't seem that long, but it is a very long time ago). I was 28 years old, and drank regularly but not excessively (in the 7-13 per week range). My then wife filed for divorce which was a total surprise and sent me into a tail spin. I started drinking a lot more heavy. Going to the bar nightly and not remembering how I got home some nights. I also had a couple of seizures which I hadn't had since 1986 when I had surgery to remove a cyst that was causing seizures. I was driving home from a parent teacher conference for my child (I was sober of course) and the next thing I remember I was in an ambulance on the way to the hospital. I was told that I had rolled my car through the median of a divided highway and been hit by a vehicle in the other lane. I was told that I was lucky to be alive and if I had been wearing my seat belt, I would probably be dead.

I had many surgeries for injuries from the accident along with many tests to determine the cause of the seizures. I will never forget laying in the hospital while they are trying to get me to have a seizure and they brought up 2 cans of Budweiser with a pharmacy label on them. I was amazed and decided that might be a good time to stop drinking. I spent some time in Oklahoma with my brother and was introduced to AA while I was there. I made a lot of great connections in the few weeks I was there, still friends to this day. I started going regularly to AA meetings and made a lot of great friends.

I haven't gone to an AA meeting for 16 years but I do not miss the drinking at all. I will admit, in the summer when it is hot and muggy, the thought of a nice cold beer sounds good, but it is a passing thought and nothing more.

 

[rockaction]

I don't get what's "miserable" about drinking a non alcoholic drink like a seltzer.

I think it's about the stigma of being dry. Mocktails are designed to make people feel like they belong in a social setting that has traditionally revolved around alcohol even if one isn't drinking.

Now, you're comfortable enough in yourself to where it doesn't matter how or what you're being seen as, but I'm not sure someone with your sense of self is the target market for mocktails and alcohol-adjacent settings. It's giving people the security and experience without expecting that one will imbibe. That's what they're selling. The camaraderie without the expectation of inebriation.

 

[rockaction]

And I popped back in, didn't I? Just figured I might help clear the confusion up about who they're marketing to.

 

[jwb]

I voted 7-13 but 13 feels high. More like 7-10 a week for me. 95% of it on the weekends. I almost never have more than 3-4 in any one day anymore - my body at 57 cannot handle it like I used to.

I like to drink, and I feel I do it responsibly and within a decent limit. I really love good beer, and I'm enjoying wine more too these days. I like the brown stuff as well, but I don't drink that very often as I tend to drink it faster than is optimal. I've had less than 5 bourbon/scotches the past year - I usually indulge in that with a cigar on a cruise or something.

 

[pecorino]

Changed my habits in January after meeting with my doctor. No way I’m going cold turkey but aiming for only one drink every other night. That’s doable for me. I used to drink one every night (high test beer or straight bourbon), and on occasion two. So, in my opinion, not a lot. But doc says dial it back and try to lose a few pounds too. Never tried anything like that outside of Lent, but having an eight year old changes everything. Without her, I’d tell my doctor to pound sand.

 

[ghostguy123]

How many drinks is a 750ml bottle of 11% wine?
Let's say 2-3 of those a week for a year.

 

[DA RAIDERS]

due to age, health reasons, and achieving some semblance of intelligence regarding the matter, I have cut way back. I’ve been in the restaurant biz all my life. I”m a sommelier. Booze has been prevalent in my daily life for ever. a really nice guest wanted me to drink their $350 wine with them last night. I declined. Even though if I drink a glass or so it would almost guarantee he order another one. I’m enjoying not drinking very much.

 

[Kiddnets]

I was a weekend drinker since college - Fri/Sat pms would definitely have more than a few. That worked fine for 25 yrs. Then COVID hit and I started drinking during the week - always at night after work and dinner. Started out with a beer or 2 - then it turned into 2-3 bourbons. Definitely helped me decompress and chill out after a stressful day.

COVID ended but the few bourbons per pm stayed. Making a concerted effort now to go back to the weekend only as Ive gained weight and the daily is hurting my general health and sleep. I also have medical marijuana card and my doctor even thinks that doing that is better than the nightly alcohol.

Trying to balance things out is not easy - I dont want to go from one nightly bad habit to another but it aint easy.

 

[DA RAIDERS]

How many drinks is a 750ml bottle of 11% wine?
Let's say 2-3 of those a week for a year.

2-3 bottles a week? That 8-12 drinks

 

[Tick]

I developed an allergy at 22 and after some testing to make sure it wasn't another ingredient, I stopped drinking. I've had a couple of glasses of wine in France (easier to join in than object), a pint of beer in Germany (had to), and that's it since then.

