Non-drinkers -- why don't you drink? (1 Viewer)

[Otis]

If I could hate alcohol like you guys I'd be so much fitter, handsomer, would have more money, would feel better, and would probably remember things better and be better at my job.  

Damnit.

 

[Monkian]

Coffee??

Be honest. Are you eleven?

Eleven? Ugh, 29 years ago.

In my Air Force days I spent more than a few mornings puking cuz...uh.. that's what 21 year olds do, right?

Alcohol and coffee just taste terribly bitter to me.

 

[Monkian]

Coffee??

Be honest. Are you eleven?

Eleven? Ugh, 29 years ago.

In my Air Force days I spent more than a few mornings puking cuz...uh.. that's what 21 year olds do, right?

Alcohol and coffee just taste terribly bitter to me.

 

[DallasDMac]

Though I do kill for a good frozen margarita.

Be honest. Are you eleven? Frozen.

 

[Evilgrin 72]

I don't know.  Perhaps I'll try it sometime. 

 

[Mr Anonymous]

I drank beer with my friends. Almost everyone did. Sometimes I had too many beers. Sometimes, others did. I liked beer. I still like beer. But I did not drink beer to the point of blacking out.

And I never sexually assaulted anyone.

 

[-OZ-]

I don't like the taste of beer.  Same for wine (and balsamic vinegar).  Most hard liquor tastes awful to me.  I do like rum.  I also like Sambuca and sloe gin.  I love Brandy Alexanders.

I probably have four to six mixed drinks a year.  I think there may be a genetic component here.  Part of my mother's family is the same way.  The other part are normal social drinkers.

Funny thing taste is, I've tried liking rum. Spiced, coconut, etc. It's the one liquor I've never liked.

 

[-OZ-]

If I could hate alcohol like you guys I'd be so much fitter, handsomer, would have more money, would feel better, and would probably remember things better and be better at my job.  

Damnit.

Yeah but ... Beeeer

 

[Da Guru]

Alcohol tastes bad, flat out awful. There is no alcoholic drink that tastes better than the most mediocre non-alcoholic drink. In the past I would get a cocktail at a restaurant because all of the ingredients look good, and then sit there thinking how much better the pineapple juice or whatever would taste if they did not ruin it with rum. I literally cannot comprehend how people enjoy the taste of alcoholic drinks, as opposed to drinking to get buzzed.

Note - I am not a complete non drinker, but have no alcohol in the house and only drink a few times a year during social situations. 

Try a Bombay gin on the rocks..nice botanicals.

 

[GroveDiesel]

I don't like the taste.

I don't like the price.

I don't like it's effects.

Pretty close to my reasons. 

Add in a lot of addiction in my family that I don't care to tempt along with being a control freak that prefers to be in full control of my faculties and it's just not for me.

 

[BLOCKED_PUNT]

I don't drink b/c it's kinda silly? I drink coke/soft drinks since they taste good and I need a break from drinking plain water. Though lately, I've been trying to drink tea and not soft drinks.  I'll drink socially but the idea of drinking alone seems a bit sad to me. 

 

[huthut]

I appreciate the drink suggestions, but I have tried essentially everything. For beer I prefer things like wheat beer and cannot stand IPAs, for hard alcohol I prefer vodka in things like a Moscow Mule where the strong flavor of the ginger beer masks it. Tequila and rum make me gag, and I cannot stand any wine. 2 buck chuck tastes the same to me as a $500 bottle of wine from a wealthy friend's wine cellar. 

 

[DallasDMac]

I don't drink b/c it's kinda silly? I drink coke/soft drinks since they taste good and I need a break from drinking plain water.

That's some pretty good irony right there...

 

[NewlyRetired]

curious - what do you drink on a regular basis?

crystal light type mixes.  I don't like plain water.

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

Coffee??

Be honest. Are you eleven?

Neither I nor Mr R drink coffee or tea.  They are both pretty bad tasting to us.

