Poll: How many cocktails do you have per week?

[ExFlyBoy5]

We do enjoy the occasional adult beverage but usually once every couple weeks or so. During pool (and grass mowing) seasons, beer is the go to. Could be a couple beers. Could be 6+ beers...depends on the mood. We don't drink all the "fancy beer" (it was great for a while but just too many to pick from these days) so alcohol content isn't too high.

We have mixed drinks once in a blue moon or Bailey's with my coffee.

 

[Asabino]

On odd months, I'll have one drink a night and on a rare occasion, i"ll have two. On even months, zero alcohol. I figure a monthly break for the liver may go a long way. That's just me.

 

[F.I.R.E User]

I don’t drink. What is the health benefit?

 

[Vacation4us]

About once a month for me. Usually in a social situation or night out. Haven’t drank at home unless we have company in ages. My father was a recovering alcohol who had 10 years sober when he died 20 years ago. Dad gave me my first drink at 12 on a fishing trip. Got seasick. Everyone in my family drinks, not to excess but I often say I don’t have an off switch. I drank more in the past but for me it’s been a natural progression to drink less and less as I age.

 

[template]

I don't drink.

 

[Hermit]

We do enjoy the occasional adult beverage but usually once every couple weeks or so. During pool (and grass mowing) seasons, beer is the go to. Could be a couple beers. Could be 6+ beers...depends on the mood. We don't drink all the "fancy beer" (it was great for a while but just too many to pick from these days) so alcohol content isn't too high.

We have mixed drinks once in a blue moon or Bailey's with my coffee.

You have inspired me! I think I will have a Blue Moon this evening!

I probably buy a case or of beer a week. I dont drink that much, but a lot of folks drop by to enjoy a beer or two and some good conversation. My goal is to have a fully stocked bar when the home theater is complete. I dont know much about mixed drinks, but I think learning would be fun. Up here in the back country most people like beer so we will see how it goes.

 

[latexman]

Wine turns to vinegar in my stomach, so no wine, ever.

I’m partial to anything Sam Adams makes. I’ll have only 1-2 a week.

Maybe once per month I’ll sip on a cocktail - usually 1/4 Elijah Craig, 1/4 diet Sundrop, fill with ice, top with 3 maraschino cherries. Occasionally I’ll make it a gin and tonic.

 

[hotwired]

We actually have class 5 hurricanes and margaritas made with fresh squeezed limes and organic sugar, we use empty Jose cuervo mixer bottles. We're the envy of all our friends because these two particular recipes are better than anything any of them have ever had. That said, the alcohol content is 35% 80 proof liquor. We have about two a day six or seven days a week.

 

[meleana]

I used to drink a standard bottle of white wine each weekend. Now I’m not as crazy for wine and I find myself having a few glasses of Irish cream or screwdrivers or margaritas.

My son has also gotten me into craft beer so if we go out for lunch I sometimes will order one of those.

 

[Rambler]

I don’t drink, but, I keep a cheap 500ml box of Chardonnay and a cheap 500ml box of Cabernet in my fridge or pantry. I only use them four cooking. That said, I really, really like to sauté mushrooms in butter and the Chardonnay for chicken dishes, and the Cab for roast beef. And from time to time, I’ll braise a chuck roast in the Cab. It takes me about a six months to a year to go thru a box of each. A couple weeks ago, I got a hankering for a beer battered fish and onion ring dinner, so I bought a single can of beer. It was an experiment, and I kind of failed…wasn’t as good as restaurant beer battered onion rings/fish. Might try again. Might not.

 

[WhenIsItTime]

Interesting how many folks only drink when “out”. Much cheaper at home.

Hung out with my college roommate this past weekend. Pretty sure > 14 in 3 days.

 

[brett]

I believe that longevity has more to do with genes that things like moderate alcohol consumption.

My grandfather smoked Cuban cigars and or a pipe all his life. Scotch drinker...neat thank you very much. Died peacefully in hiis own bed, in his sleep at 88.

Father the same. Lifelong smoker, wine with dinner many nights. Died suddenly and quickly at 87.

 

[RobbieB]

Yeah. Pops gave up smoking & drinking in the hospital and in rehab.

After I'd spring him and drive him home he'd ask me for a martini and a cigarette.

Died in his sleep at 92.

 

[Calico]

I don't drink; never have.

Alcoholism runs rampant in my immediate and extended family - on both sides.

Growing up I only ever saw the downside, so I was never tempted to try it.

 

[MTB4me]

Never did care for the taste of alcohol. Probably saved a bunch of money over the years as a result. Exercise continues to be my favorite method to relieve stress.

