We drink a small glass of wine with dinner on week days and one beer or two on week-ends. We rarely indulge in hard liquors and cocktails, except for the occasional Tom Collins. So say, for the 2 of us, 2 bottles of wine and 4 packs of beer per month plus one bottle of gin per year, total about $60 a month (we very rarely eat out, and when we do, we rarely consume alcohol).
Now, if we entertain at home, chances are we will spend a lot more on booze.
A couple of stories about booze:
1) When I was in grad school, I was consuming only 1 beer per week, on Friday nights. My doctor said that I needed to see a counselor to address my "drinking problem"... Which was amusing because, where I come from, having a "drinking problem" usually refers to someone who does not drink enough!
2) Once, when buying a pack of beer in Alabama, I was lectured about the dangers and immorality of drinking alcohol by the guy standing in line next to me at the register.
P.S. I am getting one of those Vinturi aerators for Christmas.