Chewer Teetotalers - Page 2

I've never drank any alcohol (or done any drugs).

I've just never understood what's so appealing with being drunk, so I never started drinking.

I'm sure I could develop a palette for different varieties of animal piss if I so chose, but I've yet to taste anything that wasn't completely revolting. This is my own personal experience of course, which I'm sure covers a very narrow spectrum of possible tastes/flavors. Maybe one day, someone will put the magic drink in front of me.

Didn't drink until I was 21, mostly out of fear of losing control of my body/making an ass of myself. And I have made an ass of myself on occasion (I rapped about Batman characters once) but I've had enough control to not get pass-out, puking drunk. I'm actually thankful that I gave drinking a shot because, as childish as it sounds, drinking is fun. That being said, I think it's fine if someone chooses not to drink.

Phil I love you man.....I only drink in the weekends and to unwind....haha its all good ....I use steirioids too sometimes to bulk up.....LOL but serouisly Phil i love ya man....if we met in real life IRL we'd be cool....

I drink if im out an about with friends and I enjoy getting merry but these days I never drink to the point where I black out. Been there done that and to be honest it's not fun.

I am also weary of anyone who thinks you HAVE to drink to have a good time, or who thinks all the best stories start "I was so wasted.."

This is a nice surprise, so is being called a fag. I take no offense, though it's obviously meant. =)

I don't drink because I simply don't have the inclination and because, as I'm fond of stating, I make enough stupid mistakes on my own, I don't need help.

I'm not entirely certain that I qualify as being "cowardly and full of smugness", b/c I don't begrudge drinkers, all of my friends drink and I always find myself at bars with them, shooting the shit and drinking a Red Bull, a soda, or water. I don't chastise them for their decision, and ocassionally being the butt of a couple of good-natured jokes doesn't bother me at all.

The only time I feel awkward is when my friends all begin discussing favorite drinks and sharing favorite drunk stories and whatnot. I have no idea what to say in these situations, so I tend to just sit there quitely until I can make out something relatable and/or funny or until the subject changes.

Of the few posts that I've read, it seems the drinkers that have a negative perception of teetotalers, appear to take my rather effortless lifestyle decision waaaay more seriously than I do.

I never drank until...My freshman year in college. It was an unusually hot day in...Bennington, Vermont and my dormmates took my six pack of...Lipton Ice Tea right before the party started. I didn't drive at the time. We drank...Punch, with vodka, and I had 4 cups. Apparantly when one drinks too much they seem to amp up their most dominant attribute. At least this is what happened to me. I, of course was a...goofy drunk. A gal said something to me, i picked up the cooler, of now melted water, and dumped it on her. Her pals then laughed, ripped out the screen in my dorm room and sprayed shaving cream all over my just cleaned sheets...thusly I never drank again. I did get called before...The Dean, and he asked me what happened, and I only told him, someone ripped out the screen in my room, and wouldn't tell him who, despite the fact that he knew, I saw who did it.

I don't think it's the only goal, but it's not like people keep drinking just because it tastes good. And, no, I'm not curious about wine.

Yeah, I've never in my life drank anything simply because "dude, it'll fuck you up!!!" If it tastes like NyQuil, I don't care if it'll make me see Jesus playing with the reunited Beatles, I ain't drinking it.

I like beer because of the taste, and how it tastes with food. The buzz is a pleasant bonus.

Ever been the designated driver for an evening? There's a good reason usually no one wants to be the driver.

Curiousity: isn't it really difficult for one to have a partner that is unlike you? Diva, e.g. could you imagine being with Renn, or vice versa? As almost everyone enjoys socializing with alcohol, does it work to find a fitting significant other who's not into it?

Ever ask a non-drinker why they don’t drink? Same fuckin’ answer every time, you go, ‘Why don’t you drink?’ and they go, ‘I don’t like the taste of it.’ NOBODY DOES! No one likes the taste of it, we drink ‘cause we fuckin’ have to! No one’s ever had a shot of tequila and gone, ‘Ooh, that’s lovely! Next time I’ll have that instead of pudding. It’s so moist!’
-Jim Jeffries

I never say never, but it'd be pretty damn hard.

