If you drink alcohol, why do you drink it?

[JustWonderingIfImNormal]

I’m sat here sipping my vodka and coke and this random question popped into my head.
Do you drink because you like the taste or something else?
I drink alcohol to numb my problems (not healthy really, I know) I also drink because It relaxes me. Just to add I’m not an alcoholic- I rarely drink really! And I’m only having the one.
Also what is your favourite tipple? Mine at the moment is Smirnoff cherry vodka and Coca Cola. I’ve only just discovered it and it tastes good.

I like the taste ... my drink of choice is a dry, crisp white wine. Also partial to a Tio Pepe sherry. I think a glass of wine or two goes well with a meal ... I usually have wine with my evening meal (unless I need to drive). I don't drink to excess & never get drunk or use alcohol to 'numb my feelings'.

I've recently quit as it no longer agrees with me. But when I did drink, it was because I genuinely like the taste of really dry white wine. It's annoying that no alcohol free drinks (either alcohol free wines, or just other soft drinks) replicate that dry quality.
I never drank much as I have an anxiety disorder that was made much worse if I ever had a hangover, so never drank to get drunk. But I do think there was a psychological "now it's time to relax" aspect of sitting down with a glass once the children are in bed.

Single malt whisky is all I'll drink as I love the taste. Once a year I get smashed and that's it til next year😁

Love the taste.

Wish I could get 0% versions that tasted as good.

I RARELY drink. If I do it's pinot noir to relax me or for medicinal purposes.

Like the taste and the effect.Currently sipping a chilled Sauvignon Blanc. Cheers!

I mainly drink red wine and the odd cocktail. I am not a big drinker but like a couple of glasses of red on a weekend night, I like the taste and the effect. It relaxes me and puts me in a nice woozy state of mind for a few hours.

Also love the odd night out where I can go a bit mad, cocktails a couple of shots. Straight on the dance floor. Whereas sober I'd be hiding at the back of the room.

Taste.
Relaxing effect in small doses.
Romantic/bonding. I don't know if it's social conditioning, but sharing a bottle of wine with a friend or DH is a really 'together' thing, just like drinking tea from a pot but somehow even more so. It's way more bonding than just having a glass of juice together. No idea why.

When I used to drink, the reason was somewhere on a scale of: celebrate a special occasion/feel more relaxed/get tipsy/get hammered/numb my problems 😂
I don’t believe I ever really liked the taste of alcohol. I still occasionally enjoy a lager or beer on a warm sunny day but that’s more about the quench than the taste.

The effect

I like the taste. I really, really hate the loss of control that comes with being drunk, so I'm very moderate in my intake. My late husband was an alcoholic so I've seen the damage it can do up close and personal.

I don't get on with any state of being drunk or high, really - I was once given very strong painkillers for a sports injury and they made me very high, and I hated it.

I used to love sharing a bottle of wine but developed a sulphite allergy (very annoying!), so I’m stuck with the hard stuff - hence the vodka! 😂

Because I like the taste and whilst I like non alcoholic drinks I don't like water that much and anything else makes me feel about 10 years old especially on a Saturday evening

Currently sipping on a French 75

Out of curiosity, can you not get alcohol free wine that tastes the same if its not for the alcohol effect?
I don't like wine at all so no idea if the taste changes much for alcohol free

I only drink things I like the taste of, so usually fruity cocktail type things, and never really more than 2.

Margarita (no mixes) Mojitos, daiquiris, mai tais etc.

@pointythings thats understandable that you wouldn’t want to be around it after experiencing that. I knew someone (not as close as husband, distant relative) who was an alcoholic and it’s very difficult to watch.

Self medicating. I drink because I'm severely jumpy and on high alert. A bottle of wine will last me two months I don't drink loads just like a shot of wine every now and then to ease me.

The combination of taste and relaxation. I wouldn't drink alcohol free wine for example.

However it does disagree with me so I have cut down over the years.

I like the taste. During my last pregnancy I found Seedlip gin and 0% Corona and usually drink those at home. Didn't find anything to replace wine though and sometimes that's what I really fancy so that's still alcoholic!

Out of curiosity, can you not get alcohol free wine that tastes the same if its not for the alcohol effect?

@PillowRest I have always found that alcohol free wines have a sweetness that I don't like. I've not found anything that has a similar taste to dry white wine.

Red wine:

1. Tastes good
2. Such relaxation

Because it tastes good, it’s an instant way to unwind after a difficult day and the dopamine rush I get from it is addictive. In fact 95% of it is that my brain recognises it as a “reward” or “treat” and if I don’t get that my life is somehow lacking. I’ve managed to undo that thinking with almost a month of no drinking behind me. Idk, there’s so many healthier ways to get a sense of relaxation or dopamine without using such an unhealthy substance. Still, beer though 🤤

@PillowRest a good alcohol free wine is the holy grail. I love 0% beers and spirits but wine is not great. Plus alcohol can be a good loosener in social situations and a pleasurable part of life if not in excess. I don’t drink in the week but do at the weekend and can’t see that changing.

I like the taste and like the pairings with food at times. I do think drinking for any other reason is a slippery slope - which most people do manage, to be fair, but I see a lot of people with problem drinking and it starts with 'needing' a drink rather than 'wanting' one, iyswim.

Love the taste, love the relaxed or sociable vibe.