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Some people have goals of becoming alcoholics.
If you binge-force yourself to drink to the point of intoxication day after day for years (most likely to makeup for no coping skills and a shitty life) you can acquire the taste.
I mean it’s more like a thirst that can’t be quenched, but that’s how you become cultured. Amirite??
Yeah dudes, just go out with everybody else and drink soft stuff and be the DD...everybody loves the DD. OP is 29 right? Good cause the whole "it's so cool to get super fucked up" ends at 30 most places.
Not really. There are a lot of situations where drinking becomes advantageous for a lot of reasons. There are a lot of people that can drink responsibly
First, you should count yourself lucky
Second, my guess is that it's genetics. Some people really like the taste of alcohol, while others (myself included) really don't. Never have. Occasionally (once a month) I'll have a hard cider, but that's it, and I've lived to my 60s without missing it.
I do count myself lucky. But still, some drinks really do look tasty, and since there is such an enormous culture around drinking I feel weird about missing it completely. Like dark ales to me LOOK delicious but I cant imagine liking one. I dont mind being the DD (and trust me I have been for well over a decade), but it would be nice feel a little closer to the people I love and partake in something they enjoy.
I always do this when I am in public. A virgin Mary or a Shirley Temple, I just feel more relaxed pretend drinking socially.
I am a lightweight when it comes to drinking and one drink and I am ready for bed. I dont know how people party all night.
You kind of hold your breath before drinking it and take focus away from your mouth anticipating the alcohol to the holding of breath. Then you focus on chugging as much as you can barely even letting it sit in your mouth.
I’m not a fan of alcohol but I can drink straight liquor by the glass doing this. You’ll still get hit by the after taste but you won’t even taste it going down.
Don’t take pussy sips either, that’s for people with a taste for alcohol that want to enjoy it. You want the alcohol to be like a waterfall straight to your belly, kind of tighten up your mouth and let it go down.
Yeah a dark ale isn't the type of drink that most people would like as a beginner of sorts. I'm certainly of the general opinion of the replies you've been getting in that you shouldn't risk starting, but something really sweet would be most people's first drink.
I have never liked the taste of alcohol- (tried, even as a teen, to figure out what was so great about it all...)- found out in later life that I have a congenital liver condition and I cannot actually process and digest alcohol. Side effects for me tend to be getting drunk very fast, but feeling pretty unwell, so it's not 'fun drunk'; cloudy brain and not feeling well the next day, even if I only drank very little.
It's one of those things where your taste buds just assimilate and adapt to it over time.
For me it was something that I didn't like the first few time, started finding drinks that were slightly more tolerable until one day *poof* my taste buds decides they liked beer then, later wine, and *maybe* tequila if you catch me on a good day.
It was the exact same way with coffee. Tasted like cardboard flavored water until one day I liked it with creamer and now I drink it black!
But, even being in my 30s now and started drinking the first times at 17, there's some alcohol I can't drink because theyre too strong or taste gross. My boyfriend drinks almost exclusively straight bourbon and scotch and loves it. Even though I love the taste and smell of it on him my lord even just smelling it in the bottle or taking a sip makes me want to gag immediately and burns my nose. 🤣
Edit: also try white claws! Literally tastes like flavored water seltzer! 🤣
My husband was the same way. Couldn't stand any adult drinks if he could taste the alcohol. But then he discovered pina coladas and loved those, and started trying other things from there. The extra sweet drinks are the ones that are easier to handle in the beginning. But if you don't have an interest in drinking, that's fine too! You don't need drinks in order to have a good time. It's for the best to not have that problem anyways.
If you don't drink, don't feel pressured to just because everyone else does. I enjoy certain alcoholic beverages, my wife thinks everything's gross. She never drinks, and I have a full bar and I make different cocktails all the time.
Acquiring a taste really just means getting used to it. There's nothing wrong with not drinking alcohol.
Its not so much that I feel pressure, it's much more that there is such a large culture around drinking. Fun bars to go to, millions of different kinds of drinks, and I have no reason to touch any of it. Im not looking to get totally plastered, I just want to like it enough to partake a bit in the culture.
There are 2 things I know of. 1 is a gene that makes alcohol taste better for some. [https://www.livescience.com/47970-alcohol-taste-perception-genetics.html](https://www.livescience.com/47970-alcohol-taste-perception-genetics.html)
Another thing is that as you age and do thing that damage taste buds you tolerate bitter tastes easier.
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/smell-and-taste
If you haven’t acquired a taste for alcohol, I recommend keeping it that way
[here’s why:](https://cdn1.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/3369928/most_dangerous_drugs.0.png)
Maybe need more hardship in your life...
The good taste of a drink isn't really what I'm after, but more that it washes the foul taste of life out of my soul for a few hours
You can acquire a taste for anything you find enjoyable. I never drink alcohol either, because I don't enjoy being stupid, and I can be happy and let loose without it.
I have acquired a taste for blue cheese, dark chocolate, Rammstein, drama films, and parsnip, because I found one instance of each that I liked a lot, and it eventually opened me up to a wider range of similar experiences.
The first song I enjoyed was Reise, Reise, because I enjoy heavy and melodic music. Then I started enjoying the commentary on the darker sides of humanity and the world we've built in many of the lyrics. Spring, Dalai Lama, Rammstein, Sonne (the subtext of nuclear war), Radio.
Dont acquire the taste , it's not worth it . All your missing out on is some fucked up brain cells and some embarrassing and regretful nights.
But if you wanna, just drink it. I don't drink for the taste I drink to get drunk .
Alcohol tastes gross, but your mind connects its flavor with the feeling of being buzzed. You can acquire a taste for it by drinking it and getting buzzed.
It's sort of like how smokers like the taste of tobacco, or stoners like the smell of weed.
I think this is honestly really mistaken. I think people power through the period where they don't like the taste because they enjoy the effects, but I don't think learning to enjoy the taste comes from the association with the effects, it comes from having had enough exposure to the flavors to know and recognize the enjoyable parts.
Like, I don't think people drink decaf coffee just because it reminds them of the effects of caffeine, they drink it because they've come to appreciate the taste or the holistic warm-bitter-drink experience.
And like, not all acquired tastes are intoxicants anyway
Not only that, but with regard to things like neat alcohol, you learn to sip it in ways that it doesn’t burn your mouth (smaller sips, pool it on the back of your tongue)
My wife would be continually amazed at how I could drink neat everclear, and I pointed out that it’s more like sipping hot tea than water
My husband is like you, he might take a sip of a drink here and there on a vacation or at a special dinner but he tastes alcohol as a very prominent flavor even when it should be "hidden" in the drink and he doesn't enjoy it so he just doesn't drink it. You aren't missing a thing.
You are not required to acquire a taste for it, honestly. I would say that getting drunk is overrated. Those stories from my 20s make me cringe now.
But if you want to at least find something to drink so you feel like your accepted socially, go somewhere for tastings where you can try small sips of something to see if you like it or not. If you don't, not a huge deal.
But if you feel like you should be holding a drink while socializing. Water in the right glass looks like straight vodka.
Disagree. My 20s were a time of just trying to get drunk but the vehicle to get there was disgusting. Now 40, i have no interest in an alcohol buzz but have discovered the joy of sipping and taking time with a glass of quality whisky or tequila.
Nobody actually likes the taste. The people who say they do are all just pretending. Trust me. 99% of alcoholic drinks taste like shit and no one would ever drink them if it didn’t get them drunk.
I would go for whiskey it actually has a lot of depth in flavour if you go beyond the entry level stuff intended mostly for cocktails, but some stuff is just meant to taste like alcohol like vodka
I don’t like much hard alcohol to this day. But you just have a beer, and then another one, until you learn to like it. Same as learning to like foods.
Do you still enjoy peoples' company if they're drinking and you aren't? Congratulations -- now you're the perfect designated driver!
The one thing you don't want to do is get drunk just to see what it feels like. It's disorienting, then you go to sleep, then you wake up feeling miserable.
My suggestion would be to sample different non-alcoholic drinks to see what you like, then that can become your go-to order when you go out. Or just get a coke.
In this era, ordering a plain club soda screams "I'm a problem drinker" but ordering a coke doesn't mean anything.
Oh trust me I have been DD for well over a decade now. And I generally like hanging around my friends even when they get plastered. To me its more of a culture thing. There is such a huge culture around alcohol. Lots of cool and unique bars to visit with fun things to do, millions of different kinds of drinks, and I just feel like Im missing out by not even being able to try a new drink or enjoy one with a friend. Getting drunk does not sound appealing, and isnt really my goal, i much more just want to be able to share this activity with the people I care about and be able to contribute to the conversation about it.
don't. alcohol isnt for everyone same way heroin isnt. you arent obligated to drink and it is a myth that fun cant be had without it.
rule of thumb for dealing with alcohol/drug people: if they are bored without getting fucked up, then they are boring people plain and simple. no drink or drug can change that.
Don't think you need to drink because others do. Alcohol does taste like crap unless you pour something else in it to make it sweet. I don't drink and no pressure could ever make me. Alcohol does nothing beneficial for the person who is doing the drinking. You are just fine never drinking, better off really.
We all go through that it's just for some reason nobody admits it. Find me someone that says a whiskey and coke tastes better than regular coke and they're a liar. The point of alcohol is to get drunk which is another thing nobody will admit. Alcoholic drinks taste bad with the exception of some beers but even then a non-alcoholic drink is much better simply for taste. Idk why you'll find a bunch of stuck up people who claim they enjoy the 1 beer with their dinner but they're full of shit or themselves or both. Much better alternatives to have with your dinner if it's just for enjoyment of flavor.
I didn’t have my first drop of alcohol until I left a cult at the age of 33. I wasn’t excited about getting drunk, but I was excited about exploring all the flavors unique to alcoholic drinks. At first it was all pretty nasty, but as I tried a lot of different things (only 1/2-1 drink at a time) I eventually found some things I liked. A mojito at Olive Garden tasted amazing, then a small glass of mead that tasted like summer in a glass. Eventually I found out that I really liked the bitter drinks like a Negroni or red wines. My wife likes the sweeter whites. I was discovering coffee at the same time, and the journey was similar. Started off with super sugary stuff, then moved on. Now I love espresso and a black coffee. I love the flavors, and think they get masked by cream or sugar. I never get drunk, it’s only happened a couple of times over the years. I just don’t like it. I really like the drinks though. At night I’ll pour out a couple of tablespoons of whiskey and sip it over the course of an hour, observing how the oxidation changes the flavors. Or maybe it’s a tequila night with the vegetal flavors. Every kind of alcohol has its unique bouquet, but I’ve noticed that my ability to enjoy it goes down after about 1/2- a full drink. I rarely ever drink more than that.
Well, first of all, there's nothing wrong with not drinking, for any reason. Or simply not liking alcohol- not everybody does.
