How important is the "buzz"?

I actually agree with you here. I just don't think many of those flavors are possible without the significant contributions of alcohol, so a buzz comes with the territory. So, while the flavors aren't comparable, if I didn't like a buzz, I'd be searching for an alternative beverage of some sort, soda or otherwise.

 

I hate getting drunk(because I hate being hungover)....I drink because I love trying different beers and experiencing all the different flavors and styles out there.

 

Hmm, I am not a soda drinker, except with hotdogs or pizza occasionally, but I can name multiple sodas that have extraordinarily complex taste, and are not very sweet at all.

 

If you don't mind PMing me some I would be interested in trying them. Outside of the occasional craft root beer I've had, the predominant flavor in soda is just overbearing sweetness that ruins most for me.

 

I don't think anyone on this site he here just for the buzz. We all enjoy craft beer for it's flavor and some will enjoy the after effects more than others (which is plain to see for anyone reading this thread).

As for me, I like beer for the taste. Specific brews which I don't like I don't drink and the ABV has nothing to do with my decision.

That being said the "buzz" is nice sometimes when it comes but I'm not one to enjoy being drunk either. Even then it'll take a few higher ABV's throughout the evening to get to the buzz and I usually don't drink more than one or two a sitting. As others have mentioned, the alcohol level is important to the taste of the brew. So would I prefer lower ABV so I could enjoy more of it? Not I, because as it stands the ABV is intrinsic to the taste I enjoy so much.

 

On a scale of 1-10 I would say about a 4. It's not that important to me but it does make watching football a lot more fun.

 

I enjoy a light buzz at the end of my day. Sometimes my beer gets me there, sometimes it doesn't. All I know is that I want my buzz to be the result of serious flavor.

 

The pace I drink beer it takes me 5 or 6 to get drunk so the limiting factor for me going there more often is more the calories than the buzz. Which also happens to be strongly correlated to ABV.

Alcohol is part of the taste and a pleasant buzz is part of the experience that enhances the taste. But if they had something like the 'Synthenol' they have in Star Trek that tasted exactly like alcohol and gave you the buzz but without the drunkenness I'd totally reach for that instead.

If beer had the taste and not the buzz, I would drink less of it. If it had the buzz and not the taste I'd drink none at all.

 

Both, but after 2 Sculpins or Headhunters, I switch to some cheap shit cause my taste buds are so fried, I think I could drink moose urine.

 

Call me a liar, but I do not drink beer for the alcohol and it's associated buzz. I drink it because I like the flavor. If I can't find a beer I like, I do not drink it. I would rather drink water than a Coors Light. A buzz is nice from time to time, but I could do without it really. My job prevents me from consuming alcohol every 7 days or so, every other week. The money is more important than the beer, so I do without, with no repercussions. If I could drink Bell's 2HA, Swami's or Sculpin in an non-alcoholic format and have it taste the EXACT same, I would, but I can't. When I do want to get drunk (not since last August), its with Yukon Jack or good Tequila. I just skip the nonsense and get right to the point.

On the other hand, I AM addicted to tobacco!

 

I think beer is an experience, and alcohol is part of that experience. The two are beautifully joined together.

 

I HAVE THE SAME THING..... .04 is our legal limit, LAME

 

i just like beer. and everything that comes along with it.

 

80% of the time I'm drinking beer I get buzzed. And it's cool. I'm (and I believe every single one of you beer drinkers are) used to that. It feels nice, and makes your life more interesting for the time it lasts. So that's that.

 

/thread

 

God dammit, I'm pretty jealous of everyone.

I dont really get a 'buzz' anymore like i did in my 20's, i just get sleepy if its only a couple of beers, which overshadows anything else. Trying to drink through it only lands me in drunkville. Which is often times my destination anyway.

Anyone else have this problem?

 

No one can answer this question for you. This was a question/answer session that I had with my girlfriend one time before. I frequent a local bar, where a few select friends and I go to open bottles and talk. The time of course is limited to the amount we drink. For me it is a 20 minute drive back home so I have to be careful. I loathe drunk driving and am very conscious to eat enough while I'm there so that I am not risking getting hammered. Time there is cut short by the amount of bottles opened and alcohol content. If it were not, I'd have to summoned home.

As for the original question, no, I do not drink beer for the "buzz". I wish there was a way to avoid it. I spent a good amount of time getting drunk in college and actually enjoy the flavor/nuances/etc. of quality beer/wine more than a buzzed feeling. Is the "buzz" a "good" feeling? Sure! I'd much rather not have it to be honest. As someone who is trying to fast for 50 days without beer, it is not the buzz I'm missing...and that is pure honesty.

 

I don't typically drink beer to the point of getting buzzed but, much like sex, beer is pointless without the potency.

 

This speaks to me.
On Friday night I may drink something on the strong side and who cares if I get a little too drunk (at home), but on Sunday afternoon, I definitely look to drink something in the low 4% range.
I like the buzz as much as the next guy but I've got shit to do.

 

I agree with everyone who said they enjoy a buzz. I mean you dont have to get horribly drunk and if it was only taste that was the attraction , then there are flavored sodas. The nice thing about beer is the incredible varitey in the palate it has. From fruit to chocolate, there is always a reliable review on this here website so you know what you are getting before you buy it if that's your thing, AND you catch a buzz.

'nuther beer please.