Poll: Do you really enjoy drinking? +Australian Stupidity

[Angie7F]

When i am drunk, I want to be totally drunk.
If not I will not drink at all because it only makes me sleepy.
I need to shoot past the sleepy drowzy state straight into hyper-activeness to keep drinking.
Recently i dont have the time to do that so I dont drink at all.
I miss my parting days....

 

[AndrewF022]

Australian, and yes, I love to drink.

Beer mostly, I'll pretty much drink anything in that regard. If I'm out and we're doing shots or they have cheap pre-mixed drinks I will get onto those as well, once you go sweet, its hard to go back to beer though haha.

I'll also have the occasional beer at home, with company or alone, but never more than a handful, not enough to get a buzz.

I also don't drink to go stupid, sometimes its an unwanted side effect, but it's never the goal.

 

[Jaythulhu]

Since I work in an alcohol shop in Australia, let me just say that if you're under 18, FUCK RIGHT OFF.

I don't give a shit how mature or cool you think you are, every time you come into my shop and try to buy or steal something you're putting me personally at risk of thousands of dollars in fines and losing my job.

If you think the prices of RTDs are too expensive, too bad. I think the taxes and cost should be higher, so young people who're too fucking stupid and delusional about their own invulnerability/capability won't even bother trying. If it weren't for people in their late teens/early 20s thinking they're mature, smart, tough and cool, drinking way more than their bodies can cope with and the resulting arse-fuckery that ensues, RTDs wouldn't be over-taxed. Sorry OP but the behaviour of you and your peers are the reason for the excessive taxes here and you only have yourselves to blame, not Australia.

Frankly, I'm of the opinion that the legal drinking age should be re-increased to 21. Every day I see pathetic youth who'll do anything to get their hands on grog, including one who thought it was a smart idea to pull a knife on me.

 

[dnazeri]

I usually have a nice beer or a glass of wine with dinner. Occasionally I have 2-3 drinks when I'm out with friends, but never more than that. I really can't handle my liquor tbh. On extra special occasions I break out a bottle of XO cognac, but I don't do it often because a) it spoils the treat and b) its expensive.

 

[Shifty]

I love alcohol. Started drinking in pubs when I was 16 (many years ago) I love the social side of it, when I am out I just drink guinness but I can knock back quite a lot at this stage (not bragging its just my tolerance has increased) . I also enjoy having a glass of wine or two some evening to unwind. To compensate and keep control of my love of alcohol as it honestly scares me and as with most people is in the family I have the following three rules.

1. I give it up one month a year, if I cant do that then I have to stop completely
2. If it starts affecting anything about my life negatively then I have to stop this includes work, family and money
3. I will only generally drink on weekends and possibly a Thursday night if work was tough.

I am lucky I think as I do not get depressed with drink nor do I get angry. Generally I get more relaxed and chilled.

The way I see it is that if you are not harming anyone including yourself then there is no harm.

Would I let my son drink at 16, still thinking about that but sure we can cross that bridge when we come to it. I would rather him have one safely at home than go out into a bush and get hammered with his mates. Thats how I was in pubs at sixteen, my parents knew where I was and who I was with and had told the bar it was ok just to watch what I drank so I couldnt go overboard.

 

[dimensional]

Hmm most of you seem so sensible personally I either drink absolutely shit loads until I am paraletic and have (probably) been sick multiple times and cant take anymore or none at all. I dont like the loss of concentration it gives me if I am doing anything else so I either prefer to give it my full attention or not at all I really dislike going for just one or two beers seems pretty pointless to me ill just stick to soft drinks in that case at least I can drive back then and dont have to waste money on such a short outing for a taxi.

I very very rarely drink alone though its just not fun to me I think the last time I had one by myself was 9 years ago I do regulate myself a bit more now though (usually) I know what I can drink loads of and shake off and what will kill me later in the night or tommorow morning.

I am especially careful not to go mad on spirits now as some of those will mess me up quite seriously theres drunk then theres almost hospitalised and thats not fun so I learnt my lesson there (after the second time).

This makes me sound like an alcholic but really I dont drink much, most weeks I will have nothing its just if we can get a few friends together we go out for a good session or back to someones house and play games/watch films etc depending on how skint we are.

