Alcohol

" As a religious, straight edge kid, I've never done any of the cool things in highschool. for example, smoke, weed, drink, etc. Thus I would find myself often bored at parties where everyone was doing those things. Now  that I'm in Uni, its a bit different, since I don't have much time for parties, and I have more friends like me. anyways, the reasoning behind these activities have always left me bewildered, mainly alcohol.  Why drink alcohol? When I think of this question, I start thinking of why I drink the drinks I drink. whether it be juice, or pop, or water. The main reason humans drink is for quenching thirst and nourishment. but since we are so advanced, we make up drinks that also taste good! Thus, our basic need is satisfied so we have the luxury of satisfying said need while also enjoying it. Awesome, sign me up. so we have these drinks like juice and what not. And I guess thats why i drink those things, for the taste. But is this why people drink alcohol? I understand wine might have fine taste, hell theres a whole science to it. but what about beer? It smells like shit, and no one I know tells me that beer tastes good. So it cant be the taste that people drink it.   So the obvious answer would be to get drunk. For some reason people enjoy losing control. I would find it terrifying. On top of that they throw up, wake up hung over, teenagers even need to acquire the alcohol illegally. WHY?! just to get drunk? This makes no sense to me. any teenagers here, can you indulge me and answer my question?   But being drunk cant be the only reason. Older men drunk beer when they are watching the game, or just chilling. So its not to get drunk. then why? Do they get used to the taste and enjoy it? Or is it to get a bit tipsy? I really don't understand. I'm sure many people here drink and know the answer to my question so please help me.  I can understand why people drink wine. Science recently discovered that a glass of wine a day is healthy for you. But drinking beer still blows my mind. Considering the fact it doesn't taste good, it damages your body, and its addicting. why? unless beer truly does taste good and everyone I talk to is confused.  help me out here guys "

  WHY?! just to get drunk? This makes no sense to me. any teenagers here, can you indulge me and answer my question?  

Its nice to know there are others like me. Throughout highschool i was one of the few that never drank. I guess I won't understand it till i try it. But i feel like I don't need it. I don't know what some of you do, but I have perfectly fun times with people without drinking. 
 
@Linkyshinks: It wasn't my intention to make it seem as if I know anything about alcohol. I heard about the scientific study on wine like a year ago. Thats about it. Nice to know Beer helps with B6. thanks for the info. 
 
I thinks its unfair of you to imply, just because I'm an arab, I support smoking hookahs. Because I don't. I never meant to put down other cultural practices, while promoting mine. It seems like you got offended by my post, and I apologize.

" I drink once a week, and hit it hard. Playing SF drunk is good times, especially against friends. Makes for funny ass youtube videos as well! "

1. Taste. If you don't know anyone who likes the taste of beer, there is something wrong with the people you know. Most beers are super tasty
2. The social aspect. Going down the pub is great. It's a fantastic social experience, and the alcohol helps with that because it's effects often lower social boundaries, and you find yourself socialising with people you wouldn't normally.
3. Just because. Does everything need to have a concrete reason? Can't people just do things because they like it, without having to explain why they like it?

I don't drink cause I like the taste. I drink to get drunk. 
And I do it for less than 10 dollars because I be sippin' that malt liquaaaa

" @arab_prince:  One last thing: Don't knock it unless you've tried it. There are some things that I don't apply this philosophy to, like illegal drugs, but, in general, you're doing yourself a disservice by deciding you don't like something without trying it first. "

Drink what you like man, and good for you not bowing to peer pressure. 
I find having a glass in your hand does two things; 
a) Makes you look like you're supposed to be at the party/bar 
b) gives you something to do instead of making facile small talk to your mate's girlfriend's sister who's idea of conversation begins with Tweedy and ends with Jordan. 
ergh. 
 
It may also be interesting to note, that when breaking into someone's house, grabbing a yoghurt from the fridge and acting like you're lost is more than likely to get you out of sticky situations. It does work...though not when breaking into a car it seems.

" @arab_prince said:

" @el33tcapitan said:

" @arab_prince:  One last thing: Don't knock it unless you've tried it. There are some things that I don't apply this philosophy to, like illegal drugs, but, in general, you're doing yourself a disservice by deciding you don't like something without trying it first. "

how come? "

Because you are limiting your experiences in life.  Unless you have a severe history of alcoholism in your family, are on some type of religious journey or are an elite level athlete, there is no reason not to try alcohol. "

Beer is an acquired taste.  How do I know this?  My first beer was instantly spit back out.  Now, I enjoy a good clean Land Shark or Coors Light.  It tastes good and it helps me unwind from time to time.

" Its nice to know there are others like me. Throughout highschool i was one of the few that never drank. I guess I won't understand it till i try it. But i feel like I don't need it. I don't know what some of you do, but I have perfectly fun times with people without drinking. 
 
@Linkyshinks: It wasn't my intention to make it seem as if I know anything about alcohol. I heard about the scientific study on wine like a year ago. Thats about it. Nice to know Beer helps with B6. thanks for the info.  I thinks its unfair of you to imply, just because I'm an arab, I support smoking hookahs. Because I don't. I never meant to put down other cultural practices, while promoting mine. It seems like you got offended by my post, and I apologize. "

Someone who's not the legal age here. Why do I drink? 
 
Because you have more fun.
 
This sounds like a dumb reason, but it's the best way I've found to describe it. I'm much more social and outgoing after 5-6 beers/drinks than I am sober. As for the potential negatives you listed (hangovers, total loss of self control) those are pretty much false as long as you know your limit and don't go way over. 
 
I.E. if you know you get drunk off 6-8 beers/drinks, don't go and drink 15. That's going to end with you doing something stupid.

OH OH! Alcohol is awesome because there's a greek god for wine. Boom! There's my argument. 
 
Oh and without alcohol me and my parents would probably be hobos, because they sell it in their restaurant for a living. You can't make any money just selling food, the real profit is in the vino, and mixed drinks. 

A lot of people drink beer for the taste, not the mass produced stuff, that can vary between quite bland and quite horrible. I'm meeting more and more people that are brewing their own beer for fun and once they get the hang of it they start brewing beer to what they like and then you can get some beer that tastes pretty good, some beer that you need an acquired taste for and some beer that's just strange! An example of one of the strange ones might be a chilli beer or a nettle beer (I'll be making some nettle beer next week if I can get the nettles! :D )
 
As for why people drink beer, that's quite a few combinations. It's more than likely part in-grained instinct for high calorie food and part peer-pressure. Animals in the wild will seek out partial fermented fruit and iIn some studies I've read from awhile ago there are links between those who crave sugar and alcoholism. From the peer-pressure side of things I see alot of that in Ireland, if you get water at a bar you might get some concerned looks from your friends and the odd question "Feeling okay?" since drinking can be a big part of social circles here, in some aspects it's deeply ingrained. 
 
If you've tried it and don't like it then so what, it's something you can do without :) and if you feel like trying it again go for a craft beer.