What's Your Opinion on Recreational Drinking? Choose Now!

[Mk]

What do you think about drinking? What do you think about younger people drinking? Is it healthy, unhealthy, or fun or distatesful?

And I mean alcoholic stuff, not drinking water or juice Pick the closest choice.

 

[Cyrus]

I always drink when I go out to the bars with my friends. Usually some beers or Jack and Cokes. Probably once a week.

 

[radou]

Same here, only it's once in two weeks or so.

 

[BobG]

I'm not sure how to answer since it depends on how much you're talking about. I like a beer or two, but I can't remember the last time I've actually done anything I'd consider "recreational" drinking. That makes it sound like the purpose is to drink, in which case I'd say I personally dislike the effects overall.

I'd say "recreational drinking" tends to cause more problems than it's worth for any age, if I understand what you mean by recreational drinking.

 

[brewnog]

Sometimes with friends, sometimes alone, and like the feeling overall (otherwise I wouldn't do it).

 

[Schrodinger's Dog]

^Ditto I probably do it more atm as I'm in between jobs. But alcohol if handled in at least some sort of sensible manner is generally positive for me, alone, with friends and like the effects.

 

[Kurdt]

I'm British so I have to drink (its how we pay our taxes). I normally go to the pub most nights and have 3 or 4 beers with friends.

 

[Schrodinger's Dog]

I'm British so I have to drink (its how we pay our taxes). I normally go to the pub most nights and have 3 or 4 beers with friends.

Did you know you can either pay daily or every few days, or you can more conveniently binge drink thereby paying your taxes all in one Friday night marathon. I know what you mean about it being more or less the law, it's certainly pretty much part of our culture to binge drink at weekends.

 

[Kurdt]

I'm not fond of the binge drinking option as I don't hold my drink very well and can only take it in quantities of 3 or 4 pints at a time. I do however drink fairly often because there's always some sort of musical event on in a pub where I live. For example I know there is a buskers night every day of the week in one pub or another around Newcastle and Gateshead. So I mainly go to those.

 

[baywax]

Everytime I collect on a contract I reward myself with plenty of beer. This can mean once a month or when you get those sticklers that adhere to the 90 day or even 120 day waiting period its a bit too much and I go out and reward myself for being patient. Then I reward myself for being so rewarding.

Kids drinking to excess appears to be a bad idea judging from the outcome I see in people who drank and I knew as a kid. Booze related diabetes, alcoholism, and generally perforated livers do not a happy camper make. Seems to wipe the memory functions out too (though they lurk in the sub-conscious). Luckily I never saw the point to drinking until later on. And that never amounted to much until... right now. Sheesh, whashts that rhinophant doing here again?

 

[neutrino]

I guess it's just like the internet and computer games.

 

[GoldPheonix]

Drinking is fun. Don't do it a lot nor in huge quantities, but still, it is fun.

Some licker tastes good, some tastes like crap. Some beer is good (Jesus American beer tastes like piss water; European beers like Luffe are pretty decent). Love white wine; red while is all right I guess. Saki is all right, especially in/with Chinese and Japanese dishes. Only had one martini in my life, and the vodka wasn't too bad.

But mostly, beer and wine. Neither are too great to get drunk on.

 

[Hurkyl]

(1) I can't imagine why people would drink.
(2) Wine fumes, and some beer fumes, make me feel ill.
(3) I dread ever having to interact with a drunk person!

 

[gravenewworld]

I like to drink beer. The only liquor drinks I like are captain and coke and gin and tonic. I hate taking shots, but I will do them. Can't stand wine and winos though. The only thing I hate about drinking is getting hung over. I get really really really bad hang overs. I have had ones that have lasted almost two days before. I probably get bad hang overs due to the fact that I am part Asian.

Some beer is good (Jesus American beer tastes like piss water; European beers like Luffe are pretty decent).

You haven't had some real American beers then. I have tried 100s of beers from all over the world and Americans definitely make some of the best damn beer in the world. There are some American beers that are far better than 95% of all German and Belgium beers no matter how much Europeans would like to claim otherwise.

 

[JasonRox]

I do it casually and rarely get too drunk as I don't like the effects. It would be awesome if I can just end the buzz when I get home or something. The buzz is fun when you're out, but when the nights over, I want it gone.

 

[ice109]

nah not me, not in concordance with my workout regimen

 

[Evo]

Let's remember too that recreational drinking means not getting drunk past the legal limit and not operating any vehicles or partaking in any activities that would cause danger to anyone or anything.

 

[JasonRox]

Let's remember too that recreational drinking means not getting drunk past the legal limit and not operating any vehicles or partaking in any activities that would cause danger to anyone or anything.

Well, then there is no effect at all so I don't know how someone can like or dislike the effect.