Also on the whole when I was in Australia I was surprised to find how sensible people did drink over there maybe its the smaller glasses or the fact its so hot (sometimes) I dont know but I certainly didnt see any stupid drinking going on over there well by the locals anyway although I am sure it does happen like everywhere else. Gotta love the discounted gone off goon though 2 dollars for 4 litres of wine er yes please load me up damn that was strong but better than lager at least for me I cant stand lager and have to drink a lot to drown out the taste.

 

[Living Contradiction]

Ye cats, all these people who drink only with company and only to feel the buzz. Whatever happened to "Hmmm. This is tasty. I think I'll buy a bottle, take it home, and appreciate it in comfort."?

I enjoy the taste of most alcohol (Get thee behind me, Everclear, and take your pal Jack Daniels with you!) and seldom drink to the point of being a puddle on the carpet (largely because it means someone else has to clean me up and who needs that?), so I tend to consume booze that makes me smile instead of cringe.

I also cook with it. Wine makes sauces richer and beer is a wicked batter enhancer. However, I also follow the cardinal rule of cooking with alcohol: if you wouldn't drink it out of a glass, don't put it in your food.

 

[Dags90]

I don't drink, seeing as I'm allergic to ingesting alcohol. I can only drink maybe two beers before I really start itching. Kind of sad, seeing as I come from a family of hard drinkers. Tons of fun at weddings.

I find that to be really unlikely. You're much more likely to be allergic to gluten or something else in a beer than alcohol, and alcohol allergies are usually really severe. Like, one-shot-will-kill-you without intervention severe, or alcohol containing sanitizing stuff.

 

[Musette]

My extended family history hints that I may have a genetic disposition toward alcohol abuse, not to mention that when I eat/drink anything, I inhale it much faster than my brain can possibly react to it, so haven't given myself a chance to test how well I'd handle it. I know people who drink responsibly and I have no issues with it, but being in college, I'm surrounded by more extreme of a drinking culture than I'd like to be.

 

[Slayer_2]

I usually do at LEAST 10 shots, but more often it ends up around 15-20. I usually drink Vodka shots, chased with whatever I can find, or nothing, sometimes. I only drink a few times a month, but when I do, it's go hard or go home.

 

[Alexi089]

In my humble opinion, the wonders of alcohol are grossly overrated. I'm glad I got the 'get drunk and do stupid stuff' out of my system in my teens, because I reckon if I didn't, I'd think 'Hmm.. surely this many people must have SOME kind of a point about this being realy fun..' and do something truly stupid as a 'responsible adult'. Now I know that, for me at least, its not that fun (and I REALLY don't miss hangovers wasting a Sunday), I'm very happy to remain cognitively unimpaired throughout all house parties and social gatherings. I'll have one or two drinks a few times a year if the mood strikes and I miss the taste, but the last time that happened was six months ago. Now if only some of those around me would stop nagging me to drink when I don't want to; or stop whining 'But, I don't want to be the only one having a drink with the meal!!' If you want a drink, buy one, no one cares...you lil old alky, you!

The only real downside I've noted to not drinking is you become aware just how shit nightclubs truly are, and what a bloody wind up it is that you just paid £5-£10 to squeeze into a sweaty, obnoxious shithole with terrible music that makes even basic conversation near impossible.

 

[Alexi089]

Ye cats, all these people who drink only with company and only to feel the buzz. Whatever happened to "Hmmm. This is tasty. I think I'll buy a bottle, take it home, and appreciate it in comfort."?

Sometimes it bothers me how few adults, or even older people actually comment on the flavour of what they're drinking. I'm not keen on relying on alcohol as a social lubricant, but I guess as long as no one gets hurt, it's not so bad.

Haha! captcha: 'hold your tongue'. Should I highlight something a lot of people do, but few want to admit to, even if I don't demonise it? Eh.. should be fine...

 

[Exocet]

I find that I don't enjoy drinking, as in the binge definition of it. I did it for a few years, then I found that the buzz just isn't worth the hangover, and what you can do drunk, you can do sober.

However, I do enjoy beer and classier stuff like good whiskey and Cognac for the taste.

 

[Latinidiot]

I thoroughly enjoy drinking and going out, occasionally dancing, and just generally having a blast. But like someone said before me, getting stoned is lots of fun in and of itself. The downside being that if i m good and well stoned I am capable of doing absolutely jack shit. Last time i got stoned, i just sat on the couch and felt the weight of my beard (I hadn't shaved for 2 weeks) on my face. The fun we had, oh, good times, gooood times.