Um, no. There are many, many drinks where my first thought is, "It tastes so good once it touches your lips!" - Frank the Tank

I don't know if there's one satisfactory answer, although I'm sure at the root of my initial aversion was a fear of "losing control" even for a second/becoming addicted. I have tried alcohol a few times since, and have never found there to be any reward to it. There must be something that normal people get out of it, but it just doesn't seem to work for me.

I was somewhat asocial in college, and noticed that alcohol/drugs seemed to be mostly a way for people to bond, and that if you weren't willing to do it also, it was seen as an insult or form of rejection. It was clearly a way bigger deal to the people drinking/smoking marijuana than it was to me. I didn't care if they did it, I just wasn't interested. The amount of hostility it inculcated in others my freshman year was really eye-opening. The more absurd the peer pressure got, the more I dug in my heels.

Interestingly (or not), by my senior year I was sharing a house with people who drank a six-pack or more every day, and a couple of guys who were psychologically dependent on marijuana. Happily, they didn't have any issues with my attitude towards drugs or alcohol, and were even able to put up with my intolerable smugness.

Drinking is a social convention. I'm a socially unconventional person. Most people seemed to be doing it because other people were already doing it. That just isn't a good enough reason for me.

Double post. Sorry.

That quote is so true. I've been drinking beer for like 15 years. I fucking hate it, always have. "Great" beer, terrible beer, I'm had it all. It all sucks. So I drink shitty strong beer generally.

People are like "how the fuck can you drink that?"... I just look at their Bud Light or whatever horrible watery beer they're drinking and turn the question back on them.

That said, Diva is correct. There are some delicious alcoholic beverages out there.

Never had a single one, and never will. It's easy to not get addicted to that junk if you've never tried it in the first place. I think that's why I'll never drink beer either.

But I'm not like that in other areas, I would love to eat super healthy and never have junk food. But since I like some of that garbage, it makes it difficult for me to stay consistently away from it.

Which, of course, led to the downward spiral of girly drinks.

Mmm delicious!

I don't mean to further sidetrack your thread. You know how CHUD is. I find this topic really interesting though. Much like you, I pretty much wanted to try everything when I was younger, then I got a bit older and wiser, and developed "the fear".

I didn't drink until I was 26, because both my parents were alcoholics. Then I understood why they drank, and started up myself. Cheers!

I like the taste of alcohol, but it's partially a Pavlovian thing. Sure, Glengoyne tastes really nice when compared to something nasty like Red Label, but there's an essential yumminess associated with knowing that I've just been given a liquid ticket from Trouble City to Gladsville.

I agree with this!



is heavenly!

I like that you specified pies.

For me, health has absolutely nothing to do with it. In high school (or middle school for that matter) I never touched a drink. I fully admit that this was for partially judgemental reasons. I heard the constant stories during the week of crazy parties, and I heard the constant impatience for the next one. The thing I hated most (and still do) is something that even adult drinkers do: "the highly specific list of exactly everything I drank last night." Because I had a group of good friends (not teetotalers) with which to do things on the weekends, I never had to go to the shitty high school parties to entertain myself. I went to the movie theater, watched movies at our place, made movies with a camcorder, or did other things- drinking never entered the equation.

You must understand that I went to a school with a bunch of bible belt retards. The traditional cheerleaders, jocks, and snobs all came with a delightful southern drawl, and partying was all they enjoyed. The typical high school goths, freaks, etc were equally pathetic- so their partying and hard drugs held no interest for me either. Again, I admit that I was judgmental at this point- I wanted to be nothing like them and I was proud to be having a good time in high school without it.