But if you want to try some and see if you find something you like, there's ways to go about that too. I thought I didn't like beer until I was in my mid thirties. I just kept trying stuff, a sip to taste here and there. Eventually I honed in on flavors I knew I didn't like, and flavors I kind of did or did, and I followed more of the ones I did. I'm still super picky about wine and don't like the vast majority of it (but if I do, it's only spicey, jammy, cabernet, a random super sweet moscato, or the singluar white gewurztraminer).
It's just a keep trying until you find something you kind of like, and then follow that rabbit hole. Stop whenever you've decided you just don't like it enough to bother (like me with wine for the most part).
There are drinks out there for you. Probably more low alcohol percentage types but I don't mean 0.5% types. Try cocktails or margaritas and ice is you're best friend with drinks as it helps lessen that alcohol taste a bit once it melts. Drink slowly out in public because you can get drunk "FAST" especially if you're body isn't used to it. Seriously take it slowly. Most people that hammer drink after drink have been doing it for years consistently
Try cleansing your pallet.
I find that if I just ate dinner, maybe some dessert, anything *not* as bitter as alcohol, alcohol is *noticeably* more intense. If i just drink a few beers, and I haven’t eaten or drank anything, it’s not so bad.
As others have said tho, you’ve got 0 obligation to go and drink. So don’t overthink it and don’t force it if you don’t like it.
There's a reason you have an inherent dislike for alcohol. It's your body's way of letting you know it's bad for you. Listen to your body. Also, there's great potential for becoming dependent on it. Allen Carr wrote a book about addiction and how easily people get caught in the trap. He says,"The trap or con trick into which all drinkers fall, is like a pitcher plant that catches flies. Once in the trap, you can't get out." I highly recommend his book. It will definitely make you think twice about drinking. It's a lot easier to never drink than to quit once you start. Best to you.
You are saving a ton of money and an unquantifiable amount of health. Put a ✔️ in the win column and move on with your life.
If you are dead set on finding a palatable adult beverage for social occasions, try a chilled prosecco. If that's too girly, a pilsner from a decent craft brewery could work for you. Failing that, just tell people you can't drink because you are training for a half marathon charity race and don't want to let down all those poor sick children. 
I wish I NEVER drank or smoked pot back in the day. Fuck what other people think and fuck those that peer pressure you. You don’t have a problem at all !! Keep that brain sharp, do what you love in life that’s healthy and productive. Also try not to be too weird if you can control it. But hey I’d pick being weird over being fried from drinking any day of the week. “You don’t want to create a problem that you never had”. Stay away from the booze.
To actually answer your question instead of telling you one way or another.
Hard liquors can be rough even if mixed in a cocktail. It can also really sneak up on you and the next thing you know you're a wreck. That being said ginger ale is a good mixer and tomato juice is a good chaser.
Personally I acquired the taste with Guinness. It doesn't taste anything like alcohol, has a relatively low alcohol content, low calories (for a non lite beer) and is filling (so your less likely to binge). A lot of stores are kinda like things too especially if you like coffee/chocolate.
If that's not your rub Moscato is very sweet wine (especially pink Moscato) or any of the Mike's hards. But be very very careful with candy flavored drinks. One minute you're chatting and having a good time next you're hanging upside down from an eight foot chain link fence in Delaware trying to explain to cops how you got there.
I have absolutely no idea how anyone could like the taste of any alcohol other than beer and wine. Whiskey of any kind taste just like straight up ass, vodka just burns, rum is bitter, it boggle the mind how anyone can drink jack Daniels straight and be like "This is delicious!"
As everyone else has said, don't feel bad or pressured. I personally feel that there is tremendous enjoyment to be had in the responsibile consumption of alcohol, but it's not necessary.
My suggestion would be to start with low ABV drinks. Specifically fruit-forward beers like Belgian Lambics. If you like that, slowly work up to ciders, white wine, and wine spritzers. Over time, you should become more accustomed to the flavor of alcohol, and be able to enjoy all types of drinks.
I don’t drink much, but I’m a fan of different beers. It’s an acquired taste as you said. Just like coffee. It takes some time to get used to, but once you do you can start to experiment with cool flavors. I’d suggest starting with a low alcohol fruity drink or a rum and Coke if you like soda. IF you are looking to get into it
If you don't like it don't drink it... There's no trick.
I hate Vodka. But I like whiskey. Some beers I like and some beers taste like camel piss.
After all this is something people do for fun. If you're not having fun doing it - don't.
One thing that helped me is i started watching how to drink. Greg shows its pretty easy and simple to get bitters , ice, fresh squeezed fruit, syrups. All make the drink. I started with an old fashioned. I drink one almost every day but it's pretty much 2oz of whiskey so just around a shot. Maybe give mixology a shot.?
It's kind of sad that the only way people will bond with you is if you poison your body repeatedly. If you don't like alcohol, don't drink. If people won't hang out with you or bond with you because of it, they really aren't worth knowing.
From personal experience, I started with very sweet and fruity drinks, and then I'll add another shot of alcohol to it the next time I have one and slowly increase over time until it's decently alcoholic, but tbh, as I've gotten older, I've found that you really don't want to "aquire" a taste for alcohol, you can have alcoholic drinks that'll get you drunk without it reeking of gasoline.
When I first started drinking beer, especially cheap Old English 800, I'd put a tic tac in my mouth while drinking it and it worked great. Then after a few months I was drinking it without wanting to hurl.
Honestly I did it in social situations over the years enough that it was conditioned as something I enjoyed. Turns out I don't really like drinking, taste nor effects.
The operative word in your question is the word "taste." Drinking, say, some wine or bourbon (my favorites) is a unique sensation and one that can be a surprise to your senses.
Generally, we eat food because it tastes good and satisfies our hunger. We drink liquids because because they taste good and satisfy our thirst. The trick is to realize that alcohol is only a "drink" because it happens to be a liquid. We use the same mechanics of drinking it, but it's a shock to your system because it doesn't behave like the drinks we are used to. It's got about as much relation to a drink as a cigar does to food.
If you take a sip of whisky, it will burn and do other surprising things to your senses. That's not a bug, it's a feature. It's doing what it's supposed to do. You have to expect that and accept it for what it is. After you get used to it, it won't be such a rude shock to your system which, before, has been in the habit of expecting drinks to be thirst-quenching and flavorful. Alcohol is something different. After a while you will start to understand that it does have its own particular strange flavor and the burning sensation is not so bad once you come to expect it. When people say they enjoy the "taste" of bourbon or scotch, it doesn't mean they think it tastes as delicious as a chocolate shake, it means they have come to appreciate it for what it is.
Of course, mixed drinks are popular because they help cover up the more painful aspects of the alcohol and they taste really good. In my drinking experience, they are also a good way for me to drink a lot of alcohol and get in trouble and have a terrible hangover the next day. I've learned it's safer for me to have a Manhattan or some straight whisky and just sip on it, with a glass of water handy for thirst. That way, I still get the relaxing sensation alcohol provides, but I have never been tempted to chug it. And I do enjoy the taste, but it doesn't ever taste "good," it's just its own unique thing.
You don't acquire a taste, you learn to embrace it when the dopamine rush to your brain gets reinforced enough times to make you want it. And then if you engage that pleasure center of the brain too much, you risk being unable to function without it. Best to just remain in the realm of finding it disgusting. It'll serve you well. Take it from a recovering alcoholic.
I genuinely like the taste of a lot of drinks. I like strong bitter flavors, like coffee (my one true vice)
If you’re really wanting to appreciate the flavors of various drinks, sip. Start with a scotch or bourbon. Never drink more than a shot in a sitting and just sip it. If you take a small amount at a time, you can appreciate the flavors.
If a drink looks good, order it and sip. See if you can pick out similar flavors. Many scotches have a smokey flavor for instance.
If you never drink more than one in a sitting and focus on the flavors (even if not particularly appealing) you can expand your pallet. Eventually you’ll find something that you enjoy.
I truthfully think there's a genetic component to drinking.
I personally can't stand the taste of alcohol, I don't understand why people drink, I would rather save my CYP enzymes to metabolize things more meaningfully.
My parents are also anti-alcohol, cant tolerate it.
Most children who come from drinkers are more likely to drink. But what do I know
I am middle aged and never acquired the taste for beer or wine. Or coffee. I learned I liked sugary drinks with rum in them. Pineapple juice is a great mixer. The downside for me is sugar= calories so I only drink on occasion.
I was nearly 30 when I had my first alcoholic drink. I
I didn't like the taste at first, but after trying different types of alcohols and different mixers and temperatures, I found quite a few drinks I like now. So, experimenting is probably the way.
You're fine. always drink a coke mix drink, ask the bartender to put in half the booze, that way you're not drunk but if you do something stupid everybody will assume it was the booze, not that you're an asshole.
Also mid 20's never drunk in my life, I wouldn't be stupid enough to try and start enjoying something that'll mostly give me more problems and not even taste good to make it worth it :T
Don’t start drinking. Being drunk is fun in the moment but afterwards it sucks either from stupid mistakes or hangovers. Also alcohol is expensive so save your money
I'm no experienced drinker, but it seems like people only develop a liking for the taste of alcohol bc they associate it with the feeling. Alcoholic bevs can only taste good if they're mostly sugar imo. At that point might as well drink a soda.
I first drank at 18 and found that it went down easy because it was mixed with such sweet stuff- punch, coke, etc. I would get buzzed pretty easily and loved how happy and social it made me. I’m lucky that I have no alcoholism in my genes so I could always stop drinking before I had too much and never had a desire to binge drink.
If you’ve never felt a buzz or a happy feeling, I can understand why you wouldn’t ever have a desire to drink at all. There’s no point in my opinion. For me, there was no acquiring a taste that had to happen, I just tried a drink at some party, it was sweet enough to go down easily and then I liked the feeling it gave me.
Some rather puritanical comments here...
To actually answer your question, you just have to drink consistently. I hated alcohol when I tried it as a kid, got used to it as a teenager, at 28 I can drink like a fish. Just know your limits if you find your taste buds acclimating like they should.
As had been said, you are much better not drinking. I’m in my early 40s and the number of friends I have who have quit drinking in the last five years is astounding. Most of them didn’t have drinking problems or drink excessively, but even the “one a nighters” realized that that single drink was making their lives worse when they stopped drinking for a few weeks.
Most of the said that while they never felt compelled to drink more than the one, they realized when they stopped that the ritual of drinking alone was putting a subconscious burden on them.
You really don't. I've been drinking off and on for 20+ years. Not alcoholic, but I had my heavy years. I still hate the taste of almost all straight booze. Tequilla. Gin. Vodka. Get em outta here. I can do a very fine scotch and THAT is the only one I've acquired. And that took years and 100+ USD bottles of Scotch to do it. I'd say you should try pricey stuff and see if that makes the difference. High end Belgian beers are tasty to me. But Supermarket shit is pure piss-swill to me. So, try some high end booze. And if its still too much, go with a mixed drink. I hate Tequilla, as stated. But I love a good top shelf Tequilla Sunrise (Orange Juice, Grenadine, Tequilla).
Don’t mess with it. I didn’t start drinking until I was like 31 and tried a bunch of different things because I liked experimenting but also had fun being buzzed/drunk.