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

Funny thing taste is, I've tried liking rum. Spiced, coconut, etc. It's the one liquor I've never liked.

Rum is not a grain alcohol.  Maybe that's the difference.

 

[Sand]

Alcoholism has been a persistent presence in my family's history, going back over 100 years. I've seen the damage that it can do and I am determined to end the cycle.

Watched my father drink himself to death.  And then I look at my boys.

 

[kutta]

My family has a history of alcoholism.  My father, grandfathers and uncles were alcoholics.  I had an uncle go to rehab and has now been sober for 5 years.  Most were functioning alcoholics which made it worse.  I grew up not realizing any of this until I was older.  It was considered normal for my cousins and I to run to the store next door to pick up beer and cigarettes when were were 10-12 years old.  The store owner knew our family and we had an open tab at the place.  We were often sent over to grab a six pack, or more whenever we were at my grandfather's house.  The guys would sit on the front porch and drink for hours.  This was after they got home from work where they drank all day (construction).  

My cousins are now both alcoholics (one married and functional - won't admit it).  The other is constantly moving around drinking his paychecks away.  Last I heard he moved back in with his mother after he was kicked out of a girlfriends place.  He's now 41.  

When I was 22, I saw my father's health deteriorate.  Too much alcohol.  His liver was starting to fail.  Yet he still insisted he was "fine". He needed a transplant, but he had to go through rehab and AA first.  He fought it saying he didn't have a problem.  It took him two years to get through to him.  I think what got his mind right was that he was going to be a grandfather.  After all of that, he saw his doctor and did everything they asked him to do.  He knew if he didn't get the transplant he'd never see his first grandchild.  What my parents didn't tell me was that they had troubles finding a donor.  They found a non-relative to be a living donor, but the match wasn't great, so the success rate was low.  When I found this out, I told them I was going to do it.  The doctor told us that a living donation from a blood relative was the best match.  We had the surgery 18 years ago. He is still alive and sober.  I have a big scar to remind me every day why I don't want to be like my family.

I'll drink very rarely, but I'm fully aware of the addicted mentality of my family.  They were consumed by alcohol.  I have mental and physical scars to remind me. That's not who I want to be, and I'll do what I can to keep my kids from going down that same path. 

Way to ruin this thread....

But really, props to you. You’re a good man. 

 

[kutta]

I feel like a ### #### alcoholic reading this thread.

 

 

[Don't Noonan]

I will drink socially with friends but I can't remember the last time I had a drink at home.  I don't like the taste of beer or alcohol so I see it as unneccesary calories.  Also, I don't uber very often and Arizona is super strict on DUIs so I will not risk.

 

[ConnSKINS26]

I probably have between 10-20 drinks a week.  Am I a functioning alcoholic?

Are the drinks spread out, 2 per night or so, leading you to a 10-20 total? I'd say that's fine and pretty normal as long as you aren't drinking alone. A couple mixed drinks, beers, or glasses of wine most nights with the significant other or friends is how most of the people I know drink. Now that we're past the college/20's binge-drinking years. 

 

[BLOCKED_PUNT]

That's some pretty good irony right there...

if you mean healthwise then sure but I never said that I avoid alcohol for health reasons. 

 

[BigSteelThrill]

Because I don't have that gene that makes keep drinking/craving alcohol. 

Socially, sure. But I am at my very best in large crowds, alcohol just screws me up.

 

[TripItUp]

I probably average 1 drink per week, which by American standards makes me a non drinker. 

A. My career skyrocketed when I started eating better, exercising regularly and stopped drinking.   The renewed energy levels and ambition levels saw a noticeable spike.   Ask yourself how many of the top business men are drinkers.  Hint, not many. 

B.  Drinking gives my stomach hell.  The older I get, the more sensitive my stomach gets. 

C.  It’s amazing for weight regulation.  As previously stated, I’d rather eat my calories.  I dropped 15 pounds within a month of not drinking. 