 

[Evo]

Well, then there is no effect at all so I don't know how someone can like or dislike the effect.

Good point.

 

[bel]

I don't like beer, but I will have a glass or two of wine (usually they serve red from Bordeaux, but port is good too) after dinner in parties or like functions. I see no harm in it, and it's generally enjoyable, especially if there's an interesting conversation acompanying it. I've never gotten to the point where I can't think clearly, either. The best drink is still the very occasional glass of Ontario ice wine alone though. And not being very old, I have nothing much against young people drinking. By the way, I think there's a study that indicates that a glass of red wine a day might reduce one's risk of cardiovascular diseases, sorry I can't cite it here though, I read it quite a while ago.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Let's remember too that recreational drinking means not getting drunk past the legal limit and not operating any vehicles or partaking in any activities that would cause danger to anyone or anything.

After too many rounds of praying at the marble alter, I gave up recreational drinking. In my mind, Bacardi and Drano are about the same thing.

For all practical purposes, I quit drinking on my 21st birthday.

 

[baywax]

You haven't had some real American beers then. I have tried 100s of beers from all over the world and Americans definitely make some of the best damn beer in the world. There are some American beers that are far better than 95% of all German and Belgium beers no matter how much Europeans would like to claim otherwise.

Please let me in on some of the brand names of the American beer you like. I've enjoyed Olympia, Rainier and Old Millwalkie(sp). I don't know why but I liked the Olympia best in the wide mouth bottle. Thanks

Here's a good reason to keep a high tolerance of liquor.

I sat down with the great uncle of a girlfriend once. He was an immigrant from the Ukraine. His farm had been over run by the Nazis during WWII and they killed his family in front of him to convince him to become a Nazi sympathizer. (This is what he told me that morning)

The only reason his kind of information came out of him was because he had offered me a full glass of Vodka to drink while he did the same. Full, unadulterated Vodka ... I managed to drink it by about 11 AM but I also managed to hear a personal, person to person account of some of the details involved in war an life and struggle.

I recommend the experience to everyone of you. No whining!

 

[radou]

Well, then there is no effect at all so I don't know how someone can like or dislike the effect.

You mean, there is no negative effect?

 

[JasonRox]

You mean, there is no negative effect?

There is no positive or negative. The legal limit does not get you buzzing at all.

 

[BobG]

After too many rounds of praying at the marble alter, I gave up recreational drinking. In my mind, Bacardi and Drano are about the same thing.

For all practical purposes, I quit drinking on my 21st birthday.

"Praying at the marble alter?"

I thought you were talking to Ralph on the big white phone.

 

[Schrodinger's Dog]

There is no positive or negative. The legal limit does not get you buzzing at all.

If your going to get ratarsed then makes use you take public transport, of course in my case I don't use anything but.

I would hate to be the designated driver, oh yeah right you all enjoy yourselves while I watch everyone else get more and more unintelligible and nurse a coke. *shudders*

One of the benefits of never learning to drive.

 

[mathwonk]

does recreational drinking mean drinking as a game? or for enjoyment? so apparently recreational drinking does not mean competitive drinking. does it mean enjoying the drink or the companions? so can you enjoy drinking bad wine with good friends? or good wine with strangers? i can enjoy a nice glass of andrew will after everyone else has turned in, but is that recreational?

sorry but mathematicians need definitions to respond to a test question.

 

[radou]

There is no positive or negative. The legal limit does not get you buzzing at all.

I don't know what you mean by legal limit. Perhaps the maximum amount of alcohol tolerated in your blood whence behind the wheel?

 

[Cyrus]

Yes, and it can be as little as 1 beer.

 

[Schrodinger's Dog]

does recreational drinking mean drinking as a game? or for enjoyment? so apparently recreational drinking does not mean competitive drinking. does it mean enjoying the drink or the companions? so can you enjoy drinking bad wine with good friends? or good wine with strangers? i can enjoy a nice glass of andrew will after everyone else has turned in, but is that recreational?

sorry but mathematicians need definitions to respond to a test question.

Recreation I think assumes enjoyment, if it isn't enjoyable then it's a problem. You can't really do maths on a social event, or a drinking alone event, unless you want to create some sort of mathematical scale of enjoyment against x? And I'm sure most people could not consider their habits in any sort of logical framework. It's more a psychological field, and in that case it's not reducible to the mathematical.

Mathematicians , not everything in life is solvable by an equation

I know you weren't serious btw

 

[symbolipoint]

Small amounts once in a while, or small amounts every few days -
but I prefer coffee far far more than alcohol. Alcohol makes critical logical problem-solving and conceptual thinking very difficult. Alcohol seems to be a big interference to studying.

 

[radou]

Alcohol makes critical logical problem-solving and conceptual thinking very difficult

Umm, I'm not so sure about that.