 

[Tahaneira]

I enjoy the social aspect of drinking with friends. However, I can't stand the taste of alcohol, and so far I haven't found a drink that mixes flavors in a way that allows me to enjoy it. So yeah, I never drink.

 

[Headdrivehardscrew]

The reason RTD's are taxed 'badly' mostly stem from the fact that other people consider them to be bad for you, especially younger people. So - if young people who don't know better didn't buy them, they'd supposedly be cheaper. I can understand where people arguing like this come from, I still suspect any government or political entity of just generally liking the idea of taxing things - so everybody, even the most responsible people, end up somehow paying for the eejits ending up in the ER with alcohol induced near-death.

Greece taxed cigars in a very mad, mad way. What that did is it reduced tobacco shops to the sort of establishments only Ferrari drivers and fancy yacht owners would step into. And it made smugglers and conteirfeiters and other unsavoury folks mad rich. Not too good on the taxes, that. And way unhealthy, especially with cheapfag cheap fags containing virtually anything nasty from rat poison to mummified mouse remains.

Finland put mad taxes on alcohol, and just about all Finnish citizens from the lower castes are pretty much constantly drunk when abroad, because alcohol - to them - is mad cheap everywhere they go.

So, no matter where you are - I think taxing stuff to 'educate' people is a darn cheap excuse and hardly valid.

But I also think alcohol should be consumed moderately and, ahem, enjoyed. I drink beer and wine, with no judgmental preference, as both offer very exciting health benefits if consumed in moderation. I also like whiskeys, where the cheap ones go well with Coke or Pepsi, and I really like the smoky ones amongst the more costly ones. Whodhavethunk the Japanese make exceptional Whisky? Nothing against a simple mixer like Gin and Tonic, but the premixed stuff they sell in cans is rather nasty, awful and foul. Gin also goes well with juices - anything from orange to tomato, really. Add fresh fruits and fresh veggies - and eat them, and all of a sudden alcohol goes from well stupid pastime to a true expression of enjoying yourself.

Buying straight and mixing yourself is the way to go, really.

Now, if only we could actually fix the attitude from 'getting shitfaced yay!' to 'enjoying responsibly'...

I just had one Ruddy Mary, used half a bottle of OK red wine and a fair amount of Cognac to cook dinner: http://scrapbook.channel4.com/bookmarkBar/4fa54feae4b00d9f77e1073f

Without alcohol, getting these fruity and excellent flavours would either be plain impossible or involve months of preparation. Plus, open brandy flames in the kitchen are awesome.

Ah, I really enjoyed those:
http://www.atomicbooks.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/d/e/deadfaceisles2.jpg

 

[theriddlen]

I generally drink when I'm at some kind of a party, usually with my my long time mates. I mostly use it for entertainment purposes, and limit myself to a single bottle of vodka at a time , that's pretty much my "safety" limit - I go over that, the floor just goes awfully wobbly, I drink equal mount or bit less and I can still dance.
I'm from Poland btw.

 

[Hammer's Girl]

I can't drink for medical reasons. For some reason since I developed a chronic condition my body has decided that I have roughly the alcohol tolerance of a Muslim toddler. I used to drink, never a huge amount, but suddenly noticed that I couldn't really drink a glass of wine without becoming drunk to the point that it wasn't fun. My friend still warmly remembers the time when I drank a pint in the student bar at my Uni and fell off of the stool.

But in all honesty I never really understood the point of getting utterly wasted on a night out, I drank alcohol that I enjoyed the taste of and generally stopped at slightly tipsy when out with friends. I quite enjoy being the sober one when my friends drink now, their faces the next morning when I tell them what daft things they said are worth being a bit bored. And I'm the only one of our circle with both a driving licence and a car so it works out quite well.

 

[York_Beckett]

I drink often, and I drink alone. I know it's not a good habit, but frankly, it's just kind of relieving. Makes me less angry at the world (mostly because I tend to fall asleep), and it gets problems off my mind. That, or it makes the problem worse. Guess it depends.

Do I have a good time? Well, sometimes. I don't know, honestly.

 

[scorptatious]

I never drank before. And I don't really plan to.

Besides, here in America I won't be able to legally drink for three more months.