D.  Hangovers suck and I don’t like the way they feel.  You have one life, exploring the world is what I want to continue to do with the rest of it...not nurse hangovers. Those ####ers last like theee days now that I’m in my 40s.  Hard pass.

I'm glad I lived it up and partied in my 20s and 30s but now I’ve moved on to a more fulfilling and rewarding lifestyle. Zero regrets. 

 

[Otis]

I probably average 1 drink per week, which by American standards makes me a non drinker. 

A. My career skyrocketed when I started eating better, exercing regularly and stopped drinking.   The renewed energy levels and ambition levels saw a total spike.   Ask yourself how many of the top business men are drinkers.  Hint, not many. 

B.  Drinking gives my stomach hell.  The older I get, the more sensitive my stomach gets. 

C.  It’s amazing for weight regulation.  As previously stated, I’d rather eat my calories.  I dropped 15 pounds within a month of not drinking. 

D.  Hangovers suck and I don’t like the way they feel.  You have one life, exploring the world is what I want to continue to do with the rest of it...not nurse hangovers. Those ####ers last like theee days now that I’m in my 40s.  Hard pass.

I'm glad I lived it up and partied in my 20s and 30s but now I’ve moved on to a more fulfilling and rewarding lifestyle. Zero regrets. 

Really great points all. Making me want to give up booze. 

 

[Foosball God]

If we go out to dinner - I'll have a drink.

Social occasions - drinks

Outback BBq - drinks.

Sitting at home during the week watching TV/chores/whatever - no need   Especially hanging out with the kid 

I don't have the desire/need to HAVE to drink sitting at home.   Maybe occasionally after yard work or something but most of the time i don't drink at home.

And I used to drink a Lot.

Bell doesn't even like to go meet people for a drink.

 

[Ghost Rider]

Like others, I am not technically a non-drinker, but I can count on one hand the number of times I drink alcohol a year now (today is March 9th and I have had one drink so far this calendar year).  I was never a big drinker, but always a social drinker, and since I have went out less and less over the years than I used to, the drinking got a lot less frequent, which meant my tolerance plummeted, putting me at the point now that if I have two normal drinks (not too strong, not too weak), I will not only feel a slight buzz, but will feel it when I wake up the next day.  And because it is social drinking, that means I inevitably have to drive home, and I do not want to risk something bad happening because I drank too much and drove home.  I was at a friend's for NYE a few months back and was literally the only person at midnight without a drink in their hand (there was probably 20 of us).  I did, however, partake in smoking a little weed. I will take smoking weed over drinking liquor 100 times out of 100 (and I do that probably only 10 times a year). 

 

[Christo]

... for all of you "don't like the taste" people ...

Malibu (coconut rum) and diet coke

You're welcome ... and I'm sorry.

I'm hung over right now. Haven't done this in a long time. Don't plan on doing it for a long time. But every now and then, getting ####-faced at the end of a week is a professional necessity.

Don't drink regularly anymore. If I'm eating out, I'll have a beer or two with a burger or a glass of wine or two with a steak. But I've pretty-much quit drinking at home.

The reason I quoted you, @Bossman, is the taste-thing. If we're out and my wife drinks, she gets Wild Turkey American Honey on the rocks. It's like drinking candy.

 

[Johnnymac]

I don't drink at all anymore, so I guess the reason is that I used to drink too much.  I can't deal with hangovers anymore, too old for that ####.

I just smoke lots of pot now 

 

[Joe Bryant]

I absolutely love the taste of beer, and wine, and sometimes scotch.  I despise vodka, rum, etc.  Though I do kill for a good frozen margarita.

Better yet, have you ever had a Coronarita?  A frozen margarita with a Corona turned over into it upside down?  Oh my god.  Heaven.  

Was just about to post what a great thread idea this was and then you do this. 

Aside from Otis ruining it, thanks to the many thoughtful replies. Super interesting. 

