Alcohol sales are up

[keith.rogers]

Personal sales are up, but the supply side of the industry hurting because of restaurant and bars being shut down, or capacity limited, not to mention craft breweries and wineries have had their beer gardens and tasting rooms closed for months.

So, no matter how much we've added to our home drinking, it's apparently not made up for what was going on before.

My old (fig. & lit.) college roommate's one son is a partner in one of those online wine clubs. Business *is* booming. There was a brief period where they had a couple weeks wondering how they were going to meet the surge in demand (I know we doubled our one online wine club regular order), but then they suddenly had wineries from all over the world knocking on their door it seems asking if they'd like to buy a container or two of wine...

I don't think we're drinking more, but I did make a small rack to hold another case and a half or so of bottles - backup if we have to quarantine in place!

[Neil K Walk]

I admit that there's a mason jar of locally distilled and legitimately purchased bourbon in my home. For now I'm an optimist so I see that it's still half full. It's "medicinal" - if it doesn't kill the virus it will at least make it unsafe for it to drive.

[CoffeeFan]

Originally Posted by rokdog49

I don’t consume alcohol anymore.
I found it made my sometimes distasteful personality even more distasteful, my big mouth even bigger and my pea-sized brain even smaller.

It makes me invisible...

[Neil K Walk]

More for me. I could use a margarita or a hefenweizen. It's summer.

[Cypress Knee]

We didn't have much alcohol in the house back in February except for several bottles of Scotch in my safe. My wife enjoys beer or two but had been training for the LA Marathon and had been on the wagon for a couple of months. When the rumors started swirling that non-essential businesses may be closed for an undetermined amount of time, she sent me on a beer run.

I don't drink beer, but know that she likes IPA, so I purchased several variety packs from craft breweries. Then my son moved in with us, and it turns out he is an IPA fan too. So in March and April they sampled a lot of different beers, usually two or three an evening. In the meantime I decided if I was going to kick the bucket in the next three months I might as well try to find out what all the fuss was about with the Scotch.

Then in May we were done. It was apparent that the supply chain was not going to run out of product we went back to no beer in the house. (Although I will get them a single IPA each when we are having a pizza night!) A bottle of chardonnay when we are having fish for dinner.

The Scotch is back in the safe. I found I prefer Talisker and Bowmore. The Ardbeg, Lagavulin, Laphroig is just way to smokey for my taste, the Glenlivet, Glenfiddich, and Glenmorangie not smokey enough.

But for the most part we have reverted back to sparkling water as our drink of choice.

[Pura Vida]

When the Great Recession struck, a lot of wineries offered some amazing discounts to offload their wine inventories. And we stocked up on some great wine! So much so, that for the last 7-8 years, we couldn't fit most of it in our 150 bottle wine fridge (we peaked at about 400 bottles). But over time, and thanks in part to sheltering at home, we've finally knocked down the inventory, so that it can all fit in the fridge again. But most of that is the really good stuff, so we're looking for some deals on affordable "Tuesday night" wine.

[Neil K Walk]

I’m thinking it’s time for me to dial back the drinking to one beer on the weekend. It’s not that I’m out of control but alcohol is a depressant and probably the last thing i should put in my body when I’m trying to recover from clinical depression - with or without the use of medication.

Seriously, our whole social circle here is “day drinking” and using the word “special” to describe usually not alcoholic beverages with a “twist.” Having been through an intervention (in college after a binge) I can see that the slope is getting rather slippery.

Example: yesterday after going on a nature walk my wife suggested we get slushees at the convenience store/gas station. It turns out that they offer “spiked” Slushees - which is kind of alarming when you consider that we’re talking about a gas station here. I can’t imagine an easier way to get a DUI.

[HodgdonExtreme]

My personal alcohol consumption is definitely up more than 27% over the last several months.

I'm not one to shun booze, but just a few days ago, when it was time for another beer run, I decided I should cool it for awhile - so no sauce for me for at least a month!

