Day drinker? Nighttime wino? Life of the party? Social drinks? Drink to get drunk? Drink to have sex? Special occasions only? Stress or problem drinker? Designated driver? Totally sober?
We don’t know about you, but it seems that the older some of get the more complicated consuming alcohol has become — hello two day hangover! Whereas some of us can down a half bottle of wine or more on the reg and wake up feeling refreshed and ready to conquer. Whether you can relate to one of those listed above or fall somewhere in between, we want to know what kind of relationship you have with booze and why. What kind of drinker are you? Join the conversation, below.
Rachel
May 13, 2019 at 11:29 amI find myself being someone who drinks to feel bold and daring, to feel big enough to shed my own self-awareness and to ask the cute guy smoking whether he’d let me borrow his lighter. If I’m with friends, I’ll try making more friends with the table next to ours with a question like, “Do you think you could take down a car with your own bare hands, or do you think your existentialism would stop you from trying?” If I’m on a date, it, for the most part, inevitably ends up in sex. What can I say? My eyes grow more wide-eyed and I blink slower; most men eat that sh*t up.
Chloe
May 13, 2019 at 1:55 pmI evolved into an mostly sober person by accident after I started really working out properly. Even just one glass of wine made me feel less strong, less power and mobility, less able to just..move quickly. The loss of authority was so irritating I abandoned drinking almost entirely. I’ll splurge on occasion, especially if someone suggests a double date at a natural wine bar, but that probably happens once a quarter, at most. Not an intentional sobriety, it just happened that way.
Yanii
May 13, 2019 at 4:32 pmI said I would never drink alcohol. And I got done with college without ever having even a cup of wine or a bottle of beer. I’m 27 now and completely enjoy a cocktail here and there, but still not big on drinker and that’s okay with me.
Suzanne
May 13, 2019 at 6:21 pmI was a big drinker from the time I was 16. I come from a town that breeds drinkers, it’s actually quite frightening. It is such a casual and common thing and our liquor stores are actually government run. I’m now 44 and over one year sober. I’ve made it my mission to help people in recovery. I’ve started an online forum called Sober Society YQR. I’ve seen drinking destroy too many lives.
Rae
May 14, 2019 at 7:44 amTotally sober. Still not sure if I was an alcoholic, but I was definitely a frug addict and wanted to get totally clean. Feels great, although I definitely miss a cool glass of Sauvignon Blanc once in a blue moon. But sobriety has changed my
life so profoundly I can’t see myself indulging.
JL
May 14, 2019 at 9:50 amI’m nearly 23 and have only tasted alcohol two or three times. I’ve never really had an interest in it, and I think it tastes like how sunscreen smells. Aside from that, I have firsthand experience with seeing how alcohol can hurt a family (my family), and I want no part in anything so destructive. I pass absolutely no judgment on those that drink, and I wish sometimes it wasn’t so shocking to people when I’d prefer ginger ale.
Augie
May 14, 2019 at 10:24 amI started working in the food industry as soon as I left my hometown at 16. Drinking was a social event, often a daily ritual for coworkers to partake in. We would have wine and beer tastings during the day whenever we rotated the menu, family style dinners in the evening which almost always included alcohol, or drinks after work. Raised by sober parents, I ended up becoming very knowledgeable on alcohol at quite a young age. I’ve been able to find a balance with it, and definitely dont drink daily, and really enjoy it for the the taste and social aspects.
Katie
May 14, 2019 at 3:21 pmI’m an aspiring glass of wine on the porch swing with a good book and a doobie drinker but occasionally I’m a one cheap beer leads to another shot of tequila, “let’s steal the bouncers walkie-talkie and convince everyone in the bar to countdown to midnight like it’s New Years” drinker.
Emily
May 15, 2019 at 12:33 pmI am the child of two recovering alcoholics. My parents actually met in an AA meeting. My dad was the speaker that day, my mom came up to him after the meeting, complimented his talk, and the rest was history. Both of my parents devoted a lot of their life to recovery and AA, my mom to this day sponsors more than 5 women. I have not experienced any dependence on drinking, but I do enjoy a glass of natural wine at the end of most work days. Because of the path of my parents and genetic susceptibility, I choose to be very self aware and cautious when it comes to drinking. I also am unable to indulge in more than one glass of wine without feeling the physical side effects the next day thanks to aging.
Em
May 17, 2019 at 3:49 pmI’ve never really been into alcohol — trust me, I’ve tried. I’d much rather have a big cup of tea, or mushroom coffee with adaptogenic herbs, or hot water with lots of lemon. My body knows its balance, and doesn’t need any big chemical alterations, rather some gentle support is what leaves me feeling my best. Like anyone else, it did take some experimenting to get to this place. Back in my junior high days, my friends and I felt so rebellious, sneaking into the garage fridge, fishing out one wine cooler – yes, one single wine cooler – and taking it down to the riverfront to watch the sunset. The scene was perfect, that’s what I was there for — I never made it past a sip or two.
Back in my early 20’s I was into the bar scene as much as I ever could be, which wasn’t much — I can think of a million things that are more fun than hanging in a bar, it’s just not my personality type — I could never drink like my friends did. My body just can’t handle more than half a glass. I consider it a blessing — for my body, my mind and my pocketbook. Very rarely do I drink — less than once a month, most of the time, sometimes even less. I’ve never been able to drink to the point of blacking out — another blessing, I’d say. We do keep alcohol in the house, but mainly for cooking and baking. I’ll only drink at home once in a blue moon, and never alone. I just don’t see the fun in that. A little glass at a dinner party is fun.
My stepfather struggled with, and eventually succumbed to, alcoholism. That was heartbreaking to watch and to experience. Of course it influences how I view alcohol consumption, how could it not? I thank my lucky stars everyday that I just don’t have the genetic composition to crave alcohol. When I do drink, it’s half a glass of wine with my husband, enjoyed as a wine tasting — for the flavor and food pairing. I do it for the gastro-curiosity. Only top notch imbibing for me, and when you don’t drink often at all, the best is in the budget! About a year ago, I took a break from drinking altogether.
Taking a break from alcohol taught me how to interact at parties without it — I realized that even that little half glass made for a nice social pacifier. It’s nice to know that I don’t need alcohol to have fun. During my break this past year, it felt a bit awkward when I was the only one not drinking — literally on a different vibe, different brain chemicals going on, than everyone around me. That took getting used to, but you do get used to it, with practice.
We just went to Vegas earlier this month and I did drink there. I had half a piña colada by the pool, half a glass of wine at dinner, shared a drink flight during a foodie tour (didn’t finish the drinks or the food, a bite here and a sip there adds up), had a whole (amazing!) cocktail at Skyfall, a few sips of champagne at high tea. Never was I drunk, it was basically half a glass to a glass of alcohol a day. That was nice. Since I’ve been back I haven’t felt inspired to drink — it really is a social, celebratory thing for me, and it feels right that way. I’ve gotten used to balancing my alcohol intake, sometimes saying yes, sometimes no, and always knowing when enough is enough. By the way, half a glass leads me to zero hangover at all. Sometimes a whole glass can be going too hard for your liver, even if it seems like so little. I just remember to follow what my body tells me over anything social expectation, pressure, or assumptions would.
Rose
May 20, 2019 at 2:57 pmI love drinking but my hangovers have become psychic
Nightmares. I feel so much better when I don’t drink
At all but it is hard to stick to for more than a couple
Months. I start to crave that feeling of release and letting loose. But then I go out and wish I hadn’t most of the time. Also when I drink I become Rockafeller and buy people drinks- so I spend way too much money. So basically I think the cons are not worth the pros these days.