 

[The General]

I don't get what's "miserable" about drinking a non alcoholic drink like a seltzer.

I think it's about the stigma of being dry. Mocktails are designed to make people feel like they belong in a social setting that has traditionally revolved around alcohol even if one isn't drinking.

Now, you're comfortable enough in yourself to where it doesn't matter how or what you're being seen as, but I'm not sure someone with your sense of self is the target market for mocktails and alcohol-adjacent settings. It's giving people the security and experience without expecting that one will imbibe. That's what they're selling. The camaraderie without the expectation of inebriation.

I kind of assumed this too but the article seems to be actually talking about the expanding mocktail types, flavors etc now offered at many cocktail bars.

Personally used to order the fake Vodka tonic (just tonic) after a round or two if at a work thing when I had to get up early or perform the next day pretty often.

 

[dkp993]

Despite being in the restaurant (microbrewery)biz, and running a nightclub for over 10 years I’ve never been a big drinker. I never really liked the feeling of being drunk. Though in my 20s I certainly partook like most did.
Since my mid 20s have been when I would call a social drinker. A cocktail or two at someone’s house for dinner, a glass of wine or 2 at a occasion. But even on those occasions, I’m always the driver which I found has given me an easy excuse not to overindulge and get drunk (which again I don’t like the feeling of).

 

[CletiusMaximus]

Here's my biggest question.

From the article I linked:

Gone are the days when Dry January meant miserably sipping a seltzer in the corner.

I don't get what's "miserable" about drinking a non alcoholic drink like a seltzer. There are tons of non alcholic drinks that taste good. In fact, I'd prefer a non alcoholic drink that tastes good on it's own and is marketed and designed to taste good over a mocktail or non alcoholic beer which mostly tries to mimic the taste of an alcohol drink.

I think the "miserable" part is not the seltzer but the corner. Its not my opinion, just guessing at the author's intent in the statement. There is a perception that quitting alcohol - especially for a younger person - means being left out on the fun part of most social interactions. There is surely some truth to that, or at least there was. I think the stigma associated with going sober was much stronger 20 years ago whereas these days it is a much more common think that most of us are comfortable accepting without any stigma or questions.

Billy and Willie sing California Sober

 

[Don Quixote]

I voted 3-6, but more the higher end of that. Mostly weekends — yesterday, had a beer in the late afternoon and then cocktail at night. Expect I’ll something similar tonight. Maybe will make a cocktail during the weekdays, but not an every day thing.

I have seen trend to more offerings of non-alcoholic beverages, and do like it. I was DD out with some family over the holidays, and we went out to a cocktail bar. I asked the bartender about their non-alcoholic offerings — he asked what I liked, and I told him that I would have ordered a Last Word if I was not driving, and he gave me an immediate, “I got you,” and made a delicious non-alcoholic Limeade type drink with lime juice, cherry juice, and herbal syrup. Much better than just getting a Coke or whatever.

 

[Joe Bryant]

I don't get what's "miserable" about drinking a non alcoholic drink like a seltzer.

I think it's about the stigma of being dry. Mocktails are designed to make people feel like they belong in a social setting that has traditionally revolved around alcohol even if one isn't drinking.

Now, you're comfortable enough in yourself to where it doesn't matter how or what you're being seen as, but I'm not sure someone with your sense of self is the target market for mocktails and alcohol-adjacent settings. It's giving people the security and experience without expecting that one will imbibe. That's what they're selling. The camaraderie without the expectation of inebriation.

Thanks. I think you're probably right. I've never had an issue being the guy not drinking at the bar. And I love (most) bars. At least the ones where the main point is the community.

And for sure, it's not much fun to be the one sober guy in a group of very drunk people. But that's not usually my scene.

I wonder if there's still work there for us to do as a society in making people feel more comfortable with the seltzer. Or maybe it's a moot point and it's more like the article talks about with the rise of non alcoholic drinks.

 

[Joe Bryant]

I asked some other friends about this and one thing that came up was the rising popularity of non alcoholic but not necessarily healthy type options. Lots more cannabis etc options are becoming more and more legal. I wonder how that plays into it.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

I'm one of the guys who voted 14+, but that's mainly because I know that what I think of as "a drink" -- about three fingers of whiskey in a glass -- is really more like three drinks according to my doctor. Today is going to be like any other Sunday. I'll pour myself some whiskey around 3:30 or so and nurse that until supper. Then I'll pour myself another while my wife and I watch TV or something. That's way more booze than what anybody would recommend, but it's a huge reduction in my drinking compared to the pre-pandemic era. Also, I'm in reasonably good shape with no particular issues, and this is my one legitimately unhealthy habit. At this level of drinking, I can barely even remember what a hangover feels like, and I'm never really intoxicated (even if a breathalyzer would disagree).

