Alcoholic vs. Enthusiast

As long as it remains enjoyable, I can handle my business, and be a good Dad and husband... then IMO there is no need for any labels. Enjoy yourself!

 

Whats with the titles and labeling? Can't we be BOTH?

 

I prefer 'alcoholic enthusiast', thank you very much!

 

I, as a college student, am constantly faced with this dilemma. I work 20 hours a week, and maintain 12-15 units of college coursework. One thing I go to to relieve stress is craft beer, an industry I very much hope to work in after college. I avoid drinking and driving at all, I never miss class or work due to alcohol, and I haven't failed a class in 3 years (Chemistry is a bitch) I love all types of craft beer and am always intrigued to try new things, I often find myself going to total wine and picking up a beer to try. I generally will pop a top when I get home at night if I have the time and it doesn't threaten my responsibilities, at the same time, I find myself doing it rather often. It is nice to take a step back once in a while to self check, and make sure you are functioning fine without alcohol. Its very easy to say that you aren't over-drinking, just being an enthusiast, its finding a good balance that is the hardest part, and I'll admit, its hard to refrain with so many good beers out there to try.

 

You know exactly what they're doing with Twenty Cases! They hit up the ISO:FT hoping to land some BVDL.

 

I'm going to be straight. I am an ALCOHOLIC. I actually need alcohol to tolerate the human race. I just so happen to love good tasting beer.

 

I believe I am addicted to buying beer. I buy more than I can reasonably drink in a responsible period. This leads to "accidental cellaring"......

 

I will answer the same way I always do. I take a month off every year. It clears me out in every way, including making beer taste even better when I start to enjoy it again. I recommend every BA do the same.

If you are unable do this, you likely are an alcoholic, and should consider helping yourself.

 

I love beer but it's best to drink it in a pub so I visit a pub several times a week.I do have bottled beer at home but it isn't the same as a freshly pulled pint (it lacks all the nuances and flavour levels of well kept cask) so only drink it when friends drop in. I try to keep two or three days a week alcohol free but it doesn't always happen!
Alcoholics generally tend to go for the hard stuff rather than beer.

 

I'd stipulate to alcohol abuse,at times. Christmas Eve some out of state friends dropped in and over 4 hours I had 5 beers including a Brown Shugga, FBS x 2, DH Blueberry Stout . But I only drink, at all, 2-4 times a week. I'm more likely to have hangover symptoms from too many brownies and ice cream than from beer. And, I'm sure to have a plan that does not involve driving if I drink more than the equivalent of two 5% beer. (I weight over 220lbs) Then again, the calories from those stouts and barleywines have a way of adding up.

 

Time off. I think that's important. It allows the body to bounce back. I take very long periods off. My longest break was 9 months or so. I needed to drop some stubborn weight and wanted to see how long I could go without a beer. It's surprisingly easy for me and it's a good way to check yourself. I usually take one or two months off any given year. That being said, I love beer and it's amazing how much great beer is out there. Cheers and happy holidays, all...

 

Indeed. I think it is an English expression that, badly mangled here no doubt, "The beer brewer is no friend of the alcoholic," because it costs too much and takes too much drinking to achieve the drunken state alcoholics prefer and need.

 

Hear, hear.

 

Calm down, ya drunk.

 

Usually I'll have 1-2 beers a night after work. Sometimes I catch a buzz, sometimes I don't. Not necessarily looking for it everytime I have a beer. Every 3-4 months I'll take a week off from having beer and it's not a struggle to do so.

During the holidays and weekend I'll indulge a bit more and carry a buzz however I'm finding that I really don't like to cross the line between buzzing and the beginning stages of being drunk. I don't like dealing with the mornings as much, haha

 

Sweet! I'm not an alcoholic according to that definition!

Damnit. Took that test and now I'm an alcoholic...

That's me right there. See, here's my thing: I'm a ticker. I review/rate an average of 10 beers a week (some of those are flight pours at bars) so obviously I keep my fridge very well-stocked and I have a bunch of beer in my "cellar" (closet). My problem is, whenever my girlfriend says "You should take a break," and I say "Yeah you're right," I then think about those fresh (D)IPAs I just bought that are deteriorating by the hour and, if I don't drink them soon, won't be quite as delicious. Oh and there's another limited release IPA coming out tomorrow too so, nah, I'll take a break later. If I get behind on my beer drinking, it'll throw my whole schedule out of whack because there's always a new beer to try on any given day. So the question isn't "Am I an alcoholic?" Yes, I like to get drunk and yes, I don't like to get too drunk so I try to moderate the best I can. The whole thing boils down to whether or not I could stop cold turkey if I wanted to. It's difficult, not because I miss the feeling of getting drunk, but rather the "Oh man, why did that awesome IPA I've never had before have to get released during the week I'm trying to not drink?" feeling. It's that whole "I can quit anytime I want to...but not today, because my favorite bar has Hop Drop on tap and you never see that on tap around here." There aren't enough hours in the day to try everything I want to try without getting blitzed, so there certainly aren't enough hours in the day for me to take time off from drinking. That is unless I want to wait until next year to try that highly anticipated release...crazy talk! It might not be as good next year!

Surely, you strategically plan which month every year to take your break, right? Is there a certain time of year where it's easier for you to refrain? Like maybe a period where there's a lull in limited releases? I feel like I would be able to do it if there were no beers I wanted to drink that month that were best enjoyed fresh. A difficult thing to plan out for sure.

 

Im of the mind that its not true alcoholism unless it is affecting your day to day functionality in any way. If you go to work with a hangover, learn to drink less. My work requires a lot of quick action and attention, and I learned very quickly to cut back my drinking to 1 beer a day.

 

Sadly the time was chosen for me the last two years by needing to take doxycycline for 6 weeks due to infection from lyme disease, both years, in June/July. Before that it varied, but I found it easier in winter, and probably will take a break later this winter. The longest break I took was from 1992 - 1996, and after was a very occasional drinker into the 2000's. Two young kids, and me being the primary care giver partly the reason for it. Now both are grown, and I drink beer when I feel like it. Think I will get one now.

 

the United States needs to get the f**k over the whole "alcoholism" crap.