[athenot]

Anecdote but by 12 I had a favorite wine category and by 16 a favorite beer. Growing up, my dad drank every day with dinner, and the value of taste and enjoyment was what I learned out of wine & beer, along with the knowledge that too much starts to impair me. But this discovery was well before my driving days and within my own family, it wasn't something I had to covet, hide then binge on in secrecy, without social feedback.

I was not quite 18 when I first got really drunk… at a relative's wedding. I learned that impaired senses wasn't something I enjoyed and only got drunk one other time in my life. Also social feedback has kept that particular event alive in the family.

But my drinking style isn't condusive to getting drunk, as I savor my drinks really slowly, and for the most part, with meals.

This is a French perspective, though. I've had a very hard time conveying this idea to people here in the US because it seems ingrained in many people's minds that the only purpose of alcohol is to get drunk, so either you party or you abstain: no middle ground. Things are starting to change a bit, moderate drinking with the goal of savoring is gaining more acceptance and—most importantly—good drinks are appearing but it's a slow process.