I do wonder how many millennials and especially Gen Zers just smoke weed. I strongly suspect that has a lot to do with this, and that's a good tradeoff IMO.

Edit: Joe just said the same thing while I was typing this up.

I asked some other friends about this and one thing that came up was the rising popularity of non alcoholic but not necessarily healthy type options. Lots more cannabis etc options are becoming more and more legal. I wonder how that plays into it.

 

[CletiusMaximus]

I asked some other friends about this and one thing that came up was the rising popularity of non alcoholic but not necessarily healthy type options. Lots more cannabis etc options are becoming more and more legal. I wonder how that plays into it.

There is definitely a strong perception that substituting pot use for alcohol is a positive move in terms of health. This can mean either giving up alcohol entirely or just substituting that occasional weeknight glass of wine with an edible pot product like a gummy. This has been discussed in the pot thread here. I've also recently read about a newish trend among younger folks to have events such as music festivals which are entirely alcohol free, but it is acknowledged that many/most people attending will be using heavier drugs like Ketamine, MDMA, LSD - all of which are becoming more popular.

 

[ShamrockPride]

Voted 1-2 per week.

When I actually have beer in the house (not necessarily every week cause I can be lazy), I'll usually have 1 or 2 every weekend just to kick my feet up and drink a teeny bit to feel like I'm getting the full "weekend experience".

 

[Joe Bryant]

I'm one of the guys who voted 14+, but that's mainly because I know that what I think of as "a drink" -- about three fingers of whiskey in a glass -- is really more like three drinks according to my doctor. Today is going to be like any other Sunday. I'll pour myself some whiskey around 3:30 or so and nurse that until supper. Then I'll pour myself another while my wife and I watch TV or something. That's way more booze than what anybody would recommend, but it's a huge reduction in my drinking compared to the pre-pandemic era. Also, I'm in reasonably good shape with no particular issues, and this is my one legitimately unhealthy habit. At this level of drinking, I can barely even remember what a hangover feels like, and I'm never really intoxicated (even if a breathalyzer would disagree).

I do wonder how many millennials and especially Gen Zers just smoke weed. I strongly suspect that has a lot to do with this, and that's a good tradeoff IMO.

Edit: Joe just said the same thing while I was typing this up.

I asked some other friends about this and one thing that came up was the rising popularity of non alcoholic but not necessarily healthy type options. Lots more cannabis etc options are becoming more and more legal. I wonder how that plays into it.

That is similar to how I'll often do a Friday. 2 beers with my friends at the pub from 4-6. Dinner at home and then a couple more drinks over the next 3 hours. 4 drinks spread out over 6 hours .

As you said, never feeling especially intoxicated. And I'd wake up at 5:30 the next morning feeling completely normal.

What I did find though is my Oura ring tells me I'm dramatically less "ready" according to the readiness and sleep scores after that day than I am a day with no drinking. Super interesting.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

I voted a few drinks a month. I drank heavily in college and in between my two marriages but not much during either marriage. That suggests there is a major social/emotional component to alcohol for me. When my life is stable, I feel like I don’t need it.

My drinking these days is almost entirely in social situations, which are not plentiful.

I have also noticed in recent years that alcohol makes me tired much more than it used to.

I refrained from drinking on our recent trip to Disney World, in part to save money (costs of drinks at bars and restaurants have gotten ridiculous) but also to maintain energy. I am not In the greatest shape, but getting around the parks took less toll on me physically than it did the last time we were there 2 years ago, despite my physical activity at home being about the same. I wonder if avoiding alcohol accounted for any of the difference.

 

[Dan Lambskin]

14+

It varies, and while I don’t drink every day it’s certainly most days

During the week usually a white claw after dinner, sometimes a cocktail. Then usually have a bourbon at the end of the night
During football season I’ll usually crack a claw at halftime and keep drinking until dinner. Then usually more drinks after dinner

Summer I usually drink more as well, between the pool, grilling, sitting around the fire, etc. not uncommon for me to have 10+ drinks on a Saturday

I do get into trouble with binge drinking, especially in social settings (concerts, weddings, etc). Wife is not happy the way that turns out, so I’m trying to limit myself more

I’ve also pretty much replaced beer with seltzers, I’ll still have an occasional beer but a few years back I’d go through a ton of IPAs and other high calorie stuff

Also trying to just do more edibles, but I know there’s still a bit of a social stigma even though it’s legal.