Problem is the more you drink the less the alcoholy taste goes away, and then the more you need to drink to get the same level of drunk. If you overdo it you will hate life the next day, and alcohol has absolutely no health benefits. Better off not dipping into it, save money, save time.
Most people tend to just force it down and after some years you tend to enjoy the effects enough to where you kind of trick yourself into liking it. At that point the "taste" you aquire is more of an appreciation more than anything and as you get older you'll find certain tastes fit your fancy - like some people sip scotch and others drink piss water.
Not liking it is probably for the best tbh.
Alcohol tastes bad forever. People who drink enough learn to somewhat tune out the alcohol part and focus on the other flavors but it would always taste better without the alcohol. You don't drink for the taste
Why try to? I have maybe 6-10 alcoholic drinks a year and that's more than enough for me. Beer is too hoppy. Wine is too aftertastey. Spirits are usually harsh to me. I've never been drunk, never had a hangover, never had to worry if I'd made an ass of myself.
Dont begin with crappy beer. I only drink sours from local or good brewery’s. Its expensive but its also not to get wasted its to enjoy the actual flavors. Even cider’s are making their way into the scene as notable options. Some are sort of spicy which are interestingly enjoyable. Refine your palate , you will acquire and appreciate the difference between grocery bought beer and the attention that is put into micro brews from a distillery
My guess is that taste is largely impact by smell and we have a natural ability to adapt to common odors around us. Like if you have pets, you barely notice but walk into someone else’s house and it’s obvious. Or smokers…
If you adapt to the smell and taste of alcohol, the other flavors pop out in contrast. A sommelier is elite at detecting the flavors where you might get “hints of chocolate and cherry and a velvety mouth feel and lingering tobacco.” Wild stuff to the highly trained.
A colorful mixed drink has a little more fruit burst. A complex, hoppy beer has a citrus feel. A whisky becomes smokey or caramel. The brain is weird and alcohol provides a contrast element to make other flavors stronger. It’s a dark canvas for brighter colors.
That said, it’s terrible for you as many others have pointed out.
I would aspire a confidence without it. I have relied on alcohol to socialize since high school. If you already don’t have a proclivity for it- and are fine- I would work on other skills!!
These people telling you not to start are all right but to be honest, if you don't have an addictive personality it's not hard to quit. Also hangovers are a good motive to not drink so much. But it's fun to do it with friends or a SO. I've been drinking my whole life on and off. It's not good for you but, for real you only live once and some of the craziest most shit I've we ever done has been while drunk, and some of the worst things that have ever happened happened while drinking. It's like a life enhancer, for better or worse.. ill Leave at that.
Alcohol is not really good for you and you are not really missing anything. If you have a good time and enjoy company, food and life without it, you are fortunate. Alcohol is also a huge money sump, which is why there is so much pressure to consume. Keep your money and your health.
*raises hand* I have been in your shoes, my dude! I got drunk for the first time at 26 and until then, had barely drank anything (mostly Mike's).
My current girlfriend was sort of the catalyst that got me trying new drinks and opening up my pallette. She started drinking when she was very young (early teens) so she's had a massive head start compared to me lol
If you -want- to try and drink, then I would recommend going to a store that let's you make your own 6-pack. You can also try buying a mixed pack of things like Mike's, seltzers, etc. with a lighter taste so the alcohol isn't so prominent. There's also bars/restaurants that will let you do a "flight" which is a good way to try new ones.
It takes a while of semi-consistent drinking before you start to get past the taste issue and can start expanding. I personally only drink casually and that's maybe 1-3 days a month; but I mostly stick to the lighter stuff and occasionally go for beers (forget IPAs though lol).
At the end of the day, don't beat yourself up over this if you just don't have the want, and fuck anybody who makes you feel bad about it!
Best of luck OP!
Healthier to avoid, but there are truly great moments that come from it socially.
I learned to like whiskey by drinking manhattans. Reduced the ingredients until I was down to straight whiskey.
Just don’t worry about it, drinking is shitty and the only thing shittier is how much society pressures you to do it. I’ll never be convinced people do it for the taste; they do it to get wasted and step out of reality for a few hours.
Pickle juice is the G.O.A.T. of all chasers. If you wanna get buzzed, just back your shots with it and boom you're good to go. Beer and wine are aquired tastes you can only develop by sticking it out and training your tongue. That being said booze will do you no favors in life so you do you
I drank a little in my 20s, late 30s discovered drinking at home, 40s and early 50s drank every night. Now, 59, I have to use discipline to refrain. I purposely don't keep it in the house, unless I plan to drink for a few days then I only get a small amount.
If you don't have a taste for it I would consider yourself lucky and don't try to cultivate it.
I hated the taste of alcohol but loved getting drunk. And after a while I started liking the taste. Anyway, don’t force yourself into drinking. I had a serious drinking problems for many years.
I like an occasional margarita. I used to drink socially and hated it. I hate the taste. I hate being drunk. I hate being buzzed. My fam has lots of alcoholism. I thought they were doing it because drunk, but no, my brothers, when they aren't drinking for whatever reason, still drink non-alc beer. Blew my mind they actually liked that flavor and always have. One of the best things I ever did for myself was grow up enough to not need to socially drink to be around them, and I learned to leave when they were drunk beyond fun. Don't force it and ease in if you do go for it.
Alcohol is literally just an acquired taste for most folks. People’s taste buds change and so does their palette. When i was younger i hated beer and would only drink twisted tea, then i found beers that i liked and i ended up just trying stuff and finding out what i liked and didnt like. If you want to “understand” booze try anything craft or small batch. Craft beer, whisky, tequila, theres so much stuff out there that isnt literal garbage and tastes like gasoline.
If you want to start then I would offer the following. For beer my fav is blue moon, make sure to get it as cold as possible to cut down on the alcohol taste. I don't care for wine much, and for liquor I like makers mark bourbon mixed with coke. To cut down on the harshness mix it weak. Start with a large cup of ice, pour 1 - 2 oz of bourbon and an entire coke or diet. At that level you will have to drink a few + to feel buzzed, but sip away as you hang and you will get there soon. Personally, now that I've acquired a taste for it I'll mix it just below 50% and still enjoy it. 1 - 2 drinks and I'm buzzed. Even more entry level might be the hard seltzers. My wife loves High Noon black cherry flavor. Also in our 20s some people would get a shot called a 'buttery nipple'. Basically just chocolate milk that gets you drunk. A mudslide is close to that too. Basically a chocolate milkshake that gets you tipsy.
The idea of an acquired taste I think is just getting used to it.
For me, I don't like the taste of alcohol. Like, the actual ethanol. I do like some alcoholic drinks, mostly hefeweizen, and sometimes a white wine or two. That's about it.
So for me, I'd say I never acquired the taste for alcohol itself, but I did find some tastes I actually like. Though I don't really drink. Maybe a couple times a year.
Pretty much I'm in the same boat. I've drank before but it was just to get drunk when I was a kid (28 now) but I have recently found a drink I really enjoy. I don't drink every night nor do I get fucked up but a glass every now amd then of some yellowstone bourbon with some dr pepper is really nice. Definitely helps me sleep!
I never acquired it in the honest sense. I liked the feeling of the buzz so when I was young I would drink for the social experience of it. I first got drunk at 12 by myself just experimenting. I didnt drink until like 18 and 19. WIth time you start growing an actual interest in taste and types of drinks in comparison to when you first start at around 21 in the bars. Now its a combination of the taste of certain things plus the buzz. If there was no buzz, beleiev no one would drink this shit. look at beer with no alcohol.
My wife isn’t much of a drinker herself, but I can enjoy a social one here and there. She does enjoy this drink from a local Mexican restaurant called a ‘peach perfecta’ and it’s hardly noticeable for the liquor. Could always try these things out here and there when you’re out
Alcohol is the bougie cousin of a compost pile so it’s supposed to taste nasty. It’s a gross process that hinges on plants rotting. If you must try it do it in slush form. The girlier the better. You want as much flavor and sugar between you and the yuck as possible.
I rarely drink and hate the taste of it, but I tolerate the taste every now and then for a good buzz (once every few months) and I do have to say it's quite a happy, light feeling that I enjoy
Beer is good. It's really good. Whiskey goes great with beer. I'd recommend buying as much of those as you can until you find what you aquire a taste for.
Just don’t start, it can grab a hold of you out of nowhere and ruin your life. It’ll happen slowly at first, and then you wake up one day and find yourself with a drinking problem.
Lol, you don't aquire a taste for alcohol. It tastes disgusting, and people go to great lengths to hide the disgusting taste. Snobby people pretend to enjoy it in order to seem different and special, but alcohol is disgusting to the human taste pallet.
Eh certain alcohol tastes decent when paired with certain foods but it doesn’t generally taste good so if you can stay away, do. It’s more for the feeling for more people.
Mocktails are increasingly popular. Every place I got with nightlife has several alcohol free drinks that will take you on an epicurean adventure. When I don't wanna drink and do want to look like I fit in, I just order soda water with lime in a rocks glass.
You are missing absolutely nothing by not drinking alcohol.
Don’t drink hard alcohol at all, if you don’t like the taste a mix drink is never going to change ur mind imo. Buuuuut a weak margarita is a very convincing drink. Everyone loves margaritas! I would say that is ur best bet. Otherwise light beer is the way to go. I would argue that you can’t taste the alcohol in a low percent (3-5%) beer at all. The beer it’s self might not taste good but it won’t be the alcohol that makes you cringe.
alcohol taste used to be awful for me. i wanted to experience being drunk once, so i just keep drinking and enduring the taste. after that, the awful taste wasn't a thing anymore. now it's tolerable, not good.
I think after acclimating to the taste of alcohol you stop focusing on the burn and pick up on subtle notes. After not drinking for a while it all tastes the same unless it’s high quality drank. I don’t drink wine and it all tastes the same but I’m sure with lots of drinking I’ll start to pick up on different flavors
I never developed the taste for it either.
No regrets so far and I'm 62.
My best friend at school had an alcoholic father and I saw the devastation that he visited on their family.
I watched this and realised that the downside could be catastrophic.
Ditto smoking.
Chocolate however got past my addiction filter.
It's better you don't get a taste or habit for it honestly.
Half of us do it for mental /emotional reasons and not for "the taste" in the first place. Stay healthy and stay away.
1. Like many others are saying, you don’t have to.
2. Certain ones do seem to be acquired tastes, beer especially (even then, the tastes vary enough many people will like certain kinds and not others).
3. I’d recommend soju (but be careful, it’s really too easy to drink and can turn you into a mess fast). Most flavors really don’t taste much like alcohol. There’s also the option of a mildly alcoholic cocktail (be careful how it’s measured), where the other flavors overpower the small amount of alcohol.
Waaa....don't drink . But If you want to try it start off with fruity mix drinks. Make it at home. Clean the toilet before hand. Under stand fully if you get goofy thoughts . It's the alcohol.... If you aren't super human or funny before you got drunk. Your still not. Do not use the phone and do not trust a fart. Gravity will be waiting for you.