 

[gianmarco]

I'm hung over right now. Haven't done this in a long time. Don't plan on doing it for a long time. But every now and then, getting ####-faced at the end of a week is a professional necessity.

Don't drink regularly anymore. If I'm eating out, I'll have a beer or two with a burger or a glass of wine or two with a steak. But I've pretty-much quit drinking at home.

The reason I quoted you, @Bossman, is the taste-thing. If we're out and my wife drinks, she gets Wild Turkey American Honey on the rocks. It's like drinking candy.

This is me to a T.  I probably got pretty drunk 2-3 times total last year.  I often go weeks without a drink. I've got a 6 pack at home in case the mood arises or I've got company and I think I bought 2-3 of those all year. I'll drink a glass or 2 of wine if others are drinking, but that's about it.

My wife will occasionally order a cocktail (something different, usually fruity) if we are out but she drinks even less than I do. 

Just not that important anymore. While I enjoy beer the most, if I never drank alcohol again it wouldn't be a big deal.  But, it's still fun to get hammered once in a blue moon.

 

[wikkidpissah]

Me Ma came over from Ireland and me Da's a half-breed Indian so i have a stock joke that i'm an Irish/Indian - i don't wanna drink, i have to. Actually, though, for a family that never says anything against drink, they're the least drinkinest i know.

Me Irish Granda died of drink when me Ma was 16 and was the shame of Blue Hill Avenue, Boston for his besotted ways. It made me uncle a teetotaler (gambled instead) but none of the others swore off or overindulged. Me Ma's had less than 10 drinks in 95 years.

I think my father's family is too cheap to buy alcohol. I know the only time i was a problem drinker was in Nevada, where it's free if you're a gambler and i've always thought spending half one's paycheck on bartabs is remarkably stoopit, even though i spent a quarter of a million dollars on cocaine in my time. Me Indian Granda kept a bottle of elderberry brandy and a big spoon in a hallway cabinet and would genuflect for a spoonful each time he passed it, but i never saw a drink in his hand. I've never seen alcohol served at the houses of Da's 9 brothers or sisters nor have heard any of them protest the activity. Me Da kept a bar for company, never used it. Too cheap - think that's it.

Your humble servant drank a generational portion, i'd say, with a big spike during my gamble years. Never felt addicted to, nor particularly needy of anything until a change in the Nevada drug laws sent the price of Peruvian Marching Powder so high (and the % of active ingredient so low) that i switched to meth. Those last couple crank&Jager years (also the last two years cancer munched on my wife) were pretty ugly - only time i ever woke up looking for sumn more than a cigarette, but i beat it without a program a few highly-pathetic months after Mary's death.

The last two years, i've been inebriated three times - a Christmas party and my Mary's last two birthdays. She - a stone booze/drugaholic - had a weekend ritual. She'd order a rocks glass of B&B (a terribly sweet liquer) and drink it in three sips, closing her eyes and making a wish before each sip. After her passing, I did the same at the end of each workweek until i retired and now celebrate her birthdays by getting wishdrunk enough on B&B to feel her smiling and purring up at me. nufced

 

[DallasDMac]

Because I don't have that gene that makes keep drinking/craving alcohol.

Seems like an odd quote. Almost as if you believe everyone that has a drink now and again is predisposed to do so, like an alcoholic.

 

[DallasDMac]

if you mean healthwise then sure but I never said that I avoid alcohol for health reasons. 

Fair enough. But then I am interested in what you meant when saying "kinda silly." You said you drink sodas because you like the taste. I drink the alcohol I drink for the same reason. I guess I am interested in why you feel is one silly and the other isn't if not for health reasons?

 

[Major]

I probably average 1 drink per week, which by American standards makes me a non drinker. 

A. My career skyrocketed when I started eating better, exercing regularly and stopped drinking.   The renewed energy levels and ambition levels saw a total spike.   Ask yourself how many of the top business men are drinkers.  Hint, not many. 