 

[Kiddnets]

I asked some other friends about this and one thing that came up was the rising popularity of non alcoholic but not necessarily healthy type options. Lots more cannabis etc options are becoming more and more legal. I wonder how that plays into it.

I went to college in the 90s and all we did was drink. I have 2 kids in college now and one doesnt drink at all and the other just now and then. The one that doesnt drink still goes to all the parties and has fun. No one cares or pressures her. Both say that weed has become a much more popular alternative to many college students. Less hangover/getting sick.

 

[massraider]

Legal weed has given an alternative to alcohol, and booze really has some major shortcomings when comparing them. (Lower cost+no hangover+no blackouts+acting less tool-ish) is a strong argument.

That massive roar you don't hear is mushroom microdosing. It's coming, and it's coming fast.

 

[FreeBaGeL]

I voted 3-6 times per week but per @IvanKaramazov's post my true number is probably higher as after seeing him mention it, I'm sure my typical whiskey pour is technically more than one drink.

This varies week to week. Some weeks it's more (especially if there's a big sporting event), some weeks it's less.

I've been sober curious for a while and did dry January this year and was actually pretty surprised at how I didn't feel much different. I'm a reasonably active and in decent health 40-something. Run on the treadmill 1-2 times per week, lift weights 1-2 times per week, play pick up basketball once a week, play lots of golf (walking) in the warmer month. Maybe I went into it with too high of expectations or maybe one month isn't long enough to matter but I didn't notice a change in my performance in any of these, nor my general mood/productivity or anything. I know a lot of people that cut out the booze entirely rave about this (and several really athletic people I know swear that if they had even one beer like 4 days ago it affects their performance noticeably) so I was hoping for something like that, but didn't have it. Maybe I will try for longer at some point when there are no major sporting events on the horizon.

 

[Drunken knight]

tough to average as i will go for weeks without a drink, but on a given weekend could have a decent amount (ie: bbqing in the summer, dinner party, etc)

 

[FreeBaGeL]

Here's my biggest question.

From the article I linked:

Gone are the days when Dry January meant miserably sipping a seltzer in the corner.

I don't get what's "miserable" about drinking a non alcoholic drink like a seltzer. There are tons of non alcholic drinks that taste good. In fact, I'd prefer a non alcoholic drink that tastes good on it's own and is marketed and designed to taste good over a mocktail or non alcoholic beer which mostly tries to mimic the taste of an alcohol drink.

For me I think it's mostly that the substitutes are either extremely bland (seltzer) or trend towards being sweet, which isn't really my jam for booze.

There are some pretty good NA beers out there nowadays, but the hearty liquors are much more difficult. If I could find a NA replacement for whiskey I'd probably cut out alcohol entirely tomorrow. But I've tried several and they aren't even anything remotely resembling the taste of whiskey, nor even attempting to be on the same planet of flavor profiles.

 

[northern exposure]

My youngest son was at a sports bar last weekend celebrating his girlfriend's 18th birthday (legal drinking age is 18 here). His girlfriend had friends and her family there. Her Dad was sent home in an Uber around midnight because he was falling down drunk. Her Mom made it to the end of the night, but stumbled out.
The fiancée of the girlfriend's oldest brother got sick at the bar and went home early.
Another "guest" bet my son a $100 he would get a strike in bowling on his next ball. My son takes the bet and watches the guy throw a gutter ball.
The guy takes a running start, slides down the alley and knocks down the pins.

My son had a "wtf is with people" look on his face as he told us the details of the evening.
He said he had one beer in the whole evening.

 

[Northern Voice]

I voted 7-13 but they're condensed over 3 days usually (which isn't great) and based on serving size and ABV it might be 14+ standard drinks a lot of weeks.

I'm one who has substituted in more cannabis drinks more often. I'm pretty mindful of how much I drink, I really enjoy beer and it's become my job but I don't enjoy the belly it gives me, so that's my main trade off.

As someone in the industry, there has definitely been a big swing towards lo/no alcohol options in beer itself but even more so in the seltzer/RTD/weed alternatives.

 

[Cowboysfan8]

“I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day.”