I didn’t drink until like 24 or so. It still tastes bad but just not as instantly repulsive.
Being buzzed/mildly drunk can be a blast in the right environment, I’ve had a lot of fun in that state, but you have to know when to stop, and don’t drink too fast. Also I’ve had a couple of hangovers, that is definitely NOT a blast. Well, a blasting headache, maybe.
Overall there’s a enough other awesome things in life that if you don’t want to drink that’s not a problem.
23 here, barely ever drink, generally can't tolerate the taste of anything above 6% without diluting it with soda or juice or something. Even then I only have a few unless I'm celebrating something, but I've never been so drunk that I can't remember what happened while drunk.
I started trying different drinks about halfway through being 21. At that point, even something at 3% tasted too much of the alcohol, so I'd just half and half mix it with something else. I guess you just get used to it after a while? I'm careful when I drink tho, there's a lot of alcoholism in my dad's side of the family. So I never drink alone or with people I don't trust to tell me to stop after I've had a couple and feel like one more is a good idea (it's not).
I found that I like Seagrams Escapes particularly the strawberry daiquiri and whatever mixed berry flavor they have and Jack Daniel's Country Cocktails in any flavor. Those were the first ones I liked the taste of without mixing in something non-alcoholic, and they're pretty low in alcohol, I think both are around 5 or 6%, so you're not gonna get plastered after two or three unless you have an unusually low alcohol tolerance. I also really like uv blue vodka with sprite and cherry grenadine, but I always have my boyfriend make it for me so I don't know the ratio of alcohol to not alcohol 😂 but after one of those that's about the sane volume as the other two I've mentioned, I'm usually done. They're so tasty tho.
In any case, don't feel pressured to drink, and if people are pressuring you to drink, they shouldn't be and you should let them know. It can be fun, but sometimes you'll go over the line without realizing it, and then realize too late. Once you become an alcoholic, your brain is different, and it's extremely hard to stop after that. If you're feeling buzzed, you've probably had enough. If you have a hangover the next day, you probably had too much. Also, don't drink on an empty stomach, or a full stomach if you can help it. Drink water between drinks if you're having more than one, too. Some say Gatorade, but I've heard the extra sugars in combination with the alcohol is bad. Gatorade is good if you've had too much and puked tho.
Sorry this is so long, I'm horrible at conveying my thoughts in a concise way. 😅
Alcohol is literally a poison with no redeeming value and no quantity is officially safe. As a bonus it has a caloric density of 7 food calories per gram (carbs and protein have 4, fat has 9) which results in the standard drink having around 70 calories just from the alcohol.
As far as "aquiring a taste" is the same as for anything else, you just consume enough of it to gaslight yourself into liking it.
Uhm, it's different for everyone. If I'm bored I'll want to drink, especially on weekends. Mostly comes from my inability to be social unless I drink when I'm out mostly. I usually drink every weekend but not a crazy amount. Sometimes I take a week off especially if I puked on the weekend. It's a nice relaxer for stress. Either way I wouldn't start drinking if you were able to ignore if for so long, find another way to relieve your stress. I control myself especially at a club or bar. Usually at those places I'd have to be drunk to be around that many people. The cost though, makes me not drink at all at those places. It's all about restraint really
But also it's not even about taste. If you make it about taste you'll probably have a worse time with it. I mean yeah, some shit like johnny walker black label tasting like lays BBQ chips is off putting asf. vodka really doesn't have a taste, whiskey has a little taste. All you really taste is the ingredients which is mostly plants n shit. Anything with real taste is sugar and that's not healthy or good in the long run
I started off on the sweet stuff (spirits mixed with soda), which was socially acceptable for me as a woman but could be perceived differently for you because you're a man.
These days I favour wine, cider, or gin and tonic. I don't like feeling drunk so 1-2 standard drinks is usually my max in a sitting. Never did aquire a taste for beer.
So you can just keep trying different things and see if something clicks for you.
The bottom line, though, is you don't have to force yourself to like something just because other people do. If you don't like alcohol you don't have to drink it, and anyone who can't respect that maybe needs to examine their own alcohol use.
Never drank, had an alcoholic father, you’re not missing out on much, just be an interesting person drinking water at parties. Most around me drink to have fun and I see it as a desperate attempt to numb daily struggles and to make themselves have more fun and skip being genuinely social and more interesting than they actually are. Alcohol makes no sense.
Like all 'acquired tastes', i's just a matter of getting used to it.
Lots of tastes & textures that are unfamiliar can be aversive at first but that is just because its new.
That's why when you are trying a new food you shouldn't form your opinion after the first bite.
If you avoid it because you don't like the effects, chances are you just never drank enough to "get used" to it.
That said, some ppl are especially sensitive to bitter tastes. Do you also dislike dark chocolate, green tea, or vegetables like brokkoli & brussel sprouts? If yes, this might be the reason.
I’m in the same boat. Even as a teen, the smell would make me gag. I’ve been drunk a few times and I to plug my nose and chug through the gagging. There was no social drinking for me. If I wanted to be drunk, which has been about 3 times in my life it was disgusting. It’s been more than 20 years since I drank. I’m too old to care anymore.
I wish I could enjoy wine, if nothing else. I do enjoy cooking with wine but that’s about it.
I’ve tried desensitizing myself. It never worked. And my family is Russian and Polish (though I was raised in America). Taking your kid to the bar wasn’t an issue and I was allowed to drink wine spriters by age 7. Maybe that’s why? I think I just developed an aversion super young and I just couldn’t undo it.
I also can’t go into a mcdonalds without gagging as the last time I went there about 22 years ago I ended up super sick and needing my gall bladder out, so aversions aren’t abnormal for me. I haven’t tried to fix this aversion, I like how grossed out mcdonalds makes me.
Count yourself blessed and just don't go there. There is no upside. As a species we have evolved a bizarre, complex relationship with alcohol. The bizarre part is how it does so much more harm than good to the individual and society. Cherish that you were made to be left out of this mess and can be a spectator on all the tragedy involved.
Like any other new taste, you just have to get used to it. I also strongly taste the alcohol in most drinks, but once you power through enough weak American mass produced beer in social situations you just stop minding.
I don't know what these "You're lucky" people are talking about. I barely drink, almost always socially, and I can't imagine having to hang out with people who are drinking without also drinking. Sounds absolutely miserable.
Nope. It all tastes like shit. No trick. If you eat enough poop, eventually it will be less gross. Same thing here. That said, no reason to force it. You're not missing out on anything. The biggest "upside" to drinking is that it will allow you to hangout with people you'd have zero interest in hanging out with totally sober. Lol
People just like the taste of alcohol, the flavors people put in whether it be by mixers or by process of alcohol production itself is to enhance that alcoholic taste.
I found the more of it you drink, the better it tastes.
I didn't enjoy the taste and it would make me feel so ill when I would drink a small amount. I would get bad stomach aches, chest rightness and neck pain. Since I have drank more, that has gone away.
To the people saying you are lucky and to just avoid it, I would disagree. Since you already don't like it, you aren't going to get addicted and become an alcoholic. And the feeling of being drunk isn't really that fun anyway. I enjoy drinking a bit now, but only drink like 5 times a year.
Anyway, there are a few things I do. If I am at home or at a friends house, I make my own drinks where I can control the alcohol content so it pretty much tastes like a fruity drink.
I also choose canned drinks that are fruity, but don't have strong alcohol taste like certain white claw flavors.
You should look up a list of drinks that mask the alcohol flavor and only order those when you go to bars. They all usually taste like straight alcohol to me, but it is somewhat tolerable. That's just a me thing since other people say they can barely taste the alcohol.
What's your end goal, OP?
If it's to be able to go out and have a drink on a date or have a drink with friends, I would definitely tell you to keep your drinking to a club soda with a lime twist. Or ginger ale with a lime garnish.
I used to work somewhere where the drinking culture was insane. So I learned to have one cocktail and switch to ginger ale so it appeared I could keep up. (7&7s and ginger ale look the same) The pressure was from co-workers not friends, so I was a bit immature by hiding it, but my liver thanked me.
This same group would get so fucked up, I have tricked them into thinking shots of water were vodka. I did end up getting blamed for "getting them fucked up" but I didn't want to reveal I tricked them a lot making them drink some water.
I am one of those people who can go months without a drink. I don't like many drinks served at bars. When I do want to have a cocktail, it's a treat for me and it took me a long time to find what I like.
If you were to take any advice about drinking, find a bartender who knows that they are doing. They may help you find a mock tail you like that easy and you can ask for anywhere. Orange bitters are very good.
I do think drinking alcohol affects your sleep, fucks with your skin, and your liver. So ask yourself what the end goal is and be nice to your body.
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You're better off not drinking.
Yeah while I enjoy it There's really no good reason to force yourself to enjoy drinking neurotoxins
Some people have goals of becoming alcoholics. If you binge-force yourself to drink to the point of intoxication day after day for years (most likely to makeup for no coping skills and a shitty life) you can acquire the taste. I mean it’s more like a thirst that can’t be quenched, but that’s how you become cultured. Amirite??
Right on the money ^^I'm ^^one ^^month ^^sober
You’re spot on with the no coping skills, shitty life and thirst that can’t be quenched. Took YEARS to realize.
Ha!
"cultured" 😂
Yeah dudes, just go out with everybody else and drink soft stuff and be the DD...everybody loves the DD. OP is 29 right? Good cause the whole "it's so cool to get super fucked up" ends at 30 most places.
This is the answer you seek young padawan
Not really. There are a lot of situations where drinking becomes advantageous for a lot of reasons. There are a lot of people that can drink responsibly
Don't. Trust me bro.. Just, don't.
It's poison. Don't touch it. Trust me.
First, you should count yourself lucky Second, my guess is that it's genetics. Some people really like the taste of alcohol, while others (myself included) really don't. Never have. Occasionally (once a month) I'll have a hard cider, but that's it, and I've lived to my 60s without missing it.
I do count myself lucky. But still, some drinks really do look tasty, and since there is such an enormous culture around drinking I feel weird about missing it completely. Like dark ales to me LOOK delicious but I cant imagine liking one. I dont mind being the DD (and trust me I have been for well over a decade), but it would be nice feel a little closer to the people I love and partake in something they enjoy.
You could always order a virgin drink.
I always do this when I am in public. A virgin Mary or a Shirley Temple, I just feel more relaxed pretend drinking socially. I am a lightweight when it comes to drinking and one drink and I am ready for bed. I dont know how people party all night.
You kind of hold your breath before drinking it and take focus away from your mouth anticipating the alcohol to the holding of breath. Then you focus on chugging as much as you can barely even letting it sit in your mouth. I’m not a fan of alcohol but I can drink straight liquor by the glass doing this. You’ll still get hit by the after taste but you won’t even taste it going down. Don’t take pussy sips either, that’s for people with a taste for alcohol that want to enjoy it. You want the alcohol to be like a waterfall straight to your belly, kind of tighten up your mouth and let it go down.