 

[Bunker]

Retired early to SE Asia, didn't fill the sudden time void with drinking the first 4 years, but eventually sought out and found social connection (in English) at the expat watering holes in town.



Went down that rabbit hole for about 3 or so years, 2 to sometimes 4 times a week, but still thoroughly enjoyed the idea of being free from the rat race. Beers at Margaritaville on a Monday afternoon? Sure, why not! Time of day, or even what day it is, isn't a factor anymore, and there's always people around to drink and shoot the breeze with.



In a sudden rush of introspection one day, realized I'd become, or was well on my way to becoming, one of those expat bar flies I'd seen and heard about for years. Gained a bunch of beer and burger weight, felt and probably looked like hell most of the time, and my personality and behavior changed, not for the better.



Managed to extract myself from the viscous cycle of my own doing with a rigorous exercise program, got off the smokes, lost 25 pounds and felt like I was coming out of being lost in a thick fog bank. Not much fun being on the outside of the social group, spending a lot of time alone again, and they probably think I'm nose up looking down on them, but I think it was an act of self-preservation. Still get out and drink, just not as frequently. Curbing the binge habit is still a work in progress.



The gut punch came last year watching 3 guys in the group die from liver cancer, one after the other, within 6-months. That got my attention, and seemed to chill the overall mood at the watering holes, but only temporarily.



That's the cautionary tale I relay to anyone who asks me about retiring to paradise overseas, especially one with a significant culture and language barrier. Got to have your s**t wired tight, not just financially but also mentally and physically, to deal with the sudden influx of time on your hands while Livin' the Dream.

 

[Music Lover]

Further to what Bunker said. We recently spent about 5 weeks in Florida...it's nice to get away from the cold but sometimes it's tempting to act like it's an "all-in" vacation.

We had a 1 or 2 beers around the pool in the afternoon a few times but for the most part we tried (and did) act like we were at home, except the weather was nicer.

 

[JRon]

A few drinks a week - either bourbon or beer.

 

[folly]

I have 2 to 4 drinks a week normally at social events. At 63 I find that if I drink more than one drink in a given evening then I become so dehydrated the next day that I get cramps in my calves. If I take a aleve or other OTC pain reliever the same thing happens.

 

[USGrant1962]

I gotta say this poll is a little off by using "less than 1" per week, which combines occasional drinkers with teetotalers. I'm not sure what the value is when >40% of the responses are mixed up that way, especially when this particular cohort has so many occasionals.

 

[Jerry1]

I gotta say this poll is a little off by using "less than 1" per week, which combines occasional drinkers with teetotalers. I'm not sure what the value is when >40% of the responses are mixed up that way, especially when this particular cohort has so many occasionals.

I agree, but this is just a poll on the internet. My concern is that they structure the question the same on health documents (annual forms at the doctor’s office). It doesn’t take into consideration that many weeks I don’t drink at all and then a couple weeks I drink more than a few. It’s hard to convey that to a doctor in a canned survey that they use.

 

[CCdaCE]

I agree, but this is just a poll on the internet. My concern is that they structure the question the same on health documents (annual forms at the doctor’s office). It doesn’t take into consideration that many weeks I don’t drink at all and then a couple weeks I drink more than a few. It’s hard to convey that to a doctor in a canned survey that they use.

I didn't drink until I was 21. Then I drank for about 21 years. It increased over the last 5. I had some health issues that were probably alcohol related - torn bowel - surgery eventually fixed that but not before my kidneys and liver started to fail. Awaiting transplant now, for who knows how long, but I am in better health than those last 5 years. Been sober for 2 years, actually tomorrow.

My point is, it was always funny to me that in addiction counseling, it seemed any amount was too much. The best answer I heard to how much you drink: "Sometimes too much, sometimes not enough." I was in much better shape than many of my fellow attendee's. (Never lost my job, wife, house, life, etc.) But, alcoholism in my family was/is genetic, at least on my mom's side. So it was an all or nothing approach, it seemed for those family members. Drinking one beer, or two, to me, was like eating one potato chip. No one ever does that, that I know of. Lays made it their slogan!

My grandpa warned me and that stuck with me until I was 21 and beyond, when several of my friends drank prior to it being legal.

If I would've stuck with the burger and just a beer mentality, and not hours at the bar or weeknights at home, things probably would've continued fine, like they did the first 15 years after 21. It was a slippery slope, for me.

And that concludes my public service announcement Not that anyone asked!

These studies lead me to believe that it is justification for drinking, by the researchers, their funders, whoever.

My wife still has a beer or couple when we go out, or has had a rough week, holidays, etc. It doesn't bother me, surprisingly. But, she supported me and stayed sober when I first started sobriety, too. That helped.

