Thread: What are you drinking today?

^ Don't cancel your travel plans mate and it's not about getting roped in... I came here with my eyes wide open.

It's about changing circumstances, life's curveballs and different values... never the twain shall meet.

^ yep. Mendip uses a lot of irony, a Brit trait and he doesn't say a lot about the good bits. Nowhere is perfect and life is compromises and frequently making the best of things, at least that's my excuse.

Originally Posted by Mendip

Before moving here I never drank at home

Good luck to you

I too never drank at home, apart from the odd social drink or two around Christmas/New Year.

Luckily I have been able to maintain that since moving to Thailand.

I did use to hit the bars heavily during my early years here, but since moving to the sticks more than 11 years ago, going to a bar is a little more difficult and so I have hardly had a drink and I can't say I miss it.

I haven't intentionally quit, it is just that an appropriate situation hasn't arisen. It also helps that I have a job up here and have 3 young kids in the house

I usually go down to Bangkok 3-4 times a year and have a few when meeting friends there, although Covid has even put a stop to that the last couple of years.

Occasionally, after dropping the kids off at school my wife and I will stop off and have breakfast. I t wouldn't have been unusual to see other westerners sat drinking alcohol at that time in the morning - It's a slippery slope

Originally Posted by Mendip

Thatchers Gold

The other day I was reading about Robert Plant's breakup with Patty Griffin and returning to England.

When asked what went wrong, he replied,

“Patty and I tried a sort of zig-zag across the Atlantic,” Plant told the publication, “but she didn’t share my penchant for cider and she used to marvel at the Black Country character I became after four pints of Thatchers . My feelings are very much ones of sadness and regret.”

^^ thing is if you are not working or retired you have to find something to occupy yourself and that applies where ever you live.

Good luck Mendy, I would think you'd have more luck with limiting the alcohol rather than cold turkey banning it...

^^^ Really good points HAL and I take them on board. One thing for me, and I'm not making excuses, but also I am of course, is that I'm either 'at work' or 'off'. Although I have a demanding full time job when at work/offshore, as soon as I get home I'm off, almost retired to be honest.

For many years while working 4 or 6 week rotations it has been very easy to overlook my alcohol intake... 'cos in a couple of weeks Ill be dry again', etc etc. But with Covid and extended periods at home everything comes out... I've found that boredom coupled with no commitments the next day can soon lead to excess. I deliberately do all the school runs to keep things in moderation, but even so, that shouldn't be necessary. And during school holidays there's no commitment in the mornings... which is what I've been finding now. My alcohol intake has become staggering... and no drunkenness... just a steady trickle.

Anyway, I don't know, but something has to change. If there's no alcohol in the house then no temptation. But doesn't that sound awful?

I don't drink school nights, why don't you try that regime and that way you can still have a beer or three on the weekend

Originally Posted by malmomike77

^^ thing is if you are not working or retired you have to find something to occupy yourself and that applies where ever you live.

True that. Ya gotta have hobbies, interests and some discipline. Everything is about balance and moderation.

Originally Posted by bsnub

^

It is posts like these that made me cancel any travel plans to LOS. I love you Mendy but you got roped in.

It's not Thailands fault, it's having a middle age irresponsible self absorbed Thai wife that will drive one to self medicate.
That's my excuse anyhow

Ahh, the route of deciding to give up the booze cold turkey.

So best to down everything in sight to get it out of the way.



Been there.

Then flog your body to death every day with untold exercise in order to get a good nights sleep.

Spent a few days on Waiheke Island and visited just about every vineyard there . . . this lovely Stoneyridge Rosé went down a treat in this heat.

despite the scrot behind the counter looking at me like "you utter beer wanker tosser" when I bought this, I do like a fruity sour beer on a hot day. Just one or 2 is enough but when they are properly sour they take the first few layers off ya tongue.
This one wasn't bad...

Looks bloody good mate!

Originally Posted by Mendip

^^^ Really good points HAL and I take them on board. One thing for me, and I'm not making excuses, but also I am of course, is that I'm either 'at work' or 'off'. Although I have a demanding full time job when at work/offshore, as soon as I get home I'm off, almost retired to be honest.

For many years while working 4 or 6 week rotations it has been very easy to overlook my alcohol intake... 'cos in a couple of weeks Ill be dry again', etc etc. But with Covid and extended periods at home everything comes out... I've found that boredom coupled with no commitments the next day can soon lead to excess. I deliberately do all the school runs to keep things in moderation, but even so, that shouldn't be necessary. And during school holidays there's no commitment in the mornings... which is what I've been finding now. My alcohol intake has become staggering... and no drunkenness... just a steady trickle.

Anyway, I don't know, but something has to change. If there's no alcohol in the house then no temptation. But doesn't that sound awful?

im.57 now started drinking at 15 and started work at 16 in the great Sandy desert as a juggy 3 weeks on and a week of godd money at the time . We lived in tents. It was either fucking hot or fucking cold ( it's a desert) beer was free
. The company realised they needed to keep us sweet. That's where I got my first taste of alcohol. I can honestly say that to this day I still drink beer daily. I enjoy it and no harm done. The only time I've taken a break from it was whenni went to work in Sudan. Not possible there. . On another note. Her indoors has no problem with my daily consumption.

Originally Posted by beerlaodrinker

went to work in Sudan

Classic thread that!

I rarely touched alcohol until I come to Thailand and went quite berserk in the bars.

In those days there was only Sinha and Kloster beer available so I drank JW Black Label with Coke.

Only in the last few years I have been drinking beer and I have 3-4 bottles of Leo per day after work.

To be honest I don't even like the taste of beer but enjoy sitting back, relaxing and chilling out.

Originally Posted by Loy Toy

.

To be honest I don't even like the taste of beer.

Originally Posted by Loy Toy

To be honest I don't even like the taste of beer

Generally I agree . . . and Willy's a knob.


I forgot to post my 'Summer's here' drink:



Nothing says 'aaaaahhhhhh' like a nice bottle of champagne.

Cheers

I have gone through cycles on drinking. Drank from about 17 through college and a few years after. Not every day. Mostly weekends or off campus college parties. After my wife got pregnant with our first child I stopped almost completely and only had an occasional cocktail or beer at dinners or work parties. I didn't really drink again until my divorce.

Moving here I didn't drink much at all because Thai beer and Whiskey are crap and bars here can't make a good cocktail at all. Later I started to mule over good whiskey and Tequila on trips and knowing I was going to move here permanentlyI stockpiled a lot.

Now I drink frequently but I am older, basically retired and I earned it. I don't get drunk, just pleasantly anesthesized. I had lost my taste for beer until I found some good German ones and more recently BeerLao. I tend to have 3 330mls on a hot mid day relaxing. I haven't been drinking Tequila or Bourbon much. I seldom drink past 4pm for the most part.

Like Stumpy - not a heavy nor even medium drinker . . . a glass of wine a few nights a week with dinner, sake on our weekly Japanese restaurant outing and the celebratory bottle of French bubbly . . . my mother was from Reims, where Champagne originates, and it is consumed daily.

Originally Posted by DrWilly

a clear, deperate attempt to garner a few greens from the liks of socal, latin karen and taxexile... there's jsut one flaw in your plan...

Curses . . . thwarted.

Originally Posted by Stumpy

I found some good German ones

My brother sent me a nice sample of German beer . . . so, for the odd occasion:

Nice Sampler of German Beers PH. I have had all of them at one time or another and are quite good.

I quite like the Erdinger and Fransiskaner (and can buy them here easily).