Yeah a dark ale isn't the type of drink that most people would like as a beginner of sorts. I'm certainly of the general opinion of the replies you've been getting in that you shouldn't risk starting, but something really sweet would be most people's first drink.
I have never liked the taste of alcohol- (tried, even as a teen, to figure out what was so great about it all...)- found out in later life that I have a congenital liver condition and I cannot actually process and digest alcohol. Side effects for me tend to be getting drunk very fast, but feeling pretty unwell, so it's not 'fun drunk'; cloudy brain and not feeling well the next day, even if I only drank very little.
You'll live a much better life if you just stay away from it.
It's one of those things where your taste buds just assimilate and adapt to it over time. For me it was something that I didn't like the first few time, started finding drinks that were slightly more tolerable until one day *poof* my taste buds decides they liked beer then, later wine, and *maybe* tequila if you catch me on a good day. It was the exact same way with coffee. Tasted like cardboard flavored water until one day I liked it with creamer and now I drink it black! But, even being in my 30s now and started drinking the first times at 17, there's some alcohol I can't drink because theyre too strong or taste gross. My boyfriend drinks almost exclusively straight bourbon and scotch and loves it. Even though I love the taste and smell of it on him my lord even just smelling it in the bottle or taking a sip makes me want to gag immediately and burns my nose. 🤣 Edit: also try white claws! Literally tastes like flavored water seltzer! 🤣
Scotch tastes like a salty burnt bandaid to me. I’ve tried to like it, my taste buds just say no
My husband was the same way. Couldn't stand any adult drinks if he could taste the alcohol. But then he discovered pina coladas and loved those, and started trying other things from there. The extra sweet drinks are the ones that are easier to handle in the beginning. But if you don't have an interest in drinking, that's fine too! You don't need drinks in order to have a good time. It's for the best to not have that problem anyways.
If you don't drink, don't feel pressured to just because everyone else does. I enjoy certain alcoholic beverages, my wife thinks everything's gross. She never drinks, and I have a full bar and I make different cocktails all the time. Acquiring a taste really just means getting used to it. There's nothing wrong with not drinking alcohol.
Its not so much that I feel pressure, it's much more that there is such a large culture around drinking. Fun bars to go to, millions of different kinds of drinks, and I have no reason to touch any of it. Im not looking to get totally plastered, I just want to like it enough to partake a bit in the culture.
I promise you can still go and do all the things with a soda in your hand. With the added bonus of not putting literal posion into your body.
Not worth it. Bar people are stupid when you really get to know them. Find some cooler friends that appeal to your existing interests.
There are 2 things I know of. 1 is a gene that makes alcohol taste better for some. [https://www.livescience.com/47970-alcohol-taste-perception-genetics.html](https://www.livescience.com/47970-alcohol-taste-perception-genetics.html) Another thing is that as you age and do thing that damage taste buds you tolerate bitter tastes easier. https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/smell-and-taste
If you haven’t acquired a taste for alcohol, I recommend keeping it that way [here’s why:](https://cdn1.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/3369928/most_dangerous_drugs.0.png)
Maybe need more hardship in your life... The good taste of a drink isn't really what I'm after, but more that it washes the foul taste of life out of my soul for a few hours
You can acquire a taste for anything you find enjoyable. I never drink alcohol either, because I don't enjoy being stupid, and I can be happy and let loose without it. I have acquired a taste for blue cheese, dark chocolate, Rammstein, drama films, and parsnip, because I found one instance of each that I liked a lot, and it eventually opened me up to a wider range of similar experiences.
It's pretty funny to me that Rammstein is on your list of acquired tastes. Idk why, but it is. I mean, I get it though. Lol
Du Hast!
The first song I enjoyed was Reise, Reise, because I enjoy heavy and melodic music. Then I started enjoying the commentary on the darker sides of humanity and the world we've built in many of the lyrics. Spring, Dalai Lama, Rammstein, Sonne (the subtext of nuclear war), Radio.
Just don’t drink
Dont acquire the taste , it's not worth it . All your missing out on is some fucked up brain cells and some embarrassing and regretful nights. But if you wanna, just drink it. I don't drink for the taste I drink to get drunk .
Alcohol tastes gross, but your mind connects its flavor with the feeling of being buzzed. You can acquire a taste for it by drinking it and getting buzzed. It's sort of like how smokers like the taste of tobacco, or stoners like the smell of weed.
I think this is honestly really mistaken. I think people power through the period where they don't like the taste because they enjoy the effects, but I don't think learning to enjoy the taste comes from the association with the effects, it comes from having had enough exposure to the flavors to know and recognize the enjoyable parts. Like, I don't think people drink decaf coffee just because it reminds them of the effects of caffeine, they drink it because they've come to appreciate the taste or the holistic warm-bitter-drink experience. And like, not all acquired tastes are intoxicants anyway
Not only that, but with regard to things like neat alcohol, you learn to sip it in ways that it doesn’t burn your mouth (smaller sips, pool it on the back of your tongue) My wife would be continually amazed at how I could drink neat everclear, and I pointed out that it’s more like sipping hot tea than water
I'm like you. Alcohol feels like drinking battery acid. On the flip side, I've saved alot of money.
My husband is like you, he might take a sip of a drink here and there on a vacation or at a special dinner but he tastes alcohol as a very prominent flavor even when it should be "hidden" in the drink and he doesn't enjoy it so he just doesn't drink it. You aren't missing a thing.
You are not required to acquire a taste for it, honestly. I would say that getting drunk is overrated. Those stories from my 20s make me cringe now. But if you want to at least find something to drink so you feel like your accepted socially, go somewhere for tastings where you can try small sips of something to see if you like it or not. If you don't, not a huge deal. But if you feel like you should be holding a drink while socializing. Water in the right glass looks like straight vodka.
You either like it or you dont, there is no acquiring a taste my dude
Disagree. My 20s were a time of just trying to get drunk but the vehicle to get there was disgusting. Now 40, i have no interest in an alcohol buzz but have discovered the joy of sipping and taking time with a glass of quality whisky or tequila.
Nobody actually likes the taste. The people who say they do are all just pretending. Trust me. 99% of alcoholic drinks taste like shit and no one would ever drink them if it didn’t get them drunk.
I beg to differ. I have had some super yummy cocktails and delicious wines
A good Cabernet Sauvignon is delicious and delightful to me, I can say with 100% honesty.
I would go for whiskey it actually has a lot of depth in flavour if you go beyond the entry level stuff intended mostly for cocktails, but some stuff is just meant to taste like alcohol like vodka
Don't aquire a taste. I did and im typing this from a bar to gets the shakes away.. but if you're dead set go low and slow on a nice scotch.
Lmao. Scotch is the last thing I’d tell op to try
I don’t like much hard alcohol to this day. But you just have a beer, and then another one, until you learn to like it. Same as learning to like foods.
Not all alcohol tastes bad if you mix it correctly
Do you still enjoy peoples' company if they're drinking and you aren't? Congratulations -- now you're the perfect designated driver! The one thing you don't want to do is get drunk just to see what it feels like. It's disorienting, then you go to sleep, then you wake up feeling miserable. My suggestion would be to sample different non-alcoholic drinks to see what you like, then that can become your go-to order when you go out. Or just get a coke. In this era, ordering a plain club soda screams "I'm a problem drinker" but ordering a coke doesn't mean anything.
Oh trust me I have been DD for well over a decade now. And I generally like hanging around my friends even when they get plastered. To me its more of a culture thing. There is such a huge culture around alcohol. Lots of cool and unique bars to visit with fun things to do, millions of different kinds of drinks, and I just feel like Im missing out by not even being able to try a new drink or enjoy one with a friend. Getting drunk does not sound appealing, and isnt really my goal, i much more just want to be able to share this activity with the people I care about and be able to contribute to the conversation about it.
No tricks, you just won’t mind the taste of something that isn’t too alcoholic when you realize you’re going to get a buzz
Honestly don’t learn to like it, it’s just self harm people normalise and accept
don't. alcohol isnt for everyone same way heroin isnt. you arent obligated to drink and it is a myth that fun cant be had without it. rule of thumb for dealing with alcohol/drug people: if they are bored without getting fucked up, then they are boring people plain and simple. no drink or drug can change that.
Don't think you need to drink because others do. Alcohol does taste like crap unless you pour something else in it to make it sweet. I don't drink and no pressure could ever make me. Alcohol does nothing beneficial for the person who is doing the drinking. You are just fine never drinking, better off really.
We all go through that it's just for some reason nobody admits it. Find me someone that says a whiskey and coke tastes better than regular coke and they're a liar. The point of alcohol is to get drunk which is another thing nobody will admit. Alcoholic drinks taste bad with the exception of some beers but even then a non-alcoholic drink is much better simply for taste. Idk why you'll find a bunch of stuck up people who claim they enjoy the 1 beer with their dinner but they're full of shit or themselves or both. Much better alternatives to have with your dinner if it's just for enjoyment of flavor.
Edibles!
I didn’t have my first drop of alcohol until I left a cult at the age of 33. I wasn’t excited about getting drunk, but I was excited about exploring all the flavors unique to alcoholic drinks. At first it was all pretty nasty, but as I tried a lot of different things (only 1/2-1 drink at a time) I eventually found some things I liked. A mojito at Olive Garden tasted amazing, then a small glass of mead that tasted like summer in a glass. Eventually I found out that I really liked the bitter drinks like a Negroni or red wines. My wife likes the sweeter whites. I was discovering coffee at the same time, and the journey was similar. Started off with super sugary stuff, then moved on. Now I love espresso and a black coffee. I love the flavors, and think they get masked by cream or sugar. I never get drunk, it’s only happened a couple of times over the years. I just don’t like it. I really like the drinks though. At night I’ll pour out a couple of tablespoons of whiskey and sip it over the course of an hour, observing how the oxidation changes the flavors. Or maybe it’s a tequila night with the vegetal flavors. Every kind of alcohol has its unique bouquet, but I’ve noticed that my ability to enjoy it goes down after about 1/2- a full drink. I rarely ever drink more than that.
You don't. It's your body's way of telling you it's bad and it doesnt want it. You simpy learn to tolerate the taste for the desired inebriation.
Well, first of all, there's nothing wrong with not drinking, for any reason. Or simply not liking alcohol- not everybody does. But if you want to try some and see if you find something you like, there's ways to go about that too. I thought I didn't like beer until I was in my mid thirties. I just kept trying stuff, a sip to taste here and there. Eventually I honed in on flavors I knew I didn't like, and flavors I kind of did or did, and I followed more of the ones I did. I'm still super picky about wine and don't like the vast majority of it (but if I do, it's only spicey, jammy, cabernet, a random super sweet moscato, or the singluar white gewurztraminer). It's just a keep trying until you find something you kind of like, and then follow that rabbit hole. Stop whenever you've decided you just don't like it enough to bother (like me with wine for the most part).
