Which Camp Do You Fall Into?

[orcus116]

Yeah - i've also tried a few alcoholic drinks - but never liked them and "beer" just makes me gag. Like literally - like i'm about to be sick because of the taste.

Same with wine - probably the worst "drink" i can imagine. Just sour and unpleasant.

So it's half out of choice and half because I hate the taste.

There is a liquor, beer, and wine you would like the taste of out there somewhere, I guarantee it. When most people say they don't like the taste of beer it's because they've only really had one and it's usually a very shitty one.

[Jaffa]

How many types of beer do you have to try before you can safely say that you don't like beer?

[Kotowboy]

I've tried several and they all make me do that closed throat - cheek muscle tightening reflex action that feel like i'm gonna be sick. 

[orcus116]

At least one good beer of each of the major types. I've found the same with food that I was foolish to dismiss many types because I had one bad dish. I used to think steak didn't taste that good and it turns out my mom just cooked it too much.

I've tried several and they all make me do that closed throat - cheek muscle tightening reflex action that feel like i'm gonna be sick. 

Was it your typical Bud/Coors/Miller or something else?

[Kotowboy]

Anything. I've *tried* several.

What I don't understand is the whole " i'm  gonna force myself to like it " mentality.

Just to fit in ? Or something else ?

Do you bang your head on a wall because it's nicer when you stop ?

[kári]

I remember not liking beer a lot when I first started drinking it (which is like 13-15 here in Belgium...). But over the years I've come to love the taste.

[Anguyen92]

I am probably the most dullest person, you'll probably see.  I'm probably like Rush back in the days they were touring with Kiss, sans consuming the fancy drinks.

I feel the need not to drink or do drugs or go with what's cool.  I feel that if I do that, my focus and mentality are not going to be as sharp as it can be and the way life is going for me, I need to be as sharp as whatever sharp is.

If I'm already "pigeonholed" as a geek of sorts, then I might as going all the way in being a geek as long as I do things that makes me happy and I don't think drinking or doing drugs help me get there.  Listening to music, sometimes baffle people on forums, talking with long-time friends in good long conversations, watching hockey.  That's enough for me to make me happy.  If things started getting dull, then I'll try to venture into something new, in a clean manner, until the things that made me happy has that joy and satisfaction I'm always looking for.

[orcus116]

Anything. I've *tried* several.

What I don't understand is the whole " i'm  gonna force myself to like it " mentality.

Just to fit in ? Or something else ?

Do you bang your head on a wall because it's nicer when you stop ?

With something as broad as beer I just don't trust the whole "I tried it a few times and it was disgusting" thing. Then again I don't know you or what you've had but I know that beer is such a broad thing with so many different  flavors available I find it impossible to believe that unless someone is against the feeling of a carbonated beverage that there is definitely a taste out there to enjoy. If someone does not like the feeling of getting drunk I understand but as far as taste goes, I can almost guarantee there is something you would like.

[Jaffa]

See, I haven't quite experienced this 'broad variety of flavors of beer' phenomenon.  I've tried a few different beers - not a lot, but a few - and my reaction to all of them has been that they pretty much tasted like beer. 

[Kotowboy]

Exactly. And also that some people won't accept that you don't like just "beer" in general.

People are *always* trying to talk me into getting drunk. I don't know what this phenomenon is. . .

[King Postwhore]

Then you both don't know what you are talking about or you've never really tried the vast array of beers and it's styles out there.  Trust me, I brew beer and there is so many different style and variables to them. 

It just may be that beer isn't your thing.

[Kotowboy]

It just may be that beer isn't your thing.

It could well be that

[?]

@ the people who don't drink: Don't you go to bars with friends, or BBQs? I'm not suggesting you get smashed, but do you drink soda the whole night?

I just went to a bar for the first time in my life and I ordered a glass of water. It was free!

[jonnybaxy]

Option 3: Take life as it comes, Try stuff but not completely ridiculous stupid things, Live happily, remembering things but also have a good time when you want 

[bout to crash]

Exactly. And also that some people won't accept that you don't like just "beer" in general.

People are *always* trying to talk me into getting drunk. I don't know what this phenomenon is. . .

But that's not it in this scenario. What these guys are saying is that what most people know as "beer" is watered down crap that tastes like piss. Of course you wouldn't like it. I'm not saying you HAVE to like any beer, but it's very possible that if you tried some of the real stuff and truly gave it a shot with an open mind rather than just lumping it into a category of crap you've had before, you might have a different opinion.
I drank alcohol very early in life (12 or 13 is when I first tried it), and I thought I hated beer until I was in my twenties, when I actually had some decent stuff.
And again, it's not always about getting drunk.

[Jaffa]

Anybody want to list a few examples of good quality beers? 

[bout to crash]

There are SO many out there I don't even know where to start. The key is to avoid big stuff like Bud/Coors that is just, like I said, mass-produced pisswater marketed to the morons who just drink to get drunk (although I don't know why they don't just drink cheap wine or liquor, which would be way more effective). There are tons of craft breweries out there that create complex and awesome beers with different types of flavors. For instance (I'm just going by what's in my fridge right now, all local Colorado beers), if I'm in the mood for something dark and malty, I might have a Cutthroat Porter by Odell Brewing. If I want something hoppy/bitter, I might drink Left Hand's 400 Pound Monkey (IPA). If I want smooth and easy to drink but still flavorful, I might go with Great Divide's Colette (a Belgian-style farmhouse ale). The list goes on, and I would be more than happy to make specific suggestions based on the region where you live 

[hefdaddy42]

And again, it's not always about getting drunk.