 

[JasonRox]

Small amounts once in a while, or small amounts every few days -
but I prefer coffee far far more than alcohol. Alcohol makes critical logical problem-solving and conceptual thinking very difficult. Alcohol seems to be a big interference to studying.

Coffee doesn't help in the thinking category at all. Atleast that's how I experience it.

 

[Astronuc]

I find that with age, I do not like being inebriated. If I drink an alcoholic beverage now, it's usually with a meal or snack. I might have one drink of beer in an evening after work.

I have a preference for dark beers (stouts and porters), certain red wines (syrah, shirarz, Lembergers, merlots), and single malt scotch. And that is usually in conjunction with a meal.

 

[scorpa]

I rarely drink, and have never been or desire to get drunk. Everyonce in a while I might have a cooler or beer with some friends, usually while camping, but my favorite is probably just good old rye and coke. I used to hate beer but I've kind of developed a little bit of a taste for it since I started curling again last winter lol.

 

[gravenewworld]

Please let me in on some of the brand names of the American beer you like. I've enjoyed Olympia, Rainier and Old Millwalkie(sp).

Old Milwaukee !? No wonder you think American beer tastes like crap. Here is a list of beers that you need to try

Yeungling Lager-best big name American beer. Much Much Much better than Coors, Bud light, Miller Lite, etc.

Victory Storm King Stout-Incredible Imperial Russian Stout

Victory Hop Devil-Amazing IPA. Has been voted one of the best beers in the world before.

Dogfish Head 120 Min IPA- Do you Europeans and Canadians think you can handle a 20% IPA?

Dark Lord Imperial Stout- Probably the one of the best beers in the world. Easily.

Arrogant Bastard Ale- one of my favorites. Pours well, has good head, nice copper color, and nice hoppy flavor.

Anything from American breweries like Rogue, Victory, Troegs, Dogfish Head, Three Floyds are really good beers. There are TONS of American microbreweries that are out there making incredible beers. You just have to discover them on your own.

I really hate when Canadians and Europeans say "American beers taste like water" when they are only basing this off of beers that they have tried like coors, bud light, and miller lite. Good American beers are 10x's better than pretty much all Canadian beers and just as good or even better than 95% of all German and Belgium beers. Don't get me wrong though, there are some awesome German and Belgium beers that I really like. I am kind of a beer connoisseur, and Americans definitely make a lot of my favorite beers.

 

[Danger]

My drinking habits are a matter of public record. I got home from work at about 6:15, it's now 9:15, and I'm well into my 6th beer. There are 6 more in the fridge, and a couple of shots of tequila in the cupboard, and there might or might not be any left when I turn in for the night. You guys are the ultimate judges of this, but I believe that I can maintain a reasonable level of coherency despite my habits.

 

[gravenewworld]

You guys are the ultimate judges of this, but I believe that I can maintain a reasonable level of coherency despite my habits.

Easily. You can drink without getting drunk. I do it all the time (but of course I have over done it before). Although I rarely ever drink 6 beers at once without getting drunk, people are all different and can drink different amounts.

 

[Smurf]

(1) I can't imagine why people would drink.
(2) Wine fumes, and some beer fumes, make me feel ill.
(3) I dread ever having to interact with a drunk person!

When I'm drunk is the only time I can interact with normal people (people not as intense as me) without great difficulty. I still don't do it very often, but I've never had a bad drunk night... okay, except that one time *shudder*

 

[Smurf]

You guys are the ultimate judges of this, but I believe that I can maintain a reasonable level of coherency despite my habits.

I agree completely. When I'm drunk, even if I know I sure as hell can't stand up, I still think I'm quite capable of thinking rationally and conducting myself (except the occasional stumble) in a perfectly sober manner. When I want to.

 

[Smurf]

I find that with age, I do not like being inebriated. If I drink an alcoholic beverage now, it's usually with a meal or snack. I might have one drink of beer in an evening after work.

I have a preference for dark beers (stouts and porters), certain red wines (syrah, shirarz, Lembergers, merlots), and single malt scotch. And that is usually in conjunction with a meal.

I like having a Guinness with my meals. Fills me right up.

 

[baywax]

Old Milwaukee !? No wonder you think American beer tastes like crap. Here is a list of beers that you need to try

Yeungling Lager-best big name American beer. Much Much Much better than Coors, Bud light, Miller Lite, etc.

Victory Storm King Stout-Incredible Imperial Russian Stout

Victory Hop Devil-Amazing IPA. Has been voted one of the best beers in the world before.

Dogfish Head 120 Min IPA- Do you Europeans and Canadians think you can handle a 20% IPA?

Dark Lord Imperial Stout- Probably the one of the best beers in the world. Easily.

Arrogant Bastard Ale- one of my favorites. Pours well, has good head, nice copper color, and nice hoppy flavor.