B.  Drinking gives my stomach hell.  The older I get, the more sensitive my stomach gets. 

C.  It’s amazing for weight regulation.  As previously stated, I’d rather eat my calories.  I dropped 15 pounds within a month of not drinking. 

D.  Hangovers suck and I don’t like the way they feel.  You have one life, exploring the world is what I want to continue to do with the rest of it...not nurse hangovers. Those ####ers last like theee days now that I’m in my 40s.  Hard pass.

I'm glad I lived it up and partied in my 20s and 30s but now I’ve moved on to a more fulfilling and rewarding lifestyle. Zero regrets. 

Yep, this is where I'm at.  Getting drunk is almost like taking a payday loan on tomorrow's happiness.  Paying back that interest is the suck.  

 

[Major]

Better yet, have you ever had a Coronarita?  A frozen margarita with a Corona turned over into it upside down?  Oh my god.  Heaven.  

If you like those, let me recommend a frozen screwdriver with a Blue Moon thrown in.  Tasty 

 

[BigSteelThrill]

Seems like an odd quote. Almost as if you believe everyone that has a drink now and again is predisposed to do so, like an alcoholic.

Well if it taste tremedous to someone then that would be wholly different.  Or they just really like getting drunk - but that falls very close to what I stated before.

 

[Bossman]

I'm hung over right now. Haven't done this in a long time. Don't plan on doing it for a long time. But every now and then, getting ####-faced at the end of a week is a professional necessity.

Don't drink regularly anymore. If I'm eating out, I'll have a beer or two with a burger or a glass of wine or two with a steak. But I've pretty-much quit drinking at home.

The reason I quoted you, @Bossman, is the taste-thing. If we're out and my wife drinks, she gets Wild Turkey American Honey on the rocks. It's like drinking candy.

Very funny you should mention the Wild Turkey American Honey and tag me ...

I had never had it before and friend game me a large bottle for my 50th birthday ... but I'm not a whisky / bourbon guy at all.

I broke it out 2 weeks ago during a poker game that I was hosting. (since it didn't seem fitting to serve my bros some candy liqueur girly shot ... so Wild Turkey "something" seemed manly enough)

We did several shots (between beers) and it was much smoother that I expected. Pleasantly surprised and I'll be going to this often.

 

[Ignoratio Elenchi]

I probably average 1 drink per week, which by American standards makes me a non drinker. 

A. My career skyrocketed when I started eating better, exercising regularly and stopped drinking.   The renewed energy levels and ambition levels saw a noticeable spike.   Ask yourself how many of the top business men are drinkers.  Hint, not many. 

B.  Drinking gives my stomach hell.  The older I get, the more sensitive my stomach gets. 

C.  It’s amazing for weight regulation.  As previously stated, I’d rather eat my calories.  I dropped 15 pounds within a month of not drinking. 

D.  Hangovers suck and I don’t like the way they feel.  You have one life, exploring the world is what I want to continue to do with the rest of it...not nurse hangovers. Those ####ers last like theee days now that I’m in my 40s.  Hard pass.

I'm glad I lived it up and partied in my 20s and 30s but now I’ve moved on to a more fulfilling and rewarding lifestyle. Zero regrets. 

This pretty much covers what I would've posted, except I probably average even less than 1 drink a week.  Once in a while I'll have a beer when out with friends or coworkers, that's about it. 

Point D especially - when I reached a point where a few hours of drinking basically ruined the next 36 hours of my life, it just didn't seem worth it anymore.  I like beer, I like getting buzzed, I have no family history of alcoholism or moral objections or anything like that.  I just got to a point where I jut don't need it in my life anymore.  

 

[Tick]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcohol_flush_reaction - noticed it when I was 22.  After trying a few different types of alcohol to see if it was some ingredient, I realized it was alcohol.  Since then, I had maybe 3 glasses of wine in France during work events where it was expected, and one beer in a brewhaus in Germany because that's what you do.  So maybe 4 drinks in the last 22 years.