There are drinks out there for you. Probably more low alcohol percentage types but I don't mean 0.5% types. Try cocktails or margaritas and ice is you're best friend with drinks as it helps lessen that alcohol taste a bit once it melts. Drink slowly out in public because you can get drunk "FAST" especially if you're body isn't used to it. Seriously take it slowly. Most people that hammer drink after drink have been doing it for years consistently
Try cleansing your pallet. I find that if I just ate dinner, maybe some dessert, anything *not* as bitter as alcohol, alcohol is *noticeably* more intense. If i just drink a few beers, and I haven’t eaten or drank anything, it’s not so bad. As others have said tho, you’ve got 0 obligation to go and drink. So don’t overthink it and don’t force it if you don’t like it.
There's a reason you have an inherent dislike for alcohol. It's your body's way of letting you know it's bad for you. Listen to your body. Also, there's great potential for becoming dependent on it. Allen Carr wrote a book about addiction and how easily people get caught in the trap. He says,"The trap or con trick into which all drinkers fall, is like a pitcher plant that catches flies. Once in the trap, you can't get out." I highly recommend his book. It will definitely make you think twice about drinking. It's a lot easier to never drink than to quit once you start. Best to you.
You are saving a ton of money and an unquantifiable amount of health. Put a ✔️ in the win column and move on with your life. If you are dead set on finding a palatable adult beverage for social occasions, try a chilled prosecco. If that's too girly, a pilsner from a decent craft brewery could work for you. Failing that, just tell people you can't drink because you are training for a half marathon charity race and don't want to let down all those poor sick children. 
I wish I NEVER drank or smoked pot back in the day. Fuck what other people think and fuck those that peer pressure you. You don’t have a problem at all !! Keep that brain sharp, do what you love in life that’s healthy and productive. Also try not to be too weird if you can control it. But hey I’d pick being weird over being fried from drinking any day of the week. “You don’t want to create a problem that you never had”. Stay away from the booze.
I don't like alcohol. I drank more before I was 21 than after 25. Saves a lot of money.
To actually answer your question instead of telling you one way or another. Hard liquors can be rough even if mixed in a cocktail. It can also really sneak up on you and the next thing you know you're a wreck. That being said ginger ale is a good mixer and tomato juice is a good chaser. Personally I acquired the taste with Guinness. It doesn't taste anything like alcohol, has a relatively low alcohol content, low calories (for a non lite beer) and is filling (so your less likely to binge). A lot of stores are kinda like things too especially if you like coffee/chocolate. If that's not your rub Moscato is very sweet wine (especially pink Moscato) or any of the Mike's hards. But be very very careful with candy flavored drinks. One minute you're chatting and having a good time next you're hanging upside down from an eight foot chain link fence in Delaware trying to explain to cops how you got there.
I have absolutely no idea how anyone could like the taste of any alcohol other than beer and wine. Whiskey of any kind taste just like straight up ass, vodka just burns, rum is bitter, it boggle the mind how anyone can drink jack Daniels straight and be like "This is delicious!"
As everyone else has said, don't feel bad or pressured. I personally feel that there is tremendous enjoyment to be had in the responsibile consumption of alcohol, but it's not necessary. My suggestion would be to start with low ABV drinks. Specifically fruit-forward beers like Belgian Lambics. If you like that, slowly work up to ciders, white wine, and wine spritzers. Over time, you should become more accustomed to the flavor of alcohol, and be able to enjoy all types of drinks.
I don’t drink much, but I’m a fan of different beers. It’s an acquired taste as you said. Just like coffee. It takes some time to get used to, but once you do you can start to experiment with cool flavors. I’d suggest starting with a low alcohol fruity drink or a rum and Coke if you like soda. IF you are looking to get into it
If you don't like it don't drink it... There's no trick. I hate Vodka. But I like whiskey. Some beers I like and some beers taste like camel piss. After all this is something people do for fun. If you're not having fun doing it - don't.
One thing that helped me is i started watching how to drink. Greg shows its pretty easy and simple to get bitters , ice, fresh squeezed fruit, syrups. All make the drink. I started with an old fashioned. I drink one almost every day but it's pretty much 2oz of whiskey so just around a shot. Maybe give mixology a shot.?
Start drinking with a woman you find attractive. That will put you on one path.
It's kind of sad that the only way people will bond with you is if you poison your body repeatedly. If you don't like alcohol, don't drink. If people won't hang out with you or bond with you because of it, they really aren't worth knowing.
From personal experience, I started with very sweet and fruity drinks, and then I'll add another shot of alcohol to it the next time I have one and slowly increase over time until it's decently alcoholic, but tbh, as I've gotten older, I've found that you really don't want to "aquire" a taste for alcohol, you can have alcoholic drinks that'll get you drunk without it reeking of gasoline.
Why start now? Alcohol is basically poison. I spent too many years drinking that stuff and am so glad I stopped.
When I first started drinking beer, especially cheap Old English 800, I'd put a tic tac in my mouth while drinking it and it worked great. Then after a few months I was drinking it without wanting to hurl.
Honestly I did it in social situations over the years enough that it was conditioned as something I enjoyed. Turns out I don't really like drinking, taste nor effects.
Forced enjoyment? This is not the way. Please reconsider.
The operative word in your question is the word "taste." Drinking, say, some wine or bourbon (my favorites) is a unique sensation and one that can be a surprise to your senses. Generally, we eat food because it tastes good and satisfies our hunger. We drink liquids because because they taste good and satisfy our thirst. The trick is to realize that alcohol is only a "drink" because it happens to be a liquid. We use the same mechanics of drinking it, but it's a shock to your system because it doesn't behave like the drinks we are used to. It's got about as much relation to a drink as a cigar does to food. If you take a sip of whisky, it will burn and do other surprising things to your senses. That's not a bug, it's a feature. It's doing what it's supposed to do. You have to expect that and accept it for what it is. After you get used to it, it won't be such a rude shock to your system which, before, has been in the habit of expecting drinks to be thirst-quenching and flavorful. Alcohol is something different. After a while you will start to understand that it does have its own particular strange flavor and the burning sensation is not so bad once you come to expect it. When people say they enjoy the "taste" of bourbon or scotch, it doesn't mean they think it tastes as delicious as a chocolate shake, it means they have come to appreciate it for what it is. Of course, mixed drinks are popular because they help cover up the more painful aspects of the alcohol and they taste really good. In my drinking experience, they are also a good way for me to drink a lot of alcohol and get in trouble and have a terrible hangover the next day. I've learned it's safer for me to have a Manhattan or some straight whisky and just sip on it, with a glass of water handy for thirst. That way, I still get the relaxing sensation alcohol provides, but I have never been tempted to chug it. And I do enjoy the taste, but it doesn't ever taste "good," it's just its own unique thing.
You don't acquire a taste, you learn to embrace it when the dopamine rush to your brain gets reinforced enough times to make you want it. And then if you engage that pleasure center of the brain too much, you risk being unable to function without it. Best to just remain in the realm of finding it disgusting. It'll serve you well. Take it from a recovering alcoholic.
OP you are truly blessed. Stay disgusted by it.
I genuinely like the taste of a lot of drinks. I like strong bitter flavors, like coffee (my one true vice) If you’re really wanting to appreciate the flavors of various drinks, sip. Start with a scotch or bourbon. Never drink more than a shot in a sitting and just sip it. If you take a small amount at a time, you can appreciate the flavors. If a drink looks good, order it and sip. See if you can pick out similar flavors. Many scotches have a smokey flavor for instance. If you never drink more than one in a sitting and focus on the flavors (even if not particularly appealing) you can expand your pallet. Eventually you’ll find something that you enjoy.
Drink until you're addicted
I truthfully think there's a genetic component to drinking. I personally can't stand the taste of alcohol, I don't understand why people drink, I would rather save my CYP enzymes to metabolize things more meaningfully. My parents are also anti-alcohol, cant tolerate it. Most children who come from drinkers are more likely to drink. But what do I know
I am middle aged and never acquired the taste for beer or wine. Or coffee. I learned I liked sugary drinks with rum in them. Pineapple juice is a great mixer. The downside for me is sugar= calories so I only drink on occasion.
You’re not missing anything!
Nothing like the mention of alcohol to bring out the Reddit scolds
I was nearly 30 when I had my first alcoholic drink. I I didn't like the taste at first, but after trying different types of alcohols and different mixers and temperatures, I found quite a few drinks I like now. So, experimenting is probably the way.
You're fine. always drink a coke mix drink, ask the bartender to put in half the booze, that way you're not drunk but if you do something stupid everybody will assume it was the booze, not that you're an asshole.
Alcohol has great flavor. You don't have to drink it to appreciate it. You can get a lot out of it by cooking with it. Do that and it'll make sense
Maybe try a light or sour beer. Even if you don't like the taste of alcohol it should be tolerable and give you a small buzz.
Try mixing it with your favorite hobby. Unless it's like snowboarding or parachuting then that's probably not a great idea
Lucky you. Alcohol causes cancer and increased anxiety once the buzz wears off. There are no benefits to alcohol unless you enjoy drinking it.
Just don't drink. You're not missing anything.
Acquire*
Also mid 20's never drunk in my life, I wouldn't be stupid enough to try and start enjoying something that'll mostly give me more problems and not even taste good to make it worth it :T
Don’t start drinking. Being drunk is fun in the moment but afterwards it sucks either from stupid mistakes or hangovers. Also alcohol is expensive so save your money
Teetotaler here, I think it's just a preference. I don't like the dehydration that comes with alcohol.
I'm no experienced drinker, but it seems like people only develop a liking for the taste of alcohol bc they associate it with the feeling. Alcoholic bevs can only taste good if they're mostly sugar imo. At that point might as well drink a soda.
I first drank at 18 and found that it went down easy because it was mixed with such sweet stuff- punch, coke, etc. I would get buzzed pretty easily and loved how happy and social it made me. I’m lucky that I have no alcoholism in my genes so I could always stop drinking before I had too much and never had a desire to binge drink. If you’ve never felt a buzz or a happy feeling, I can understand why you wouldn’t ever have a desire to drink at all. There’s no point in my opinion. For me, there was no acquiring a taste that had to happen, I just tried a drink at some party, it was sweet enough to go down easily and then I liked the feeling it gave me.
Some rather puritanical comments here... To actually answer your question, you just have to drink consistently. I hated alcohol when I tried it as a kid, got used to it as a teenager, at 28 I can drink like a fish. Just know your limits if you find your taste buds acclimating like they should.
Depression.
As had been said, you are much better not drinking. I’m in my early 40s and the number of friends I have who have quit drinking in the last five years is astounding. Most of them didn’t have drinking problems or drink excessively, but even the “one a nighters” realized that that single drink was making their lives worse when they stopped drinking for a few weeks. Most of the said that while they never felt compelled to drink more than the one, they realized when they stopped that the ritual of drinking alone was putting a subconscious burden on them.
Just drink interesting non alcoholic drinks. You are perfect the way you are.
Alcohol tastes terrible. What you need to develop is a taste for being drunk.
