It's misconceptions enforced by authority. Alcohol is a very dangerous drug when taken to excess but it is popular because it is commodified, commercialised and taxable.

Blue Moon is garbage, you're right. Anything Trappist is the way to go. Excitingly, we have a new Trappist beer in the UK [Tynt Meadow], haven't tasted it yet though. I used to like Leffe but I am sure it has changed over the years [since being bought by Interbrew], I can't really drink it noawadays

Now that doesn't surprise me. Many people from the far east are alcohol-intolerant. It goes back to their history (and ours).

For centuries, water wasn't safe to drink unless you either boiled it or added alcohol. In East Asia, they mostly boiled it. But boiled water doesn't taste very nice, so they added aromatic leaves. In other words, they invented tea. In Europe, water was mostly mixed either with wine or with beer (the mixture was called small ale). Classical Greek and Roman wines were designed to be watered down in this way. Because they used alcohol so much as a disinfectant for bad water, Europeans developed a tolerance for it that Asians lack.

Speaking of "misconceptions" - My 80+ year old neighbor was carded recently in Philadelphia and they told her it was the law to card everyone. I explained to her that almost no one (in the U.S. at least) has a law like that. The law generally requires you to card anyone who looks to be under 30. Since that is subjective many places have been busted for selling to underage and the wait staff lies and says "they looked at least 30 to me". To prevent losing their licenses most chain restaurants have a policy (not a law) to card everyone and for some reason teach their staff that it is a law rather than a policy.

Personally I don't mind being carded even though I'm clearly over 30 but I have one friend who gets so incensed by it he'll cancel his drink order and will never go back to that place again.

What has annoyed me was when a chain restaurant cut me off at 3 liquor drinks by policy when I've been there for hours but are willing to serve everyone 100 beers in the same span of time. Someone didn't take alcohol 101 when getting their license as they'd know one mixed drink, one 12 ounce bottle of beer and one 8 ounce glass of wine have (generally speaking) the same alcohol content.

Yep, that's right; you can have a cold one, but don't do drugs ...

No argument here, reminds me of one bloke; one of the nicest guys you could come across when he wasn't drinking. First class asshole when he was... it was night and day.

It's all about personal preferences and choices. I'm sure your's may change over the years. I think people like to tell their own success stories.

I mean, ... "Why, just back in ought-four, I scaled K2 without oxygen or crampons, and in record time! This was all thanks to walking back and forth to school everyday through 2 feet of snow, uphill in both directions!"

For a short time a lot of the major supermarkets tried this but it was clearly so ridiculous that they dropped it [well, most places].

The last time it happened to me I was infuriated and raged at the cashier. Whereas it happened to my wife about a week ago and it made her day.

I had no idea that anywhere in the world did this. We have no such quota that I'm aware of here [fortunately].

Drinking wine undiluted was known as "Scythian style".

I've slowed down my drinking considerably since my college years. I use to drink a ton of beer when I go out with friends. While fun, I always woke up with a hangover, no matter how much alcohol I ingested.

Nowadays, I rarely drink. I have maybe one or two cocktails every couple of weeks, if I'm out for a happy hour or bar with friends.

Drinking isn't fun anymore, and I rather save the money I'd spend on alcohol on something else. I've felt great for a while using this strategy.

In The Netherlands it's everyone who looks to be under 25 (as the legal limit TO sell alcohol is 18+).

I think (haven't bothered to keep up with the technology since retiring) the difference is that the portable breath testers are (or should be) specific for alcohol and the other recreational drugs need a "lick" test. Blood tests should cover all of them.

Things have changed since my time (not the "misconceptions" bit - that was always around). Or do they mean that only someone "under the influence" would apply for a job there?

At 19 years of age I stopped drinking all alcoholic beverages. One of the wisest decisions that I made for my health, spirituality, and well-being.

Used to drink, especially when in the Navy/Marines. Had an experience where I drank way too much, which taught me to respect alcohol, which led to drinking a beer or a glass of wine at home or a social gathering and that was the limit. Then over the years just stopped all together. Went from knowing lots about beer and wine to lots about tea. Would gladly spend money on high quality tea, similar to how people spend alot on rare wine etc...

I do, however, enjoy cooking with wine and always clean meat by soaking it in vodka.

Good for you, mate.

I seldom drink when I go out any more and never during the day, but I enjoy a quiet tipple in the evening at home. And any Scotch is better than every anything else.

Perhaps the closest I was to my drinking's being out of control was during the final years of my second marriage, which got so bad that I would keep a bottle in the car so I could have a drink to numb myself on the way home. Once I escaped from that, my tippling decreased significantly. (Old joke: Why is divorce so expensive? Because it's worth it.)

Of course, I could tell a few stories of stupid from my college days . . . .

Jesus, that is dreadful. What a terrible situation.

I broke my five-day alcohol fast with a bottle of Abbot Reserve ale last night, and it was beautiful. Taking time off is important, it makes good beer an exception rather than the norm, and it's much easier to appreciate it.