Why do you drink alcohol?

[History_Buff]

Nothing really special about Absinthe. People talk about it like it's something other than high concentration alcohol, but that's all it is. The supposed psychoactive effects are entirely overstated.

That said, I've never had it myself; I'm pretty sure it's not legal in Canada. I imagine it just tasting very gin-ey.

 

[Yoda Power]

Iirc some years ago Absinthe had become legal in England. I never tasted it though. Is it still legal, and has anyone drunk any if it was?

Spoiler :

I've had it several times. It's horrible as a shot but fairly good when mixed with water and the burned sugar thing from your picture.

It basicly tastes like a stronger version of the Greek Ouzo.

 

[Kyriakos]

Ouzo is in my view appalling, or rather way too strong an alcohol for me :/ Although it is mostly drunk along with some sort of sea-food side-dish with a lot of salt, like sardenes, to diminish the edge of the actual taste of that drink.

I could see it being served at KFC though:

 

[Yoda Power]

Tsk tsk Kyriakos. Ouzo is great as a mixer. As a Greek you should know better.

 

[Grisu]

These days, I only drink it because I like it.

I used to drink (moderately) on social occasions too, but since there the drink is mostly beer, and I'm allergic to malt I usually just drink soft drinks there. And sometimes I drank a bit to get a buzz, but that became much rarer as well.

I really do like a good wine along with a nice dinner, though.

 

[Kyriakos]

I never could drink alcohol with/immediately after food.

 

[Josu]

Link to video.

Now, leaving Homer aside:
I started with alcohol just because all my friends did it. My first shot was a big Kalimotxo. I had diarrhea for more than 2 days. Despite being a kind of basque national drink I have never tasted it again.

Then I continued drinking because it made me more sociable, it was a weekend activity.
Right now I drink just because I like it. Just beer or coctails containing rum such as cubalibre or mojito.
I rarely eat with alcohol, I like taking a Patxaran after a heavy meal, this does not mean that I do it usually

 

[filli_noctus]

Absinthe's alright, it's does not live up to it's reputation as the thujon content is practically non-existant in modern variants (on the plus side the chance of it killing you (at least in a way other types of booze won't) has also been eliminated). I probably wouldn't drink it anymore as I'm no longer a student and have lost interest in aniseed spirits, but I will say it's good with lemonade (that's British lemonade, lemon soda for you colonials). Even more surprisingly is how good sambuca is with Red Bull, so surprising in fact that even having tasted it I don't believe it.

I only drink socially these days and really only at home with my wife as I'm usually driving. Normally some form of red wine when at home, unless we have company in which case I'll usually acquire some decent ales. When out it's Guinness or draught ale at a pub or vodka/coke or Southern Comfort/lemonade at a club - taste is my primary concern when purchasing alcohol (Guinness is hit and miss but my Irish heritage insists I take the risk).

 

[Cilpot]

I drink with company because a little alcohol generally make people more social and upbeat. Especially people who are a bit socially awkward.

I drink alone because I love the taste of a good single malt when winding down after a long day.

 

[galdre]

I had a brief period when I drank quite a bit, but got bored of it so did not drink anything for years. Now I have a little wine or beer now and then, about once a month. I'm not much into hard liquor; some of it is ok, but I don't drink it.

I like the relaxed feeling of a couple drinks but don't like being drunk.

 

[Smellincoffee]

If I drink, it's almost always wine. I began drinking it mostly for the taste, but appreciate it for various reasons now -- the artistry that goes into it, the fact that I'm imbibing in a culinary tradition which goes back thousands of years, and its relaxing effects. I can be very reserved at social occasions like dinner parties, so the wine keeps me from turtling up. Having been raised by teetotalers, however, I'm still quite cautious and drink a lot of water at these occasions. (That is, I'll start with water, have a glass of wine, drink water throughout the meal, then have another glass of wine during after dinner conversation.)

 

[Perfection]

To screw women and because screw women.

 

[warpus]

Nothing really special about Absinthe. People talk about it like it's something other than high concentration alcohol, but that's all it is. The supposed psychoactive effects are entirely overstated.

That said, I've never had it myself; I'm pretty sure it's not legal in Canada. I imagine it just tasting very gin-ey.

You can get it here, but just not the authentic stuff. They use a different kind of root or something, instead of the "psychedelic" one that's used in the original.

 

[Winner]

As I recently played in a game of Card Against Humanity:

"I drink to forget _______"

("Self loathing")

That's an awesome game!

"White people like ________"

-> "The KKK"

Last time I drank alcohol must have been 3 weeks ago, since I asked a girl what she'd like, and the answer was whine :/.

That's what women like to do

 

[The_J]

Bloody vocabulary.
Wasn't drunk when I wrote it ^^.

 

[madviking]

That's an awesome game!

"White people like ________"

-> "The KKK"

"In a world ravaged by _______ our only solace is ________."

"the folly of man" & "the blood of Christ"

played by my sers-Christian roommate

 

[filli_noctus]

You can get it here, but just not the authentic stuff. They use a different kind of root or something, instead of the "psychedelic" one that's used in the original.

In most cases the psychedlic effects weren't primarily caused by the wormwood, more the other toxic substances that made it in in a time before quality control and any kind of purity laws.

 

[Winner]

Bloody vocabulary.
Wasn't drunk when I wrote it ^^.

But you were entirely correct

"In a world ravaged by _______ our only solace is ________."

"the folly of man" & "the blood of Christ"

played by my sers-Christian roommate

I once got "... pulled _______ out of _________" and supplied "White privilege" and "the South". All the people around the table almost died.

 

[classical_hero]

That's what Muslims say about bacon!

It is forbidden in their scriptures. The Bible just says don't be drunk. But I find in Australia most people drink to get drunk so they can have a good time. So they wake up the next morning with a hangover and that is called a good time.

But also alcohol reminds of the times when we would pick up Dad from the bar after he had been drinking. I absolutely hated going to pick him up because back then smoking was still allowed and the whole smell was just terrible.

 

[Mechanicalsalvation]

I hate alcohol but having enough life experiences I can see it has some good uses. As a Czech I like beer but mostly stick to non-alcohol version as I hate alcohol. I am getting into having couple sips of wine with good meal not becouse of alcohol (I hate it) but for the refined taste of wine itself and I can appreciate the wine culture. Oh and did I mention I just hate alcohol?