Why do some people drink in the evenings?

[ThatOneTime]

Something I’ve always been curious about really, but never bothered asking because it’s none of my business😂 But I’ve been seeing people post about it so much recently and it’s piqued my curiosity once again. I’m hoping that somebody could please explain the appeal to me?

To me wine doesn’t taste particularly nice, even the good ones. It costs a lot if you want one that’s not grim, it’s full of calories, it’s not great for health and one or two glasses won’t do much more than make you feel a bit groggy and headachey. I do drink socially and enjoy it, but if I only end up having one or two I stay sober and just feel a bit crap and my mood just gets dragged down a bit.

What is it I’m missing? Is it really just code for actually drinking a full bottle or two and having a one man party every night? Do some people actually love the taste, or get some kind of good effect from a small amount? Honestly dying to know😂

What wine do you buy thats 4.5%. Every wine I buy is around 12%

It might be hard to understand if you don't like the taste of wine OP.
I LOVE the taste of wine and the ceremony of lighting the woodburner, opening a bottle, pouring a glass and settling down on the sofa.
I acknowledge the health ramifications so, in a typical week, only allow myself alcohol on a Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
I'm a very moderate person, so find it very easy to have just one small glass and call it a night.
I hate sweet flavours so, whilst my teetotal SIL can enjoy herself drinking pop, I just find it sickly when I try to do the same.

I usually have one small (old fashioned type) glass of wine every night while I’m cooking. And that’s it, unless we’re eating out, when I’ll probably have 2 rather bigger ones.

In summer I’ll probably have a G&T instead. Maybe two. But not much gin, lots of tonic.
It’s many years since I’ve had any sort of hangover. But I’m probably ‘lucky’ since I’ve long known that my tolerance for alcohol is pretty low - too much and I’ll just feel hideous and start throwing up. I’ve never been one of those people who can drink themselves incapable and not have a clue next day what they did.

I don't any more as find as I've got older it has a slight depressive effect on me so am trialling no alcohol. However I love the taste of wine, it is so good at relaxing me and I really enjoy it.

I'm not sure if 5.5% wine is really even considered wine ;)

But yeah. I like the taste of wine. Don't have one every night. It is relaxing. Few glasses (or a bottle) down get me drunk or tipsy but it's the routine of the day winding down. Red wine helps with stress and anxiety (you can find a few studies). It tastes pleasant. For some it's chamomile tea.

I personally don't understand people who drink coffee in the morning but I can just skip it. Wine is a drink that people who have just started to drink don't like. For me when I was young I liked cocktails and ciders. Fruitier the better. Strawberry and carambola cider? Yes please. Dry apple? Absolutely disgusting. But as I've gotten older super sweet sugary cider, no thanks (still love sugar, don't get me wrong) Then I slowly started to like white wine and rose wine. Started to find red somewhat enjoyable now that I'm 32. My bf didn't like any wine when we met. He slowly started to try different wines that was available at my place and now he orders red wine when we go out. Took him to be in his 40s.

No, there is no reason to drink wine if you don't like it. But it's genuinely something that some people like. I don't drink beer, coffee or whiskey. But I can totally see why some people would enjoy it.

I only drink wine I likenthe taste of, but I used to work in the industry and know my wine well. I wouldn't waste my money, time or calories on rubbish quality. But to answer your question - yes lots of people like the taste of it, that's why there's a whole industry surrounding it.

A couple of night a week I will have either a pint of cider or a beer. It is just nice to have something I like! I don't drink that much anymore, even on a weekend in with DP I will have a max of 3 pints. That's my cut off for feeling okay and not going over the line.

Oh I don't drink red wine anymore because I have no off switch with it - if I open a bottle I WILL drink it!

I drink wine because I really enjoy the taste. I love good red wine with food or cheese, very dry white with fish or as an aperitif.

Have never drunk it (or anything else) as a deliberate way to get drunk. If at a very social occasion more gets drunk and I end up tipsy, that’s fine, but it would normally be one or two glasses at home in the evening, or 3 if out for a meal. Never fall-down drunk. We never did that as students either.

I think that you’re confused. I have never heard anybody before state that they like the taste of wine, so obviously I assumed that everybody disliked the taste and so probably drank it for the inebriation that it brings

Come off it, you expect us to believe that you thought the whole worldwide wine industry was to serve people who didn't like the taste but wanted to get drunk? No one with even a basic amount of common sense would think that.