[Silly Moustache]

Originally Posted by jpd

A Prime driver told us that half his truck deliveries are wine!

I had NO IDEA that Amazon sold wine! PLEEESE don't tell my wife.

Seriously, her consumption did increase somewhat, but we are now back to six bottles a week, between the two of us.
I'll drink half a bottle maybe 2-3 times a week (when I cook) and when it was really hot I got 3-4 pale ales a week.

I know this as it is my stepson who is doing the shopping for us presently.
Before the cancer treatment I could drink more but a 4% pale ale can make me feel drunk now, (a feeling I dislike) and I don't have the sense of taste I used to.

[AmericanEagle]

Originally Posted by Neil K Walk

Seriously, our whole social circle here is “day drinking” and using the word “special” to describe usually not alcoholic beverages with a “twist.” Having been through an intervention (in college after a binge) I can see that the slope is getting rather slippery.

As someone who’s life was devastated by being married to an alcoholic, I find this disturbing.

[Neil K Walk]

Originally Posted by AmericanEagle

As someone who’s life was devastated by being married to an alcoholic, I find this disturbing.

Yeah - sorry to bring that up given your situation. FWIW - and for better or worse, if it weren't for alcohol we probably wouldn't have gotten married in the first place! This is not a new thing with us and my concern is only for the increase due to there being a lack of the opportunity of doing anything else.

My wife is a wine connoisseur and has been expressing an interest in learning to become a sommolier. We have upwards of 50 bottles in our basement, either in two small wine fridges or out on a rack that I made for her. She and her fellow "enthusiasts" have been passing around a book entitled "Wine Folly" that discusses sulfites and additives in wine.

Anyway ... my goal is to limit my drinking to a Guinness after dinner on Saturdays. I've done my research and as far as beers go it's one of the lowest in calories. Before we had children and the temptations of ice cream and fancy cheese in the house (you can't have wine without a nice brick of cheese, especially gouda!) I was on a low carb diet and that one beer a week was the only vice I allowed myself. I need to get back in that mindset.

[David Eastwood]

Originally Posted by Neil K Walk

Anyway ... my goal is to limit my drinking to a Guinness after dinner on Saturdays. I've done my research and as far as beers go it's one of the lowest in calories. Before we had children and the temptations of ice cream and fancy cheese in the house (you can't have wine without a nice brick of cheese, especially gouda!) I was on a low carb diet and that one beer a week was the only vice I allowed myself. I need to get back in that mindset.

The fact that Guinness is actually pretty light in both calories and alcohol content comes as a surprise to many people.

You should try it with cheese, though - Guiness and a good sharp cheddar go extraordinarily well together.

[Pura Vida]

Guinness my favorite beer. I prefer my beer dark, wine red, and liquor clear.

[HodgdonExtreme]

Originally Posted by eatswodo

The fact that Guinness is actually pretty light in both calories and alcohol content comes as a surprise to many people.

When people say guinness is "thick" or "so strong" or so whatever, it makes me wonder if they've actually tried it!

It's so light that bubbles SINK in it! (if someone can explain the physics of bubbles sinking in Guinness, I'd love to know)

Honestly it tastes like water when it's served cold. I cringe when I'm served a Guinness in a frosty mug! Needs to be served cool to be right.

[Pickcity]

I had a 20+ year problem with the stuff. It has cost me a lot, honestly. I stopped drinking back in 2018 and did not drink a drop for 18 months. Over the past 6 months I have enjoyed a drink or two, occasionally, but very occasionally, and never more than one or two. I will never be controlled by it again. Not trying to sound like an AA confession. LOL...I am a very happy drinker. That's my problem. Lol...

Other than playing live shows, my life has changed very little since the virus thing took hold, so I've had no reason to reach for a bottle any more or less. Not that I would, anyway.

I can definitely see how more folks would up their consumption in recent times.