Anything from American breweries like Rogue, Victory, Troegs, Dogfish Head, Three Floyds are really good beers. There are TONS of American microbreweries that are out there making incredible beers. You just have to discover them on your own.

I really hate when Canadians and Europeans say "American beers taste like water" when they are only basing this off of beers that they have tried like coors, bud light, and miller lite. Good American beers are 10x's better than pretty much all Canadian beers and just as good or even better than 95% of all German and Belgium beers. Don't get me wrong though, there are some awesome German and Belgium beers that I really like. I am kind of a beer connoisseur, and Americans definitely make a lot of my favorite beers.

Thank you kind connoisseur. Actually I didn't say I thought American beer was bad. To tell you the absolute truth all Canadian beer is absolute skank to the max (as they say). Even the micro-brewery stuff. Totally green and stinky! Even English beer blows rather redonkulously. German beer is a whole other story

I've always had a taste for the American beers I've mentioned and I now have some more to try out!

I was in the diplomat's end of Washington DC and ended up at a bar, tavern, pub in that district that had about 500 different beers on the menu. I saw some of those you mentioned but I was being treated by some friends and a few pitchers of something really good but I don't know the name.

 

[baywax]

I like having a Guinness with my meals. Fills me right up.

You mean Guiness for your meals My nephew can drink 3 Guinesses to my one... and that's where I stop because its like steak and eggs under some foam.

 

[gravenewworld]

Thank you kind connoisseur. Actually I didn't say I thought American beer was bad. To tell you the absolute truth all Canadian beer is absolute skank to the max (as they say). Even the micro-brewery stuff. Totally green and stinky! Even English beer blows rather redonkulously. German beer is a whole other story

I've always had a taste for the American beers I've mentioned and I now have some more to try out!

I was in the diplomat's end of Washington DC and ended up at a bar, tavern, pub in that district that had about 500 different beers on the menu. I saw some of those you mentioned but I was being treated by some friends and a few pitchers of something really good but I don't know the name.

Would it be the Brickskeller? The Brickskeller in DC is AMAZING! They have the world's largest beer list to choose from!

 

[Smurf]

You mean Guiness for your meals My nephew can drink 3 Guinesses to my one... and that's where I stop because its like steak and eggs under some foam.

I'm often surprised at my own ability to consume. I had a Guinness today with the biggest chicken burger I have ever seen in my life (it was delicious - and the pub is just down the street from my house!). It also came with a chowder. So I ate that too, then had another Guinness. Took about an hour total. But damn, that Guinness sure is filling, sometimes it's like "Hello, I'd like a Guinness with a meal on the side"

 

[Astronuc]

I was thinking the thread should be social drinking as opposed to recreational drinking.

I like having a Guinness with my meals. Fills me right up.

Guinness is usually the beer of choice, since it's readily available. Otherwise, I'd drink Samuel Smith's (Tadcaster, UK) Taddy Porter or Oatmeal Stout. Their Nut Brown Ale is also very good.

http://www.tadcaster.uk.com/breweriesSamuelSmith.htm
http://www.merchantduvin.com/pages/5_breweries/samsmith.html

I also like Chimay Red Trappiste Ale.

I've enjoyed most of the beers that gravenewworld mentioned.

I avoid Budweiser, Miller, Coors, . . . .

I had a Guinness today with the biggest chicken burger I have ever seen in my life (it was delicious - and the pub is just down the street from my house!).

When I was a grad student, most Friday's a group of grad students would head over to the nearby Deluxe Burger Bar, which served a hundred or so brands of beer, most of which were imported. We had early dinner, which was often some exotic style of hamburger, and several beers. I usually had a pint of Guinness in the mix. There was a checklist that several of us went through at least once.

 

[baywax]

Would it be the Brickskeller? The Brickskeller in DC is AMAZING! They have the world's largest beer list to choose from!

That's the place dude! Thanks.

 

[baywax]

I'm often surprised at my own ability to consume. I had a Guinness today with the biggest chicken burger I have ever seen in my life (it was delicious - and the pub is just down the street from my house!). It also came with a chowder. So I ate that too, then had another Guinness. Took about an hour total. But damn, that Guinness sure is filling, sometimes it's like "Hello, I'd like a Guinness with a meal on the side"

Hee hee.

In Germany there's a beer called "Maltz". Its only 1% alc and its quite sweet. Almost like a Deutch version of Coke but not as sweet and nails don't rot in it.

Its primarily for pregnant mothers because it boosts their nutrients and gives them a bit of a relaxing buzz without harming the foetus. It can also serve as calming influence on the toddler (snicker) and not too harmful. Gets them primed for the 674 varieties of beer in their home town when they grow up. Diversity Rules!

 

[Cyrus]

That's the place dude! Thanks.

Im going to go down and check that place out.