Out of interest, what is your degree in?

@doeadeeer

9 75cl bottles of wine at 5.5 abv is equivalent to about 13/14 pints of lager at 4.5 abv. I don’t think there’s anything particularly shocking about that amount, spread over a whole day ‘til about 4am?

What on earth are you talking about?

A 750ml bottle of red, white or rosé wine (ABV 13.5%) contains 10 units.
So 9 bottles is 90 units. You would be dead.

Yep, this. OP is making this up😂

Op. How old are you, genuinely?

No one drinks nine bottles of low alcohol wine or buys nine bottles of low alcohol wine and then downs them in one sitting.

Even at 5.5% 9 bottles is still 37 units, which I honestly don't know anyone who could drink that much and be semi alive, but my friends are Big Drinkers.

I'm pleasantly buzzed after a glass and would be pretty drunk after a bottle.

None of my nights out go on til 4am and I have liked wine since I was maybe 18? Love a bone dry white, especially in the summer, really lovely and cold.

I am really not aiming to be drunk most of the time when I want a glass of wine/a g and t - quite often what I want is the ceremony and the relaxation and a drink that isn't super sweet. Obviously that won't be achieved by sweet wine though!

Aren't big drinkers*

Aren't big drinks*

Alcohol is a depressant
Alcohol can have stimulating effects, yet it is, in fact, a depressant drug. When you drink alcohol you may feel more energetic initially from the euphoria alcohol produces however the central nervous system is slowed down and suppressed by alcohol's effects.

People say they like the taste - but many drinks taste nice eg raspberry cordial, but it isn't viewed the same because it doesn't affect your brain. People are in denial when they say they drink alcohol for the taste alone.

Alcohol is a depressant
Alcohol can have stimulating effects, yet it is, in fact, a depressant drug. When you drink alcohol you may feel more energetic initially from the euphoria alcohol produces however the central nervous system is slowed down and suppressed by alcohol's effects.

People say they like the taste - but many drinks taste nice eg raspberry cordial, but it isn't viewed the same because it doesn't affect your brain. People are in denial when they say they drink alcohol for the taste alone.

It’s a very odd question what a world if we all liked the same things . I like wine but can’t stand whiskey/ brandy / cider but many do . I don’t get why people smoke or that some want to run a marathon. I assume it’s because they enjoy it or why else would they do it . If you don’t like wine that’s ok it’s not compulsory I’m sure there are other things you enjoy.

@DaisyStPatience

"Because my head is constantly buzzing with 185729485 tabs open and it's the only thing that makes it shut the fuck up for an hour or two."

This ^^

@Whitefire

Work don't like it if I drink in the morning before I go in.

This.

I think if you need to drink a full bottle to feel tipsy then you have more of a tolerance than you are letting on
I don't drink at all in the week as it's an easy habit to get in to and hard to break but on Friday and Sunday nights I like a couple of glasses. Saturday teatime we often go out for a couple of drinks with our tea as well.
Wine is really the only alcoholic drink I enjoy, I'm not a fan of spirits or lager/cider. It wouldn't occur to me to buy a bottle of spirits for the house but then we are all different and like different things 🤷‍♀️

I really like the taste of a nice cold glass of Chardonnay. I don't drink at home (husband is in recovery so we don't have alcohol in the house) but when I go away with the kids I really like a glass of wine at the end of the day. Tastes nice, feels nice, relaxing and pleasant. I only have one or two, never enough to feel it in the morning 😉

I'd really enjoy a glass of wine or two on the patio in the summer at home but husband's health is way more important!

I just like the ritual of it really. At weekends, when i've got more time, I love cooking something proper and listening to a podcast with a glass of wine. I don't often have more than two as it can get a bit headachey for me.

Enjoyment!

I always used to hate wine but my DH took me away for the weekend when we first got together to a really lovely hotel near the Cotswolds and it had a Michelin star restaurant and we did the whole tasting menu with the wine pairing thing (not describing it very well ) and it was amazing! It really does make a difference when you pair it with the right food.

Saying that, I do drink muscato 😂 it’s my favourite and it does the trick. I would love to go to a wine tasting event to see what else I like. I have a very sweet tooth.