Do you drink alcohol more for the flavor or for the buzz?

Question

I'm trying to figure out why every time I drink an alcoholic drink, I am repulsed by the bitter, caustic, medicinal taste, yet others are absolutely in heaven when they put these drinks in their mouths. Does alcohol really taste that good, or do most of you guys just wanna get hammered (because it's cool)? So if eating feces created a buzz, would it suddenly taste good? Seriously, I wanna know.

My theory is that the "good taste" of alcohol mostly stems from almost Pavlovian conditioning. Alcohol creates an almost euphoric feeling, thus the mind associates the certain flavors of alcohol with that euphoric feeling. People who aren't accustomed to drinking aren't conditioned yet, so they think alcohol tastes like gasoline. But after drinking for a while and experiencing the pleasure of the buzz, the once vile taste now becomes pleasant.

So you guys actually like the taste of alcohol, which the body actually registers as a poison? That's the thing I don't get. And if it's not really the alcohol that tastes good, why can't you drink water flavored with it, or just plain fruit juice? I can slightly understand beer because it's mostly water anyways, but everything else boggles my mind

Hey ret sgt, you want an insult? You're a overly sensitive retard who jumps to conclusions. I meant this as a serious question. I did not insult your precious beer.

Answer 1

Very interesting question.

I personally enjoy the taste of alcohol and have since an age too young frankly to admit.

From my observations socially and as a bartender, I think I am very much the exception.

The majority drink for the feeling and not the flavor.

And BTW, on the feces theory, you are probably 100% correct. After all look at what meth does to people and they keep doing it - so why not eat a little caca?

Answer 2

I think the ultimate reason for drinking is the feeling you get from it. Yes, some ppl do like the taste of some alcohol and drink it because of that, but if you're out drinking I think it's more about the buzz and having a good time.
The one piece of advice I can give you is that there really are good tasting drinks that will get you buzzed, so just find the right one for your taste. That's what I do, I'm not gonna sit there and drink something that I don't like just to get a buzz when there are so many things I do like, which will get me feeling the same :)

Answer 3

Man, this opens a big can of worms. First, pure alcohol has no taste. It is the additives or what it is fermented from.I believe drinking alcohol is an acquired taste or at least beer was to me.

It is kind of difficult to tell if you are "putting down" those that drink as being some type of subhuman that would eat feces or if you really want an answer and just aren't very good at approaching the subject.

Maybe not all humans "self-medicate" to "cop a buzz" but I am willing to believe the vast majority do something to get high. This could be working out vigorously to get the endorphins created naturally by the human body. or smoking pot, drinking alcohol or maybe just eating chocolate and possibly doing other non-ingestive things to get high. There's nothing "cool" about being drunk. But there nothing cool about getting off on a superior attitude and judging others.

For me , I'll stick to beer. You can go back to your feces

Answer 4

This is a great question. You've put a lot of thought into it.

I think back to my HS/College days, and back then it was just for the buzz. But now, I really only have drinks that I truly enjoy. I like a _good_ beer or two. Margaritas are also a tradition of ours when we go out to dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant. These days, the buzz is definitely a secondary benefit.

I never drink just to get hammered - not for almost 20 years now. Ok, now I'm showing my age...

Answer 5

when people enjoy the taste of an alcoholic drink, it's not because of the alcohol, otherwise people would be sipping everclear in fine drinking establishments.

the flavor they enjoy is from aromatic infusions, the aging process, mixes, etc. many of these flavor effects can't be achieved with plain old water.

also some people get a kick out of doing things that are seen as high class even if they don't actually enjoy it otherwise.

as for getting hammered. well, that's just what immature people do.

Answer 6

some beers, yes they kind of taste like feces. But I like some beers. And I also like the taste of many mixed drinks. I like the buzz you get from it too. Sometimes it's just nice to take a break from life and kill a few brain cells. I like the references to Pavlov. That is probably a good bet to why most people like beer. Also, it is an acquired taste. If you drink it over a long period of time it starts to taste good as your taste buds realign to different tastes. I used to hate the taste of water. Yes, it had a bitter taste to it to me so I hardly ever drank it. But now, I drink several bottles of water a day. Same with some foods, I used to hate them and now I like them, and some I used to like and I don't anymore. I don't know any one theory that would work for that though Pavlov would explain much of why beer drinkers like beer more and more over time.

Answer 7

I usually drink to taste, there are some alcoholic drinks that I enjoy just based on taste, long island ice tea, jack and coke, mojitos...list goes on. What you mix with liquor does contribute to overall taste. Also finding what liquors taste well to you will help you weed out those that don't, but thats about tasting. Getting hammered isn't the key, that is what my college years were for. Just do some taste testing if you are up to it, but like its usual affects it will get you intoxicated on some level.

Answer 8

your question assumes that either people think alcohol tastes bad or they have become accustomed to it and therefore think it tastes good.

it is also possible that many people would drink alcohol no matter what it tasted like so as to get the buzz, but as a bonus they also genuinely like the taste.

it also should be considered that there are many non-alcoholic drinks that most people do not like until they have acquired a taste for such as energy drinks.

Answer 9

I drink for both taste and the buzz. If a drink tasted crappy, then i wouldnt drink it. Yes I'll drink for the buzz, but the stuff im drinking has to taste good too!

Answer 10

People drink for the buzz, after a while it doesn't taste bad.