Prefer to drink alone?

In my 20's I worked in the restaurant business, which translated to bars or parties after work. I partied hard back then.

During my professional career it was mostly go home after work with social drinking on weekends.

Now that I'm retired there are few things I appreciate more than quality, quite drinking time...after chores, dinner and whatever.

The wife is asleep, the puppy is in the crate, Playoffs NFL and a yearly revisit of my favorite winter seasonal, Blizzard of 78 by Wormtown Brewery. I'm liking this so much it's about time to have another English Brown Ale and roll a joint. Cheers.

 

I mostly drink alone but I’m fine with either. If I want to focus on the beer then obviously it’s easier to do that if not also engaging in conversation, but drinking is also a social activity (I don’t care for the term “lubricant,” conjures too many images) so that’s good too.

The main thing is to enjoy the beer and the people you’re with—or not with.

 

I spent about fifteen years deejaying and playing in bands 3 to 5 nights a week and bartending/waiting tables during the day and off nights for additional income. So I spent a massive amount of time in loud bars dealing with fun people--but a lot of people. Ever since that phase of my life ended, I have truly valued silence. There is nothing like sitting alone on my porch overlooking the lake with a slow-sipper (typically an Old Rasputin) and a cigar on a 55-65 degree fall evening and watching the sun dip below the bluffs on the other side of the water. Serenity.

 

Other than the lady living with me I am usually a loner. I don’t hang out with many people or go out much I guess you can call me a “hermit” I just am not a huge party person or bar creep. I have a lot of friends we just don’t do much because work takes up a lot of our time. I like to sit here watch sports, do some gaming, eat some good food, hang out with my other half and the pups. Plus going to a bar and drinking and shit is way more expensive.

 

I couldn't agree more.

 

Conversely, everyone I know is “too far” away for regular sessions. Wife ies her own things, so just me and the dog.

 

It’s funny, my job is the exact opposite of that—I can spend 8 or 10 hours silently staring at a computer screen, interacting with no one except the document(s) I’m working on—and yet in my mind it’s a constant frenzy of activity, and by the end of the day I’m mentally and even socially wiped out. My wife will come to find me and want to talk about our days (we both work from home), a completely natural thing to do, and yet some days I still just need a few moments of peace and quiet, often with a beer, before I’m ready to engage. She doesn’t get it, because I’ve just spent hours working alone, not talking to anyone. But like you, I’ve increasingly come to appreciate a few moments of silence and solitude at the end of my day, not really thinking about anything. It’s not anti-social, I just need to decompress and let go of all that mental energy so I can be truly present again.

 

I'm right there with you on this one. A little airspace is a good thing. It's part of the reason I don't mind that my commute from work is 25-30 minutes. I get most of the way out of "work mode" by the time I get home. I could see where that would be a challenge if you are both working from home.

FWIW, there are studies suggesting that men on average differ from women on this point, i.e., the need for some period of time to transition from "game time" to "down time" mode (likely related to whatever seems to make women better multi-taskers).

 

Nearly exactly like this for me.

If friends can't make Tues pint night I go alone and enjoy it anyway.
Same when I hit the occasional spot on the weekends for a single pint when I'm running errands.
Talking with the brewers/assistants when I can always makes my day

 

After 24+ years of marriage I don’t doubt that one bit. Might need to find those studies and share them with her.

 

When I am trying a beer for the first time (which also likely means that I am reviewing it), I prefer to do it alone so the opinions of others do not impact my own perspective.

Other than that, I prefer to share my beer with good company.

 

I don’t feel alone because I participate on WBAYDN daily. Setting aside the Virtual Bar aspect, I enjoy drinking a beer a day at home in mostly solitude, but also enjoy all my outings both solo (plus bartender / patron conversations) and with friends and or family.

I do not like taking the time to rate a beer on outings / meeting with others. I prefer enjoying a beer that is not new to me in these situations, living in the moment and skipping the rating, or just voice memo of a few words plus scores for minimal interruption followed by fleshing out a written review based on my memos when I return home.

I don’t like checking phones with others. Just feel it is proper manners and also like to be present in conversations. I understand that different people and or generations may have different opinions of phone etiquette.

The situations I don’t like drinking with others are when a venue is too loud, smoking / vaping is occurring (I typically avoid this), and/or if there is ongoing douchebagery (drink and/or personality induced).

 

This unfortunately brings to mind all the times I commit douche baggerie.

 

I too enjoy the Way of the Lone Wolf.



I sit here
drunk now.
I am
a series of
small victories
and large defeats
and I am as
amazed
as any other
that
I have gotten
from there to
here
without committing murder
or being
murdered;
without
having ended up in the
madhouse.

as I drink alone
again tonight
my soul despite all the past
agony
thanks all the gods
who were not
there
for me
then.

-Charles Bukowski

 

When you are drunk on TV, that could be terrible, but i guess that man didn't care...

 

Just me and my pal Jack Daniels, and his partner Jimmy Beam.

And we drink alone, yeah with nobody else

 

Usually George Thorogood drinking, in front of my computer with my turtle buddies watching over my shoulder. Occasionally Mrs Lizard will ask "How's that beer?" but since she doesn't drink beer, it's usually rhetorical. I do like meeting up with other BA and sharing a brew or three.

 

Drinking socially is my preference because I actually like people. But these days it doesn't make sense economically. If possible I'll meet up with some peeps and hit a bar for happy hour and save a few bucks though this is infrequent. My different bands rehearsal times can and do act as social beer time so, I get my fill there. When I go to a brewery or taproom I ignore people, nerd out with tasting notes, and concentrate on analysis of the beers with my stubby pencil & notepad! I'm better off just going to a lil' dive bar or private party to be social.