A good friend of mine, who writes a very funny blog by the way, has a theory about alcohol. It has mostly to do with the avoidance of brown liquors. At all costs. According to his own, very personal, research: brown liquor always brings out a mean drunk, or as he puts it "It doesn't get me drunk so much as it gets me arrested!" Now, with the name Big Dirty, and with the years of intensive, and international, research Big Dirty has put into this project, I tend to believe this theory. But it got me to thinking:
Do different liquors really have different physiological effects on their drinkers? Or do the drinkers simply choose their poison based on a current mood or state-of-mind? To wit:
A couple of Fridays ago I left work after a long and exhausting day. I needed to kick back and unwind! So, I met Big Dirty and a couple of his buddies out for drinks. When it was my turn to "buy the next round" I got a couple of pitchers and then treated myself to a brimming shot of tequila! That's the kind of day I'd had. And, yes indeedy, it was just what the doctor ordered. (SIDE NOTE: I have my own theory about tequila, and it goes like this: tequila in general and frozen margaritas in specificity are NEVER a bad idea! Mmmmm.)
Yesterday, though, I got home after two painfully exhausting work days, which had followed the even more horrendous weekend before. Angry and frustrated were my best descriptors after all that... so, yea baby, I mixed me a Captain 'n Coke! If you ever happen to see me out and about, and I don't seem to be the pleasant, Pollyanna character I claim to be? Don't even bother to sniff my drink. It'll be Captain Morgan for sure!
Extremely fiesty? Argumentative? Chip on my nicely tanned shoulder?? Rest assured, I certainly had a Captain kind of day. It is, as Big Dirty would point out, a brown liquor after all.
Melancholy and emotional? Pinot Grigio.
Feeling sexy and shapely? That's Merlot!
Silly and funny? Sangria! (I'd do a cartwheel to prove it, but it's already been done. And far be it from me to heist someone else's schtik!)
Lastly, and by far not leastly: Beer. I lean toward ales myself. Ambers. Browns. On the lighter side there are tasty wheats...mmmm. But what I love most about beer, aside from the plethora of styles, is the variety of moods that it suits!
Bad ass and hangin' with the boys? Beer.
Social and chatty? Beer :)
Funny and quirky? Beer!
Girly and grinning? Yup! That's Beer too!
And after all that, is there a lesson? What exactly, kids, have we learned here today? I'd say there's probably a lot hidden between the lines, because I am a very deep and complicated soul. However, that's probably more bullshit than I'm willing to peddle today, so let's put it all in a nutshell like this:
- The jury is still out on the cause or effect question. (Please add comments I'd love to know everyone else's thoughts and theories regarding this most important debate!)
- I should maybe re-evaluate the importance of alcohol in my life.
- Alcohol may not be the answer...but tequila and beer are always your best bet!
Post Script: I realize I didn't mention vodka in the above discussion. That's mostly because it's not a big favorite of mine, but I will drink it. So, I guess if I had to name a mood to suit vodka? It'd have to be a let somebody else pick kind of mood. Is that mood easy to get along with? Or just plain easy? Maybe Big Dirty has another theory on that one :)
1 comment:
I think your concept of how your mood affects your choice of liquor and thereby, possibly the resulting behavior, is a relevant one, to be sure.
I have found, with vodka being the exception which proves the rule, that brown liquor usually means a nastier hangover the next day. Largely due to the sugar content.
It may be that sugar content that makes some people, maybe not mean, but feisty, energetic, argumentative, whatever you want to call it. In other words, I think the added sugar content may lead to hyperactivity which even further impairs one's judgment. Just my own theory on the matter, Take from it what you will.
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