Amen.  In fact, for me, it's RARELY about getting drunk.  I just have a beer or two.  No reason to get loaded like a freight train, I'm too old for that shit.

[Jaffa]

There are SO many out there I don't even know where to start. The key is to avoid big stuff like Bud/Coors that is just, like I said, mass-produced pisswater marketed to the morons who just drink to get drunk (although I don't know why they don't just drink cheap wine or liquor, which would be way more effective). There are tons of craft breweries out there that create complex and awesome beers with different types of flavors. For instance (I'm just going by what's in my fridge right now, all local Colorado beers), if I'm in the mood for something dark and malty, I might have a Cutthroat Porter by Odell Brewing. If I want something hoppy/bitter, I might drink Left Hand's 400 Pound Monkey (IPA). If I want smooth and easy to drink but still flavorful, I might go with Great Divide's Colette (a Belgian-style farmhouse ale). The list goes on, and I would be more than happy to make specific suggestions based on the region where you live 

I live in Arizona, but you don't have to make a specific list for me, haha.  I understand your general point about staying clear of major brands.  Thanks. 

[bout to crash]

Good, 'cause I don't know much about AZ beers 

And again, it's not always about getting drunk.

Amen.  In fact, for me, it's RARELY about getting drunk.  I just have a beer or two.  No reason to get loaded like a freight train, I'm too old for that shit.

Yeah. Once in a while I will aim to actually get drunk, but it's mostly about enjoying the beer. Unfortunately I'm a lightweight so I often accidentally get drunk 

[kári]

Anybody want to list a few examples of good quality beers? 

Come over here, to Belgium.

[ZirconBlue]

Anybody want to list a few examples of good quality beers?

1. Guinness (Draught)

[kári]

Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Guinness.

[Tick]

I'm 48 and have tried so much in my life. Rock and roll lifestyle as a young man. Woman, booze, drugs. but also a thrill seeker I have jumped off bridges, para sailed, ridden some of the sickest rides the world has to offer.

Live life with gusto was my mantra. Now I am older and slightly wiser but I still like to thrill seek and rock out, and have some drinks when the moments right.
No more drugs for me.

I have lived crazy and could write a book that would actually be interesting. Crazy stories I can tell!

[Kotowboy]

Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Guinness.

[kirksnosehair]

@ the people who don't drink: Don't you go to bars with friends, or BBQs? I'm not suggesting you get smashed, but do you drink soda the whole night?

Having given up drinking completely I don't typically go into bars unless I am going there for some other reason (see a band/comedian, etc).  When I DO go to a place like that, I usually drink water.  Very often, I end up being the designated driver, which is fine by me.   I have found that I tend to be "allergic" to alcohol because just about every time I drink it I seem to break out in cuffs.   




As for the thread topic itself, I guess for me I fall into both categories - when I was a young man I wanted to "try everything at least once" but as I grew older I began to realize that not all things are worth trying.  Hard drugs (cocaine, heroin and other opiates, amphetamines, benzos, etc) have caused me nothing but big, huge, long, almost epic doses of misery and suffering (addiction, dependence, medical and legal consequences and general stupidity).  Soft drugs (marijuana, mushrooms, hashish, etc) I have found to be -generally- harmless if consumed in small amounts and fairly infrequently.  Personally, I choose to abstain, but I know people (including family members) who use marijuana on a daily basis and are completely 100% fully functional, job-holding, tax-paying, law-abiding citizens with no problems resulting from the use of those substances.


I'm not a big fan of taking big risks.  Skydiving, hang gliding, race car driving, and other "extreme" sports and recreational activities hold no attraction for me.


I smoked cigarettes for over 20 years but quit smoking about 13 or 14 years ago and have not taken a single drag off a cigarette since.


Everything we do in life we learn by the example of others.  Both good and bad.  The "following a crowd" argument is accurate in that respect.  Every individual who has ever lived has learned how to live from those who came before them.  If you're "following a crowd" when you smoke a joint, you're also "following a crowd" when you get a job, or go to school, or decide you want to get into photography, or play sports, or play an instrument.  We all do what we enjoy doing.  Some people (like me) unfortunately, have problems with setting limits on some of those things and that is where we get in trouble.   I don't begrudge anyone for trying something, even if it's dangerous.  We all get to choose our path in life. 

[kári]

Over the past year I have become convinced that everyone should try LSD once. Just a moderate dose, and just once.

[puppyonacid]

I dabbled with illicit substances in my late teens/early 20's. I believe that moderate use of marijuana is fairly harmless.

However, these days I eat healthy and I have a very low tolerance to alcohol in that it induces migraines and bouts of vomiting..........literally from just a couple of drinks. So I live fairly healthy not because I have to mind........but because I want to. Junk food makes me feel logey.

I just wish I could give up smoking once and for good! I'm not a heavy smoker by any means. 5-7 a day but I do try to stay in shape so it's like the last thing holding me back from living a genuinely healthy lifestyle.

Moreoever, with the mental issues I've suffered over the past few years due to horrific events etc. I'm with Kotow in that I believe that to enjoy life to it's fullest mains keeping clarity for those moments. I have three young children and that tends to mean staying on an even keel in order to enjoy spending time with them. That is the most precious time of all in my opinion. And we have an absolute blast!!!

To be honest, if I was told I had 6 months to live I'm not sure I'd change anything as I generally don't regret how I'm living my life at the moment.