Alcohol is an embedded part of the western culture – especially in the Nordics.
Whenever we go to social outings you can be 100% sure that there will be alcohol on the table. Dinner at grandmas, dinner with the in-laws, at birthdays, funerals, weddings, a quick visit to the neighbors – there’s alcohol.
Being a person of self-chosen abstinence, I sometimes find it a bit difficult to “fit in”. I’ve never really been interested in alcohol (not for any religious reasons or anything, I just never really enjoyed the taste of beer or wine).
Luckily though, people always include me in their parties or outings, even though they know I don’t really enjoy drinking alcohol. My friends (and my wife) always seem to enjoy having a designated driver. I don’t mind it, but in recent years it’s becoming more and more apparent to me that by choosing not to indulge in everyone’s favorite sport (of drinking), I not only “miss out” on the hangovers, but I miss out on something else as well: blowing off some steam.
When you are young, it’s much easier to “approach people” if you’ve got a little buzz going. You become more relaxed and are less fearful of – well, let’s face it: making an ass of yourself. I’ve been drunk a number of times in my youth (and maybe a handful in my adult life) and for every time I’ve woken up with a headache or that drowsiness that inevitably follows on the day after a wet night out, I’ve felt less and less inclined to do it again. I have a hard time understanding, how people can continue to put themselves through such misery – however, I definitely don’t judge them for doing so. Kudos to them for being able to it again and again. I guess you also build up some sort of tolerance over time. I know that mixing different types of alcohol is the typical recipe for a serious hangover, so perhaps people just stick to beer OR wine OR drinks?
I once went to the doctor for a “medical checkup” in relation to a life insurance. He asked me if I was smoking (or if I had smoked). I said no (I had 4 parents who chain-smoked growing up – no way I’d ever start smoking. It was gross AND it was expensive. What a stupid habit to indulge in!). He then asked me how many standard drinks I drank per week – not IF I drank – he asked how MUCH I drank. When I replied 0 he replied something the likes of: “OK?! Yes, you are indeed a bit boring (I had told him this fact earlier). I have to write 1, otherwise they won’t believe me”. This is a true story! Apparently no one in the insurance industry is willing to believe that you don’t drink!?
It doesn’t bother me that people drink. What bothers me though, is that there seem to be a general notion that if you CHOOSE not to drink, you are by definition weird or boring. In a society so focused on health it baffles me that we seem to have accepted that alcohol is a MUST in order to function properly today…It saddens me to be honest.
For some, indulging in alcohol becomes an obsession. An addiction. Some ruin their lives – or worse – they ruin other people’s lives. Upwards of 20% of traffic-related deaths relates to alcohol in Denmark. In Sweden it’s almost 33%. Don’t drink and drive, people.
There are however also studies that indicate that moderate drinking actually has a health benefit. I imagine this is due to the relaxing nature of intoxication. I myself is a happy drunk (as far as I remember). I remember that drunken feeling of happiness – and somehow your worries also seem to fade when you drink (and then come back tri-fold when you sober up…). And this is where it gets interesting. I feel like I worry way too much in recent years. It has come to the point where I now seriously consider taking up drinking. I like the occasional alcopop, and I’ve been known to drink a Piña colada every now and then – but I seldom drink at social outings. Perhaps it’s time to give it a whirl?
Somehow that just feels so wrong. Why would I take up an unhealthy habit in order to feel more…balanced?…
According to Healthline, wine holds several beneficial attributes when consumed in moderate amounts:
- May reduce your risk of heart disease
- May slow mental decline
- May protect against metabolic syndrome
- May reduce cancer risk
- May help with diabetes (white whine)
- May promote longevity (white wine)
It would appear as though the keyword here is May!
Wine in my opinion has one major drawback though: it tastes horrible! I’m certainly not convinced that this is the solution to any of my problems.
What about beer then!?
Unfortunately I don’t care much for the taste of beer either. This leaves me with the option of drinking some sort of mixer or party drink (like the before-mentioned Piña Colada). My friends like to refer to these type of drinks as “girlie drinks”. While I truly enjoy the taste (I do love me some sugar), these type of drinks contains way too many calories which I’m sure would negate any health benefits that the alcohol may contain. That thus leaves me with one finale option: drink the alcohol neat/clean. I’ve yet to find any type of alcohol which I enjoy the taste of neat. – Vodka, Schnapps, Whiskey or Rum are all good options for getting your buzz on, but of those I’ve only found rum to be remotely drinkable without making a face after swallowing it.
There is however a Danish comedian called Simon Talbot who has followed in the footsteps of Mark Wahlberg, The Rock, Kevin Hart and Ryan Reynolds and has built his own liquor brand called CRACK (I kid you not). He calls it a “Smooth Caramel Moonshine”. Supposedly it’s “smooth whiskey-like” without the “bad taste” of the alcohol. I tried it, and while it’s drinkable it’s not something I think I would become accustomed to. CRACK IS WHACK! – Regardless of the form it comes in, if you ask me – But I definitely applaud his effort for finding a (fun) way to make extra cash while he sleeps
Unfortunately it appear as though my lot in life is to go through it sober. And having said that, while it sometimes does feel like a curse, perhaps it’s maybe more of a blessing in disguise?
How is that, you ask?
Well, it just so happens that I’ve recently discovered that Wine and Whiskey are not half-bad investments. – Provided that you don’t drink it, of course. We were at a dinner the other night where most of the guys are into wine. Two of them even have their own wine investment companies. They both made a similar selling point as to why they believe wine is a good investment:
Worst case scenario, if the bottles you’ve bought doesn’t go up in value (or even worse – depreciates), you can always just drink it!
– Random wine-drinking guy
And that’s when it hit me! I need more alcohol in my portfolio!
What do you guys think about all this? Am I crazy for not drinking?! Am I crazy to be considering investing in wine!?
Cheers!