Dean Martin

:cheers:

 

[Chaz McNulty]

Legal weed has given an alternative to alcohol, and booze really has some major shortcomings when comparing them. (Lower cost+no hangover+no blackouts+acting less tool-ish) is a strong argument.

That massive roar you don't hear is mushroom microdosing. It's coming, and it's coming fast.

I hear it. Haven't tried yet, but might partake in our summer getaway (seems like everyone else enjoys it).

 

[Joe Bryant]

That massive roar you don't hear is mushroom microdosing. It's coming, and it's coming fast.

Would like to hear more insights on this. What can you tell us?

 

[Joe Bryant]

Here's my biggest question.

From the article I linked:

Gone are the days when Dry January meant miserably sipping a seltzer in the corner.

I don't get what's "miserable" about drinking a non alcoholic drink like a seltzer. There are tons of non alcholic drinks that taste good. In fact, I'd prefer a non alcoholic drink that tastes good on it's own and is marketed and designed to taste good over a mocktail or non alcoholic beer which mostly tries to mimic the taste of an alcohol drink.

For me I think it's mostly that the substitutes are either extremely bland (seltzer) or trend towards being sweet, which isn't really my jam for booze.

There are some pretty good NA beers out there nowadays, but the hearty liquors are much more difficult. If I could find a NA replacement for whiskey I'd probably cut out alcohol entirely tomorrow. But I've tried several and they aren't even anything remotely resembling the taste of whiskey, nor even attempting to be on the same planet of flavor profiles.

What I mean though is a sparkling water or tea or coffee taste fine. There's nothing remotely miserable about those drinks in my opinion.

I don't need something that imitates the taste of an alcoholic drink. Just something that tastes like something I'd like to drink.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

My youngest son was at a sports bar last weekend celebrating his girlfriend's 18th birthday (legal drinking age is 18 here). His girlfriend had friends and her family there. Her Dad was sent home in an Uber around midnight because he was falling down drunk. Her Mom made it to the end of the night, but stumbled out.
The fiancée of the girlfriend's oldest brother got sick at the bar and went home early.
Another "guest" bet my son a $100 he would get a strike in bowling on his next ball. My son takes the bet and watches the guy throw a gutter ball.
The guy takes a running start, slides down the alley and knocks down the pins.

My son had a "wtf is with people" look on his face as he told us the details of the evening.
He said he had one beer in the whole evening.

Ugh. I just like to turn down the volume on my internal monologue while I'm sitting around the house, or change the channel. I'd be mortified at the kind of behavior you're describing. That was embarrassing when I was in college.

 

[massraider]

That massive roar you don't hear is mushroom microdosing. It's coming, and it's coming fast.

Would like to hear more insights on this. What can you tell us?

Headlines from a legalization angle

The speed with which mushrooms are making their way into the decriminalization/legalization discussion is mind blowing. I would estimate the strides mushroom acceptance over the last 5-7 years took marijuana about 40 years. And there's no real pushback, not like there was with weed. Which I guess is logical. Maybe people think it's not a war they can win.

My brother is 33, he and his wife have little pontoon boat, they go to concerts, ball games, ski trips. They drink. They grew up drinking. He just got back from a Breck snowmobile trip, and told me they had 3 or 4 drinks the entire trip. Whole group was micro-dosing. 5 or 6 couples!

I know a bunch of finance/tech type NYC professionals who do it, and I know a 50 something couple that does it when they go out, regularly.

 

[FairWarning]

How many drinks is a 750ml bottle of 11% wine?
Let's say 2-3 of those a week for a year.

5 pours in a bottle of wine.

My bar is less people drinking Bud lites for three hours - it’s more an older crowd drinking IPAs, and high alcohol drinks like old fashions and martinis. I think the younger crowd is gravitating more toward the legal pot shops here in Michigan. The towns on the state line here have 5+ shops, one has licenses for 28 (that’s correct).

 

[Long Ball Larry]

I feel like this thread is really just part of a new FBG advertising partnership with Oura, but I will say that I am something like 3-10 drinks per week. Never feel like I really “need” it, but I do like it. I have tried to experiment a little bit with thc seltzers and I don’t quite enjoy it as much as alcohol. I do think that that less alcohol would be better for me and I continue to search for an consider alternatives, but the experience of drinking a good beer or bourbon or certain mixed drinks is still really good for me.

 

[Desert_Power]

I feel like this thread is really just part of a new FBG advertising partnership with Oura,

Jokes aside, I have heard a lot of similar observations from people that have these Oura rings