 

[Joe Bryant]

Question for you guys that are non or light drinkers. 

Do have best practices / tips for how to handle social situations? Is it ever "weird" that you're not drinking when you're out?

 

[Ghost Rider]

Question for you guys that are non or light drinkers. 

Do have best practices / tips for how to handle social situations? Is it ever "weird" that you're not drinking when you're out?

Not at all.  Most people who know me know I am not much of a drinker anymore, so if/when I don't drink, they don't think anything of it.  Granted, I never go to clubs or bars anymore. 

 

[ShamrockPride]

I'm a non to light drinker. Really the only time is when I go out socially explicitly to "grab a drink", which is maybe once every other month.

The easiest explanation is simply that I don't like the taste. My tastebuds are so sensitive even if you try and hide alcohol behind some sprite or juice or something, I still instantly detect it. I can deal with a beer or two. Shots of anything are almost impossible for me to get down. It's just like a gag reflex.

Also, yeah hangovers suck. Just had my brother's bachelor party a few months ago. Went out. The next day until probably about 5 or 6pm I felt like the smallest movement was gonna have me puke my guts out. Keep in mind, that's with me remembering the entire night.

3rd, simply, drinking... especially on the regular, is expensive as hell. There's a million things that bring me more happiness than any feeling of intoxication, that are far more affordable.

I think that covers all my big reasons...

 

[NewlyRetired]

Do have best practices / tips for how to handle social situations? Is it ever "weird" that you're not drinking when you're out?

If you are holding a coke vs a mixed drink, why would anyone even know or care? 

I have never experienced any weirdness but if it did happen my guess is that whom ever was causing the weirdness would stand out(and not in a good way) more than the person just drinking the coke.

 

[nysfl2]

Was just about to post what a great thread idea this was and then you do this. 

Aside from Otis ruining it, thanks to the many thoughtful replies. Super interesting. 

This seems a bit harsh

 

[bushdocda]

I reached the heights and depths in my drinking past.  I am glad to be just an occasional drinker and it is less and less something I miss. 

 

[Ignoratio Elenchi]

Question for you guys that are non or light drinkers. 

Do have best practices / tips for how to handle social situations? Is it ever "weird" that you're not drinking when you're out?

Agree with the other poster, never been an issue for me but if it was it would reflect poorly on the person making it “weird”, not on the non-drinker.  I was out at a dinner with work people recently, had one drink but declined a second when everyone else got another (and another and another), was a complete nonissue. 

 

[TripItUp]

Question for you guys that are non or light drinkers. 

Do have best practices / tips for how to handle social situations? Is it ever "weird" that you're not drinking when you're out?

I’ts been a non issue for me.   A lot of guys have actually noticed and said something...it’s more of a “good for you”.

I stated that I have one drink per week because there are social occasions, particularly around business where it feels more comfortable to have a drink.   

 

[Joe Bryant]

Thanks Guys.

My story was I didn't drink at all in high school. 

Drank a lot in college.

Went to work and completely stopped drinking for 25 years. My reason for stopping was anger at the large beer companies in how they marketed their product and the reality of what I saw their product doing to their regular guy / blue collar consumers I was working with. 

Now I drink pretty regularly. Almost exclusively craft beer as I love the entrepreneurial resurgence of it. 

My personality was always that I never cared about what anyone thought. 

But I asked about it being weird as I sometimes hear younger people worry how they'll be perceived if they don't go with the crowd. It was easy for me and my personality. But I understand it's not that way for everyone. 

 

[Statorama]

I'm kind of surprised that people would rather smoke weed than drink.  Inhaling any kind of smoke into my body just never appealed to me.  I can't see swapping out an ice cold beer for a joint after doing yard work all day.

That said, I'm kind of glad edibles aren't readily available here.  Gummie Bears that get you high is a game changer