Since then... at SCAD, I'm honestly just too fucking busy to party. So, despite the fact that I have destroyed myself getting projects edited or shot or whatever and could totally get down with the idea of having a drink that would take the edge off, it just doesn't happen. Of course, the college parties that I go to... I'm not in any hurry to join the drunks. That kind of experience, while I'm sure it's fun, strikes me as completely indulgent and selfish (and I realize college parties are not the place to find mature drinking).

As for casual drinks with dinner or whatever... Well, I just turned 21 in February, so that wasn't even an option until recently. I've still found myself resisting it, in part because of the taste thing, and also out of what is now habit. I don't know how long I'll continue to be a teetotaler, but I know someone is going to have provide something fucking tasty to cross me over.

EDIT: I know that was long, but I wanted to do Phil's question some kind of justice. Honestly, all this isn't even the half of it.

21st birthday. Lovely girlfriend plans a surprise day where my 3 best friends and important family show up unexpectedly in Savannah. We all go eat at a Ruth Chris Steakhouse (a fuck expensive, classy steak joint, if you've never been).

Everyone is asking me what I'm going to drink, and I realize that I'll have to take the dive. My father and I journey to the bar. I look at the bartender and tell him the following..

"Hi. Today is my 21st birthday, and I never really did the typical partying in high school- so, in all honesty, you're about to hand me my first drink. With that in mind, what do you recommend?" ...his response?

A Cherry Martini. I raise an eyebrow and reply, "uh... okay." I dig cherries, I figured it might actually be a good way of sliding into this whole drinking thing. Since 80% or so of the drink was top-shelf Vodka, suffice to say I didn't dig it. The fucking also cost $15. The table had a laugh when I returned with that fucking thing. The experience didn't exactly set me on the path of discovery.

EDIT:

You shoulda had a strawberry margarita Renn. We wouldn't even be having this conversation right now...CAUSE YOU'D BE DRUNK!

Renn, I say this without any irony, but order a Cosmopolitan. If you're self conscious about it, send your girl up to get it. Or get a Mojito, preferrably with rum if you're not a big fan of the vodka. Then there's the classic Long Island Iced Tea.

I have never cared what drinks are trendy or manly, but I know which drinks are palatable and can pack a punch.

It's:

taste,
health,
brainwashing (DARE must've really worked on me, I've never done any drug),
having once gagged as a kid when I drank some beer thinking it was a soft drink,
my dad having liver problems from social drinking from when I was younger,
fear of finding out what kind of drunk I would be,
having sneered at stories/photos my friends have told me about being drunk,
having sneered at actually seeing how a party fueled by alcohol can go,
being a judgmental hypocrite,
seeing the potential damage alcohol has by seeing the customers I get all day...

aaaand I'm dull as dishwater. Why not list it all?

That said, I had some drink when I visited Japan. I've had some at dinner outings with friends. But I'm pretty sure I've never gotten drunk.

These are interesting questions because despite the massive amounts of alcohol and drugs I've done over the years, I have never and will never smoke a cigarette. And honestly, "I have no inclination," is the best answer. I've never been curious to try. For real. It's not a health thing, although the probability of getting cancer is certainly a detriment. And its not a fear thing, because I've tried many mysterious drugs that really could have been deadly. I guess partially its an addictive thing, because I know for a fact that cigarettes are addictive to EVERYONE. This is not an "I might have the alcoholic gene" because people in my family are addicted. Every single person who smokes cigarettes regularly will become physically dependent on it. But the effect of addiction doesn't explain my lack of curiousity. I just don't find smoking appealing in any way and I've never been peer pressured to try.

I am also nearly as rigid about abstaining from soda (once in a while if there's nothing else), energy drinks (tried a Surge or Vault once and all it did was make me crash without a boost), and fast food.

Most of these are also based on fear. They're tasty. And if I have 'just one' I will come back for more.

I'm weak, therefore I must be strong.

EDIT: I am absolutely weak-willed when it comes to snack foods (chips, cookies, pastries, etc). But being surrounded by them all day at the store has actually been helpful. I gained weight when I started, but now it's all so boring that I'm better about abstaining.

