evildave
Unregistered
E
I seem to recall that the USAF had a "problem drinking" rate of 50% among all of its members when I was in (1985~90).
Of course, that's not a representative sample of "US citizens", either.
O' course, when I visited the UK (where I spent a month in Ufton and discovered cider), I also discovered that everyone I met there drank an astounding quantity of alcahol very regularly.
Perhaps that's "small samples" talking, but definitely what seems like a LOT of drinking to me is light drinking to others.
Of course, that's not a representative sample of "US citizens", either.
O' course, when I visited the UK (where I spent a month in Ufton and discovered cider), I also discovered that everyone I met there drank an astounding quantity of alcahol very regularly.
Perhaps that's "small samples" talking, but definitely what seems like a LOT of drinking to me is light drinking to others.
UnrepentantSinner
A post by Alan Smithee
fishbob
Seasonally Disaffected
I like beer. I like wine. I like champagne, and bourbon, and tequila, and whisky, and scotch. I learned, through personal experience, a long long time ago that waking up with a hangover hurts a lot - much more than I am willing to ever deal with again. My last over-indulgence was more than 20 years ago.
I have a little wine with dinner fairly often. Sometimes a beer instead. Sometimes a beer or two on a weekend afternoon. I wait for special occassions for the other stuff.
I have a little wine with dinner fairly often. Sometimes a beer instead. Sometimes a beer or two on a weekend afternoon. I wait for special occassions for the other stuff.
roger said:
Ah, a man after my own heart. What price?
My wife and I will knock off a bottle of good, nay , excellent!, red wine a night, me probably taking 2/3 of it.
We HAVE to drink them, you see - it's called cycling the cellar
I blame the glasses we use, personally. We have these bloody humungous crystal thingies that hold 700 ml, 50 ml short of the bottle contents. Having two glasses a night means the bottle is gone pretty quick. No, we don't fill the glasses all the way, that's not the point ...
roger
Penultimate Amazing
- Joined
- May 22, 2002
- Messages
- 11,466
Oh, I don't know exactly, call it $23. I was at the wine shop earlier last night and pricing some Trockenbeerenauslese. At 85 and up, I just walked away.EvilBiker said:
My problem is I'm a wine snob. Not so much that I need expensive wines, but most wines are just a pleasant drink to me, not particularly noteworthy compared to a beer, a sparkling apple cider (non-alcoholic), etc. I can take it or leave it. But those wines where the winery has gone all out on - heaven. So I don't tend to drink much wine. Lately I have gotten the best bang for my buck by staying away from the Cabs, etc, and spending on after dinner wines that you are happy sipping tiny amounts of, and that you can leave uncorked for awhile - tawny ports, etc. 2 oz of fabulous wine beats a couple of glasses of average/good wine, and actually works out cheaper.
Sandy M
Thinker
- Joined
- Oct 3, 2002
- Messages
- 183
A couple of glasses of white wine (I get migraines from red) at Thanksgiving and Xmas.
Rarely even at parties, since I'm usually the designated driver.
Occasionally a glass of white white at home with dinner - maybe once in a 2-3 month period. If I should happen to go out for dinner, perhaps one margarita before/with dinner.
That's about it. I find that migraines are a wonderful aversion factor vis-a-vis drinking. If more than the amount of alcohol in one normal margarita will set one off.... I won't even chance it. White wine seems less of a problem in that regard.
Rarely even at parties, since I'm usually the designated driver.
Occasionally a glass of white white at home with dinner - maybe once in a 2-3 month period. If I should happen to go out for dinner, perhaps one margarita before/with dinner.
That's about it. I find that migraines are a wonderful aversion factor vis-a-vis drinking. If more than the amount of alcohol in one normal margarita will set one off.... I won't even chance it. White wine seems less of a problem in that regard.
roger said:Oh, I don't know exactly, call it $23. I was at the wine shop earlier last night and pricing some Trockenbeerenauslese. At 85 and up, I just walked away.
I'm lucky in that I have a wife who works in the industry, so we get wine at rock bottom prices. Our current everyday house wine is a '98 gold medal Cab Sav which costs us roughly, oooh, $3.25 a bottle. Market price is about $8.70.
Yeah, I've become one too, it seems. I suppose it was inevitable - once you get seriously introduced to excellent wines, you find it difficult to go back to the arbitrary stuff you used to drink. Not that I'm complaining, mind
On dessert wines - if you ever get a chance, keep an eye out for a sparkling Botrytis from Nederburg, called Private Bin 2001 Noble Late Harvest - sounds unusual, but it's worth it's weight in gold. It's made in the charmat method, and it just rocks. Get a couple of bottles for your grandchildren to enjoy while you're at it
Oh, the wife works here.
Ove
Master Poster
- Joined
- Aug 6, 2001
- Messages
- 2,945
I think the major difference between USA and the continent in this matter is very basic. To many Americans alcohol is a way to get drunk, period. It is seen a "the devils tool" and even liberal thinking people sees it as "a bit naughty". It probably comes from the fact that a lot of the original immigrants was, to put it nice, very religous (sekterian to be blunt) and very condemning over the good things in life (Amish-role-model).
It has been mentioned before but the difference is very clearly seen if you look at bars. In USA a bar is a place where men go to get drunk and grope at the waitresses. Nice girls certainly don't frequent bars, and children are definitely NOT allowed. "Sam's bar" was a good example, how many women (not staff) did you see?
In contrast an english pub is, as someone said, "the extension of your living room". The whole family meets at the local pub, talking, singing, eating, watching TV, playing Dart ...etc. Yes they have a pint or two but they very rarely gets drunk. The kids grow up with the knowledge that alcohol is nothing special, somethings the adults drink because they like it.
Regarding alcoholism. I had a brother in law once (they are divorced now). He did not drink much but if he drank it lasted two or three days. He could go weeks, even months where he did not touch alcohol but then, if he had one beer, he went on a rampage. He simply could not stop. That is not alcoholism in the defined way but i say it is just as bad.
It has been mentioned before but the difference is very clearly seen if you look at bars. In USA a bar is a place where men go to get drunk and grope at the waitresses. Nice girls certainly don't frequent bars, and children are definitely NOT allowed. "Sam's bar" was a good example, how many women (not staff) did you see?
In contrast an english pub is, as someone said, "the extension of your living room". The whole family meets at the local pub, talking, singing, eating, watching TV, playing Dart ...etc. Yes they have a pint or two but they very rarely gets drunk. The kids grow up with the knowledge that alcohol is nothing special, somethings the adults drink because they like it.
Regarding alcoholism. I had a brother in law once (they are divorced now). He did not drink much but if he drank it lasted two or three days. He could go weeks, even months where he did not touch alcohol but then, if he had one beer, he went on a rampage. He simply could not stop. That is not alcoholism in the defined way but i say it is just as bad.
Evilbiker
My business partner recently returned from a 18 day South Africa trip. He loved the country. And he couldn't stop complementing the wine. He said it was wonderful and dramatically inexpensive.
It's unfortunate that we have to spend $20 - $30 for a really good varietal red here, and you can get a better wine there for $7.
Oh well.
My business partner recently returned from a 18 day South Africa trip. He loved the country. And he couldn't stop complementing the wine. He said it was wonderful and dramatically inexpensive.
It's unfortunate that we have to spend $20 - $30 for a really good varietal red here, and you can get a better wine there for $7.
Oh well.