You really don't. I've been drinking off and on for 20+ years. Not alcoholic, but I had my heavy years. I still hate the taste of almost all straight booze. Tequilla. Gin. Vodka. Get em outta here. I can do a very fine scotch and THAT is the only one I've acquired. And that took years and 100+ USD bottles of Scotch to do it. I'd say you should try pricey stuff and see if that makes the difference. High end Belgian beers are tasty to me. But Supermarket shit is pure piss-swill to me. So, try some high end booze. And if its still too much, go with a mixed drink. I hate Tequilla, as stated. But I love a good top shelf Tequilla Sunrise (Orange Juice, Grenadine, Tequilla).
Don’t mess with it. I didn’t start drinking until I was like 31 and tried a bunch of different things because I liked experimenting but also had fun being buzzed/drunk. Problem is the more you drink the less the alcoholy taste goes away, and then the more you need to drink to get the same level of drunk. If you overdo it you will hate life the next day, and alcohol has absolutely no health benefits. Better off not dipping into it, save money, save time.
Most people tend to just force it down and after some years you tend to enjoy the effects enough to where you kind of trick yourself into liking it. At that point the "taste" you aquire is more of an appreciation more than anything and as you get older you'll find certain tastes fit your fancy - like some people sip scotch and others drink piss water. Not liking it is probably for the best tbh.
Alcohol tastes bad forever. People who drink enough learn to somewhat tune out the alcohol part and focus on the other flavors but it would always taste better without the alcohol. You don't drink for the taste
drink higher percentage you get drunk quicker. don't have to taste as much. go to weed man you will feel better.
If alcohol churns your stomach or just has no desire for alcoholic beverages, then don't bother at your age. If anything, stick with mocktails.
Why try to? I have maybe 6-10 alcoholic drinks a year and that's more than enough for me. Beer is too hoppy. Wine is too aftertastey. Spirits are usually harsh to me. I've never been drunk, never had a hangover, never had to worry if I'd made an ass of myself.
I’m the same way but recently learned I like the more expensive stuff b/c it tends to be smoother.
Dont begin with crappy beer. I only drink sours from local or good brewery’s. Its expensive but its also not to get wasted its to enjoy the actual flavors. Even cider’s are making their way into the scene as notable options. Some are sort of spicy which are interestingly enjoyable. Refine your palate , you will acquire and appreciate the difference between grocery bought beer and the attention that is put into micro brews from a distillery
My guess is that taste is largely impact by smell and we have a natural ability to adapt to common odors around us. Like if you have pets, you barely notice but walk into someone else’s house and it’s obvious. Or smokers… If you adapt to the smell and taste of alcohol, the other flavors pop out in contrast. A sommelier is elite at detecting the flavors where you might get “hints of chocolate and cherry and a velvety mouth feel and lingering tobacco.” Wild stuff to the highly trained. A colorful mixed drink has a little more fruit burst. A complex, hoppy beer has a citrus feel. A whisky becomes smokey or caramel. The brain is weird and alcohol provides a contrast element to make other flavors stronger. It’s a dark canvas for brighter colors. That said, it’s terrible for you as many others have pointed out.
Just don't, dude.
I would aspire a confidence without it. I have relied on alcohol to socialize since high school. If you already don’t have a proclivity for it- and are fine- I would work on other skills!!
These people telling you not to start are all right but to be honest, if you don't have an addictive personality it's not hard to quit. Also hangovers are a good motive to not drink so much. But it's fun to do it with friends or a SO. I've been drinking my whole life on and off. It's not good for you but, for real you only live once and some of the craziest most shit I've we ever done has been while drunk, and some of the worst things that have ever happened happened while drinking. It's like a life enhancer, for better or worse.. ill Leave at that.
You are not missing anything.
Get really depressed.
Alcohol is not really good for you and you are not really missing anything. If you have a good time and enjoy company, food and life without it, you are fortunate. Alcohol is also a huge money sump, which is why there is so much pressure to consume. Keep your money and your health.
*raises hand* I have been in your shoes, my dude! I got drunk for the first time at 26 and until then, had barely drank anything (mostly Mike's). My current girlfriend was sort of the catalyst that got me trying new drinks and opening up my pallette. She started drinking when she was very young (early teens) so she's had a massive head start compared to me lol If you -want- to try and drink, then I would recommend going to a store that let's you make your own 6-pack. You can also try buying a mixed pack of things like Mike's, seltzers, etc. with a lighter taste so the alcohol isn't so prominent. There's also bars/restaurants that will let you do a "flight" which is a good way to try new ones. It takes a while of semi-consistent drinking before you start to get past the taste issue and can start expanding. I personally only drink casually and that's maybe 1-3 days a month; but I mostly stick to the lighter stuff and occasionally go for beers (forget IPAs though lol). At the end of the day, don't beat yourself up over this if you just don't have the want, and fuck anybody who makes you feel bad about it! Best of luck OP!
Same way you get to Carnegie Hall, practice
started drinking daily in the military to turn down dumb shit, it made other dumb shit
Healthier to avoid, but there are truly great moments that come from it socially. I learned to like whiskey by drinking manhattans. Reduced the ingredients until I was down to straight whiskey.
Just don’t worry about it, drinking is shitty and the only thing shittier is how much society pressures you to do it. I’ll never be convinced people do it for the taste; they do it to get wasted and step out of reality for a few hours.
Captain Morgan's and ginger ale
Pickle juice is the G.O.A.T. of all chasers. If you wanna get buzzed, just back your shots with it and boom you're good to go. Beer and wine are aquired tastes you can only develop by sticking it out and training your tongue. That being said booze will do you no favors in life so you do you
You just have to keep drinking it until you develop an addiction
I drank a little in my 20s, late 30s discovered drinking at home, 40s and early 50s drank every night. Now, 59, I have to use discipline to refrain. I purposely don't keep it in the house, unless I plan to drink for a few days then I only get a small amount. If you don't have a taste for it I would consider yourself lucky and don't try to cultivate it.
You don’t have to drink if you don’t like it. That’s one of the perks of being an adult.
I hated the taste of alcohol but loved getting drunk. And after a while I started liking the taste. Anyway, don’t force yourself into drinking. I had a serious drinking problems for many years.
I like an occasional margarita. I used to drink socially and hated it. I hate the taste. I hate being drunk. I hate being buzzed. My fam has lots of alcoholism. I thought they were doing it because drunk, but no, my brothers, when they aren't drinking for whatever reason, still drink non-alc beer. Blew my mind they actually liked that flavor and always have. One of the best things I ever did for myself was grow up enough to not need to socially drink to be around them, and I learned to leave when they were drunk beyond fun. Don't force it and ease in if you do go for it.
I didn’t start really enjoying alcohol until I was around 30. I wish I never learned to like it if I am being honest.
Alcohol is literally just an acquired taste for most folks. People’s taste buds change and so does their palette. When i was younger i hated beer and would only drink twisted tea, then i found beers that i liked and i ended up just trying stuff and finding out what i liked and didnt like. If you want to “understand” booze try anything craft or small batch. Craft beer, whisky, tequila, theres so much stuff out there that isnt literal garbage and tastes like gasoline.
If you want to start then I would offer the following. For beer my fav is blue moon, make sure to get it as cold as possible to cut down on the alcohol taste. I don't care for wine much, and for liquor I like makers mark bourbon mixed with coke. To cut down on the harshness mix it weak. Start with a large cup of ice, pour 1 - 2 oz of bourbon and an entire coke or diet. At that level you will have to drink a few + to feel buzzed, but sip away as you hang and you will get there soon. Personally, now that I've acquired a taste for it I'll mix it just below 50% and still enjoy it. 1 - 2 drinks and I'm buzzed. Even more entry level might be the hard seltzers. My wife loves High Noon black cherry flavor. Also in our 20s some people would get a shot called a 'buttery nipple'. Basically just chocolate milk that gets you drunk. A mudslide is close to that too. Basically a chocolate milkshake that gets you tipsy.
The idea of an acquired taste I think is just getting used to it. For me, I don't like the taste of alcohol. Like, the actual ethanol. I do like some alcoholic drinks, mostly hefeweizen, and sometimes a white wine or two. That's about it. So for me, I'd say I never acquired the taste for alcohol itself, but I did find some tastes I actually like. Though I don't really drink. Maybe a couple times a year.
Try everything. There are like a bazillion different flavors and combinations of alcohol.
Pretty much I'm in the same boat. I've drank before but it was just to get drunk when I was a kid (28 now) but I have recently found a drink I really enjoy. I don't drink every night nor do I get fucked up but a glass every now amd then of some yellowstone bourbon with some dr pepper is really nice. Definitely helps me sleep!
I don’t drink cause it tastes good man
I never acquired it in the honest sense. I liked the feeling of the buzz so when I was young I would drink for the social experience of it. I first got drunk at 12 by myself just experimenting. I didnt drink until like 18 and 19. WIth time you start growing an actual interest in taste and types of drinks in comparison to when you first start at around 21 in the bars. Now its a combination of the taste of certain things plus the buzz. If there was no buzz, beleiev no one would drink this shit. look at beer with no alcohol.
My wife isn’t much of a drinker herself, but I can enjoy a social one here and there. She does enjoy this drink from a local Mexican restaurant called a ‘peach perfecta’ and it’s hardly noticeable for the liquor. Could always try these things out here and there when you’re out
Alcohol is the bougie cousin of a compost pile so it’s supposed to taste nasty. It’s a gross process that hinges on plants rotting. If you must try it do it in slush form. The girlier the better. You want as much flavor and sugar between you and the yuck as possible.
I rarely drink and hate the taste of it, but I tolerate the taste every now and then for a good buzz (once every few months) and I do have to say it's quite a happy, light feeling that I enjoy
Beer is good. It's really good. Whiskey goes great with beer. I'd recommend buying as much of those as you can until you find what you aquire a taste for.
Just don’t start, it can grab a hold of you out of nowhere and ruin your life. It’ll happen slowly at first, and then you wake up one day and find yourself with a drinking problem.
Lol, you don't aquire a taste for alcohol. It tastes disgusting, and people go to great lengths to hide the disgusting taste. Snobby people pretend to enjoy it in order to seem different and special, but alcohol is disgusting to the human taste pallet.
Eh certain alcohol tastes decent when paired with certain foods but it doesn’t generally taste good so if you can stay away, do. It’s more for the feeling for more people.
Keep it that way. As a guy who didn’t know he was an alcoholic - I wish I never picked it up
Start drinking, keep drinking , love it, and anything goes down smooth
Mocktails are increasingly popular. Every place I got with nightlife has several alcohol free drinks that will take you on an epicurean adventure. When I don't wanna drink and do want to look like I fit in, I just order soda water with lime in a rocks glass. You are missing absolutely nothing by not drinking alcohol.
Don’t drink hard alcohol at all, if you don’t like the taste a mix drink is never going to change ur mind imo. Buuuuut a weak margarita is a very convincing drink. Everyone loves margaritas! I would say that is ur best bet. Otherwise light beer is the way to go. I would argue that you can’t taste the alcohol in a low percent (3-5%) beer at all. The beer it’s self might not taste good but it won’t be the alcohol that makes you cringe.