-CC

 

[kgtest]

I didn't drink until I was 21. Then I drank for about 21 years. It increased over the last 5. I had some health issues that were probably alcohol related - torn bowel - surgery eventually fixed that but not before my kidneys and liver started to fail. Awaiting transplant now, for who knows how long, but I am in better health than those last 5 years. Been sober for 2 years, actually tomorrow.

My point is, it was always funny to me that in addiction counseling, it seemed any amount was too much. The best answer I heard to how much you drink: "Sometimes too much, sometimes not enough." I was in much better shape than many of my fellow attendee's. (Never lost my job, wife, house, life, etc.) But, alcoholism in my family was/is genetic, at least on my mom's side. So it was an all or nothing approach, it seemed for those family members. Drinking one beer, or two, to me, was like eating one potato chip. No one ever does that, that I know of. Lays made it their slogan!

My grandpa warned me and that stuck with me until I was 21 and beyond, when several of my friends drank prior to it being legal.

If I would've stuck with the burger and just a beer mentality, and not hours at the bar or weeknights at home, things probably would've continued fine, like they did the first 15 years after 21. It was a slippery slope, for me.

And that concludes my public service announcement Not that anyone asked!

These studies lead me to believe that it is justification for drinking, by the researchers, their funders, whoever.

My wife still has a beer or couple when we go out, or has had a rough week, holidays, etc. It doesn't bother me, surprisingly. But, she supported me and stayed sober when I first started sobriety, too. That helped.

-CC

Sounds similar to my story. I started drinking at age 20, maybe just shy of 20. I remember I had a fake ID so I know it was before 20. I drank at an increased rate as time progressed, ending with maybe 6 beers a night, every night. I had gained a bunch of weight, but I was a high functioning alcoholic. Had my own business, was able to break into a successful IT career, buy a home, had a good girlfriend etc. I partially believe it was how I was raised that helped me succeed as others failed. The last thing I drank was Franzia wine....ohh the lows were low. A buddy (ended up becoming best man in my wedding) who weighed about 260lb at the time said, dude if you think you are gonna take another sip you gotta get through me first. No way I was gonna win that fight. I had caring people all around, but also had bad apples and unsupportive friends everywhere. I checked myself into outpatient the next morning and I think within a few days was getting the therapy that I needed. Second day of outpatient my buddies, knowing I was in treatment, invited me out to the bar to like celebrate. I kinda shook my head and stayed away from the scene for a few months. Re-aligned my priorities and group of friends. I've been sober for over 10 years now. I finally quit at age 27, maybe 28 I guess I can't remember completely which is a great thing for me.

I didn't have real health issues, but did get in trouble with the law a bit while intoxicated. It wasn't enough to haunt me nor hinder me and have since gone on to be quite successful. Reading the Big Book really opened my eyes that although successful, Bill and the other guys showed me that likely I could be even MORE successful and that really appealed to me. I am not involved in AA, but absolutely understand the power of it. A whole group of folks dedicated to helping others overcome the same issue they had to overcome..and it works. Very impressive organization and the only one of its kind.

I've lost friends to alcoholism...or maybe acquaintances. One fell down the stairs and died of head trauma. Another one died of kidney failure. A third recently passed away a few weeks ago to cardiac arrest after having problems with the pandemic...a real social butterfly that at age 34 left us far too early. By the grace of god I got out of this alive. Genetics, runs in moms family. It always bothered me that sisters and dad never had issues handling the booze nor a bad relationship with alcohol, but eventually I sobered up and realized I only get one life, my as well make the most of it without alcohol slowing me down. I'm so far grateful of the results. Married to my girlfriend I spoke of earlier, 3 kids, biggest house on the block, very successful IT career, many loving and supportive people surrounding me. I couldn't have asked for a better outcome. I never had one beer in the fridge, what the hell would be the point...not for me. I have none.

One day I drank 21 beers. I was at a family picnic and brought a case with me. At the end of the night, I had only given 3 away, 2 to my BIL and one to my dad who never even opened it. That was an eye opener and the beginning of the end.

CC- I hope you get the kidney soon! Prayers for your quick resolution.

 

[Teacher Terry]

Kgtest, so sorry about your friends dying. Alcoholism does tend to run in families. I have always thought that one day we will know more about that. The Naked Mind Community also has a online support group that is different than AA.

 

[kgtest]

Kgtest, so sorry about your friends dying. Alcoholism does tend to run in families. I have always thought that one day we will know more about that. The Naked Mind Community also has a online support group that is different than AA.

I'll have to check that out. I appreciate the condolences. Alcoholism is a terrible thing.