To not really understand the need for people to drink alcohol all the time?

But do people who love Michael Buble or running or drinking coffee make a huge deal out of your lack of enthusiasm for those popular pursuits or an inexplicably popular entertainer? Do they hint that there's something wrong with you if you prefer other pursuits or singers? Do they suggest you're lacking in some way? People whose social lives are closely tied to drinking are sometimes personally affronted by a 'no thanks, I'm sticking to soda and lime'.

Lord, give me the coffee to change the things I can't accept, and the wine to accept the things I can't change-

As a previous poster wrote, it takes the edge off...

Anyway, I like having a glass of wine, sometimes two, most evenings. I drink a little bit more than 14 units of alcohol a week, so sometimes worry about it, but it is definitely a pleasure. Is that really hard to understand?

Well I’m currently enjoying a very large Baileys on ice and I’m absolutely savouring every drop

I’m afraid some degree of alcoholism is normalised in this country. For example it’s seen as perfectly normal for someone to drink 2 bottles of wine every weekend even though that’s about 20 units of alcohol, well over the recommended weekly limit.

Several times I’ve seen families in restaurants with the adults all knocking back alcohol even though there are multiple small children with them. I really think there needs to be one sober adult in charge of children.

I used to have a friend who was very vocal about how she didn’t need alcohol to have fun, and she was sick of the drinking culture in the UK. Then I went on a night out with her and she was drinking. I had a couple of drinks but I stopped after that because I was driving the next morning. She accused me of “wasting the night out” 🙄

I was married to an alcoholic. Now divorced. There is a massive, massive difference from people who enjoy a drink/drinks to being an alcoholic. People who don't drink, that's fine you do you, everybody else do them. Sanctimonious non drinkers are starting to criticise so much more these days. People can drink alcohol if the want or if they don't. Believe me, the problem is when they are addicts. Not everyone who enjoys a drink is an addict. Me, personally after having being married and years wiped out by an alcoholic, I still enjoy alcohol because I can and do. It's not always about getting drunk but it's a bit like being a foodie (which I also am) I love trying new drinks both alcoholic and non alcoholic!

@Hiiiti not an area of the world I have ever fancied visiting which probably explains why I wasn’t familiar 🤦🏼‍♀️

I drink most days but can't remember the last time I had more than 5 drinks in a week, far less than my sister who drinks once or twice a week.

It's a reward thing, I have a super stressful.job and a pint on a dog walk is what gets me through the day. Vastly better than a line after work but I suppose I could switch to chocolate

Get yourself over to Eastern Europe. They love it over there!

It’s like any drug. Very addictive and a hard habit to break.

Huge drinking culture in the UK in a way I haven’t seen on my travels all over the world. Wish it was a huge coffee culture, could definitely get out on a Friday night to slam loads of that into me.

I don't understand the appeal either, OP. I can't stand the taste of any of it. To me, beer tastes like vomit and wine like vinegar. I can just about get an alcoholic drink down me if its mixed with a sugary drink, but I also hate the physical sensation of getting intoxicated.

I've never been fussed about drinking, I particularly don't get the "bottomless brunch" where the rest of the day must be written off once drunk. I guess the OP might be like me, curious why other people like to do it, what they get from it. Maybe it's just not my drug of choice, I don't like anything that dulls my senses or takes away my control.

I don't think supermarkets should be able to sell alcohol. It should only be sold in dedicated off-licences.

I think it's just conditioning, from media, friends etc that you can't enjoy a good time without the prop of alcohol.
Of course it's in the leisure industry's interest to keep this going.

I stopped drinking years ago, my brother is an alcoholic and I hated the anxiety that a hangover gave me.

I think maybe until you don't drink you don't see how messed up much of the culture around it is. I have so many functional alcoholic friends, and I worry about them. It's not judgement, certainly not from me at least, but the idea that alcohol is a solution to daily stresses, and the prevalence of alcohol at literally every adult event is bad for people. We are all running at our limits and doing too much, so the whole gin o'clock thing seems to actively steer people towards solutions they are vulnerable to which can have a huge impact on their life and health. It doesn't sit well with me.

Some people enjoy a drink. So what
Do you live on stale bread and water to purify your soul.
Not even a bit of chocolate, a wee cake, some nice olives etc...

Honestly I am contemplating going and making myself a dirty martini now that I've got the idea in my head.... thanks OP! 😂

“But why do you neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed wine and Martini though?!”

Am I allowed to say that good wine or a dirty martini are delicious and the physical effects of a moderate amount of alcohol are enjoyable on occassion? Or does that make me a raging alcoholic by MN standards?

I find sober life boring.

shoot me!

There is a happy medium between a drink at a wedding and the excessive/addictive drinking you are describing.

I don’t agree it is the norm for people to be drinking a bottle of Prosecco at 11am or ordering 4 bottles a wine a week.

Do they HAVE to? Or do they just want to?

You’ll still claiming people neeeeeed it, even in response to a post where I’ve pointed out that sometimes people just want it.

Do you never go out to a restaurant because you don’t neeeeeeed to, as you could just cook at home? Or never go to the cinema or theatre, because you don’t neeeeeeeeed to because you have a television? Or only ever buy yourself something nice to wear if your other clothes have fallen apart, because otherwise you don’t neeeeeeeeeeeed them?

It’s okay to have nice things without justification, just because you want them. I’ve had wine in the sun this evening and it was lovely. Of course I could have managed without it. I managed from when I got up at 10 until I opened it at 5. But I enjoyed it. Just like I enjoy a pudding after my main, despite it not being incremental to my survival.

Have you tried Gordons 0% gin?

Correct. Sad really that people have to drink to have a good time.