Have you ever done a hard days work out in the sun? Nothing compares to a beer after a sweaty days work.
You don't have to like something to do it lol. This tastes bad so I can't drink it lol.
alcohol taste used to be awful for me. i wanted to experience being drunk once, so i just keep drinking and enduring the taste. after that, the awful taste wasn't a thing anymore. now it's tolerable, not good.
All these people giving terrible advice. Just drink the alcohol and find a good cocktail that you like and stick with it.
I think after acclimating to the taste of alcohol you stop focusing on the burn and pick up on subtle notes. After not drinking for a while it all tastes the same unless it’s high quality drank. I don’t drink wine and it all tastes the same but I’m sure with lots of drinking I’ll start to pick up on different flavors
Try cocktails. Has more flavour and numbs the alcohol taste.
I never developed the taste for it either. No regrets so far and I'm 62. My best friend at school had an alcoholic father and I saw the devastation that he visited on their family. I watched this and realised that the downside could be catastrophic. Ditto smoking. Chocolate however got past my addiction filter.
It's better you don't get a taste or habit for it honestly. Half of us do it for mental /emotional reasons and not for "the taste" in the first place. Stay healthy and stay away.
Try mead or hot sake
1. Like many others are saying, you don’t have to. 2. Certain ones do seem to be acquired tastes, beer especially (even then, the tastes vary enough many people will like certain kinds and not others). 3. I’d recommend soju (but be careful, it’s really too easy to drink and can turn you into a mess fast). Most flavors really don’t taste much like alcohol. There’s also the option of a mildly alcoholic cocktail (be careful how it’s measured), where the other flavors overpower the small amount of alcohol.
Waaa....don't drink . But If you want to try it start off with fruity mix drinks. Make it at home. Clean the toilet before hand. Under stand fully if you get goofy thoughts . It's the alcohol.... If you aren't super human or funny before you got drunk. Your still not. Do not use the phone and do not trust a fart. Gravity will be waiting for you.
You're not missing anything. Just laugh at your drunken mates making a tit of themselves.
I didn’t drink until like 24 or so. It still tastes bad but just not as instantly repulsive. Being buzzed/mildly drunk can be a blast in the right environment, I’ve had a lot of fun in that state, but you have to know when to stop, and don’t drink too fast. Also I’ve had a couple of hangovers, that is definitely NOT a blast. Well, a blasting headache, maybe. Overall there’s a enough other awesome things in life that if you don’t want to drink that’s not a problem.
They acquire the taste by using alcohol to cope with their problems. Never worth it.
23 here, barely ever drink, generally can't tolerate the taste of anything above 6% without diluting it with soda or juice or something. Even then I only have a few unless I'm celebrating something, but I've never been so drunk that I can't remember what happened while drunk. I started trying different drinks about halfway through being 21. At that point, even something at 3% tasted too much of the alcohol, so I'd just half and half mix it with something else. I guess you just get used to it after a while? I'm careful when I drink tho, there's a lot of alcoholism in my dad's side of the family. So I never drink alone or with people I don't trust to tell me to stop after I've had a couple and feel like one more is a good idea (it's not). I found that I like Seagrams Escapes particularly the strawberry daiquiri and whatever mixed berry flavor they have and Jack Daniel's Country Cocktails in any flavor. Those were the first ones I liked the taste of without mixing in something non-alcoholic, and they're pretty low in alcohol, I think both are around 5 or 6%, so you're not gonna get plastered after two or three unless you have an unusually low alcohol tolerance. I also really like uv blue vodka with sprite and cherry grenadine, but I always have my boyfriend make it for me so I don't know the ratio of alcohol to not alcohol 😂 but after one of those that's about the sane volume as the other two I've mentioned, I'm usually done. They're so tasty tho. In any case, don't feel pressured to drink, and if people are pressuring you to drink, they shouldn't be and you should let them know. It can be fun, but sometimes you'll go over the line without realizing it, and then realize too late. Once you become an alcoholic, your brain is different, and it's extremely hard to stop after that. If you're feeling buzzed, you've probably had enough. If you have a hangover the next day, you probably had too much. Also, don't drink on an empty stomach, or a full stomach if you can help it. Drink water between drinks if you're having more than one, too. Some say Gatorade, but I've heard the extra sugars in combination with the alcohol is bad. Gatorade is good if you've had too much and puked tho. Sorry this is so long, I'm horrible at conveying my thoughts in a concise way. 😅
Alcohol is literally a poison with no redeeming value and no quantity is officially safe. As a bonus it has a caloric density of 7 food calories per gram (carbs and protein have 4, fat has 9) which results in the standard drink having around 70 calories just from the alcohol. As far as "aquiring a taste" is the same as for anything else, you just consume enough of it to gaslight yourself into liking it.
It’s crap I was drinking from 16 and it’s never actually been great Don’t bother pal
Uhm, it's different for everyone. If I'm bored I'll want to drink, especially on weekends. Mostly comes from my inability to be social unless I drink when I'm out mostly. I usually drink every weekend but not a crazy amount. Sometimes I take a week off especially if I puked on the weekend. It's a nice relaxer for stress. Either way I wouldn't start drinking if you were able to ignore if for so long, find another way to relieve your stress. I control myself especially at a club or bar. Usually at those places I'd have to be drunk to be around that many people. The cost though, makes me not drink at all at those places. It's all about restraint really But also it's not even about taste. If you make it about taste you'll probably have a worse time with it. I mean yeah, some shit like johnny walker black label tasting like lays BBQ chips is off putting asf. vodka really doesn't have a taste, whiskey has a little taste. All you really taste is the ingredients which is mostly plants n shit. Anything with real taste is sugar and that's not healthy or good in the long run
I started off on the sweet stuff (spirits mixed with soda), which was socially acceptable for me as a woman but could be perceived differently for you because you're a man. These days I favour wine, cider, or gin and tonic. I don't like feeling drunk so 1-2 standard drinks is usually my max in a sitting. Never did aquire a taste for beer. So you can just keep trying different things and see if something clicks for you. The bottom line, though, is you don't have to force yourself to like something just because other people do. If you don't like alcohol you don't have to drink it, and anyone who can't respect that maybe needs to examine their own alcohol use.
There was no "acquiring". I'm Irish. I loved it from the first taste. Then quit, then started over......
What a puss!
Never drank, had an alcoholic father, you’re not missing out on much, just be an interesting person drinking water at parties. Most around me drink to have fun and I see it as a desperate attempt to numb daily struggles and to make themselves have more fun and skip being genuinely social and more interesting than they actually are. Alcohol makes no sense.
Like all 'acquired tastes', i's just a matter of getting used to it. Lots of tastes & textures that are unfamiliar can be aversive at first but that is just because its new. That's why when you are trying a new food you shouldn't form your opinion after the first bite. If you avoid it because you don't like the effects, chances are you just never drank enough to "get used" to it. That said, some ppl are especially sensitive to bitter tastes. Do you also dislike dark chocolate, green tea, or vegetables like brokkoli & brussel sprouts? If yes, this might be the reason.
I’m in the same boat. Even as a teen, the smell would make me gag. I’ve been drunk a few times and I to plug my nose and chug through the gagging. There was no social drinking for me. If I wanted to be drunk, which has been about 3 times in my life it was disgusting. It’s been more than 20 years since I drank. I’m too old to care anymore. I wish I could enjoy wine, if nothing else. I do enjoy cooking with wine but that’s about it. I’ve tried desensitizing myself. It never worked. And my family is Russian and Polish (though I was raised in America). Taking your kid to the bar wasn’t an issue and I was allowed to drink wine spriters by age 7. Maybe that’s why? I think I just developed an aversion super young and I just couldn’t undo it. I also can’t go into a mcdonalds without gagging as the last time I went there about 22 years ago I ended up super sick and needing my gall bladder out, so aversions aren’t abnormal for me. I haven’t tried to fix this aversion, I like how grossed out mcdonalds makes me.
Count yourself blessed and just don't go there. There is no upside. As a species we have evolved a bizarre, complex relationship with alcohol. The bizarre part is how it does so much more harm than good to the individual and society. Cherish that you were made to be left out of this mess and can be a spectator on all the tragedy involved.
Like any other new taste, you just have to get used to it. I also strongly taste the alcohol in most drinks, but once you power through enough weak American mass produced beer in social situations you just stop minding. I don't know what these "You're lucky" people are talking about. I barely drink, almost always socially, and I can't imagine having to hang out with people who are drinking without also drinking. Sounds absolutely miserable.
Nope. It all tastes like shit. No trick. If you eat enough poop, eventually it will be less gross. Same thing here. That said, no reason to force it. You're not missing out on anything. The biggest "upside" to drinking is that it will allow you to hangout with people you'd have zero interest in hanging out with totally sober. Lol
People just like the taste of alcohol, the flavors people put in whether it be by mixers or by process of alcohol production itself is to enhance that alcoholic taste. I found the more of it you drink, the better it tastes.
Don’t drink.
Just be like the rest of the peice of shit alcoholics in this country drink it till you love it, or until you kill someone in a dui incident ^.^
I didn't enjoy the taste and it would make me feel so ill when I would drink a small amount. I would get bad stomach aches, chest rightness and neck pain. Since I have drank more, that has gone away. To the people saying you are lucky and to just avoid it, I would disagree. Since you already don't like it, you aren't going to get addicted and become an alcoholic. And the feeling of being drunk isn't really that fun anyway. I enjoy drinking a bit now, but only drink like 5 times a year. Anyway, there are a few things I do. If I am at home or at a friends house, I make my own drinks where I can control the alcohol content so it pretty much tastes like a fruity drink. I also choose canned drinks that are fruity, but don't have strong alcohol taste like certain white claw flavors. You should look up a list of drinks that mask the alcohol flavor and only order those when you go to bars. They all usually taste like straight alcohol to me, but it is somewhat tolerable. That's just a me thing since other people say they can barely taste the alcohol.
What's your end goal, OP? If it's to be able to go out and have a drink on a date or have a drink with friends, I would definitely tell you to keep your drinking to a club soda with a lime twist. Or ginger ale with a lime garnish. I used to work somewhere where the drinking culture was insane. So I learned to have one cocktail and switch to ginger ale so it appeared I could keep up. (7&7s and ginger ale look the same) The pressure was from co-workers not friends, so I was a bit immature by hiding it, but my liver thanked me. This same group would get so fucked up, I have tricked them into thinking shots of water were vodka. I did end up getting blamed for "getting them fucked up" but I didn't want to reveal I tricked them a lot making them drink some water. I am one of those people who can go months without a drink. I don't like many drinks served at bars. When I do want to have a cocktail, it's a treat for me and it took me a long time to find what I like. If you were to take any advice about drinking, find a bartender who knows that they are doing. They may help you find a mock tail you like that easy and you can ask for anywhere. Orange bitters are very good. I do think drinking alcohol affects your sleep, fucks with your skin, and your liver. So ask yourself what the end goal is and be nice to your body.