At the store.

Wave such things in front of my face anywhere else, and I'm goo in your hands.

I don't think he had any specific intent- I've heard that restaurant mixes that way. I think he was just a boring uninspired asshole.

Why are people telling a non-drinker to drink martini's? There's no way Renn will be able to handle drinking that strong of a drink right away. That's nuts.

Also, Long Island Iced Tea is a classic? I've never had one, but the idea of mixing vodka, tequila, rum, and gin all in one drink sounds absolutely horrifying. Not to mention that I hate syrupy flavoring, so the sour mix just makes it an absolute "Ugh". I shudder just thinking about it.

And who the hell makes Mojito's with vodka? Proper mojitos are rum, sugar cane, lime, mint, and a splash of soda water. Delicious! Though I can't have too many because the sugar gives me a tummy ache. :P

I don't know who you are drinking with Keith, but you need new friends.

I too doubted the power of the Long Island Iced Tea. But it's great. Trust.

Agreed. And I'm one of those people who generally doesn't like the taste of most alcohol.

My best friend keeps trying to convince me to try his Long Island Iced Tea. Perhaps you degenerates are on to something.

Make sure that someone who knows what a Long Island Iced Tea is supposed to taste like samples your first one. A bartender is fully capable of making you a really shitty one and turning you off on them really quickly.

Personally, I'd recommend a Margarita, a Mojito, or a White Russian. Those are very palatable drinks that, when made properly, shouldn't turn you off of alcohol. Let me know when you want to start getting into single malt scotch.

White Russians are DELICIOUS. That's my favorite drink bar none. I can almost never taste the alcohol.

I hate the taste of most alcohol, I now drink a bit of wine just to be polite in social situations. But the one thing I've been trying is mojitos. I think I've had some with vodka, but I can't really tell at all.

That's the thing, you really CAN'T taste the alcohol in them. If you don't want the alcohol taste but DO want to experience the effect, this may be the drink for you.

In most Mojitos, all that you can taste is the sugar and the lime juice. The rum is almost totally masked if it's made right.

Yeah, I'm not much for alcohol. The only beer that I like is Michelob Ultra, and even then I can only have one or two.

I'm all about drinking White Russians. Drinks of that caliber as you mentioned Judas since they don't taste like alcohol are great for people who don't like the taste of alcohol.

I'll also confess to liking Margaritas. When made right, they taste great.

I used to work at a bar, and there was a bartender that swore by the vodka mojito. I agree with y'all, it was a terrible thing. They do exist. I also used to work at a liquor store, so I've seen people purchase every terrible concoction imaginable. Also, true alcoholics are creatures of habit and will be in your store like clockwork, once before work and once on the way home. Sometimes more on the weekend. This is so off topic.

Quit busting my balls.

Long Island Iced Teas are perfect for an introduction to alcohol (and quickly getting drunk).

I pity you guys that can't enjoy a good single malt scotch.

I'm still a relative newcomer to scotch. I grew up with whiskey and bourbon- I guess I'm simple and still prefer Jack- but more and more I find myself liking scotch.

Keith: Get a MaCallan, any year, any type. I personally love the 12 year (and the price isn't too out of whack), but I'll drink any of them.

Trust me, you'll be hooked.

eta: we're way off of Phil's topic. One of these days, we should actually start that SCOTCH thread.

I'm not much of a drinker these days, but I'll be eternally grateful to The Big Lebowski for piquing my curiosity about "Caucasians".

"It tastes so good once it touches your lips" isn't funny. That's almost like if Borat wrote Old School.

ETA: I realize that's a little OCD and I'm derailing the thread, but what's the point of quoting a movie unless you're going to get it right and not fuck it up? That's like if I was quoting Some Like it Hot and said, "People are flawed."

That's about the only alcoholic beverage I drink. I gravitate towards the stuff that basically taste like milkshakes with alcohol.