Movie Night and Drinking

We went and saw a movie that I think should be included on every top whatever list, for those aged 25-55.  The Hangover uses a triple-beam balance of humor, raunch and just plain wrong, but never does it manage to go over the edge.  No tricks, no gimmicks, just one funny funny film.  As always I started thinking about some of my hangovers and just how the world of drinking changes as you age.

In the early years of drinking, it was always about the effect, not the taste of the delivery system that seemed to matter most.  We would covertly go into the famed "liquor cabinet" that seemed to reside in each house, and steal what we hoped would be enough to the job, but not so much that the old man (or woman) would notice the disappearance.  We then worked this into whatever available mixer there was, usually Coke or 7-Up (depending on what you smuggled out) and voila, start drinking.  

There was a slow evolution to the process.  Those of us with older siblings, or with siblings who had friends who were older, would go into the world of asking them for a favor.  This usually entailed getting enough money together from the group to also buy their beverage of choice as well.  Growing up in California, the drink of choice for many was the 2 liter California Cooler.  Its green bottle a symbol of foolhardiness and debauchery.  The ladies tended to stay on this path of sweetened drinks, while the males grew their chops and the puberty induced hormones signaled them to have beer.

The problem with beer in the early days was we had no taste for it.  We were still all about effect.  We had a simple economic drive to buy mass quantities based on what cash was at hand.  We were all about Natural Light (natches), Schaeffer (the one beer to have when you're going to have more than one), Keystone Light, Stroh's, and Lucky Lager (11 ounce bottles with the cryptogram puzzle on the bottle cap--kind of an early DUI warning system).  

As we grew up the tastes changed and became more refined.  We dabbled with cocktails, wine, brew pubs and the like.  We started partaking in food pairings.  We added points to our scale, wine fridges to our kitchens, and a liquor cabinet--just like the one mom and dad had (or still have) at home.  

I stopped drinking quite awhile ago.  I do not remember the last time I was drunk.  When I drink I choose wisely based on time of year, food, company and situation.  I don't condemn people who drink in the least, they have developed their own link in the chain and I respect that.  I remember a number of occasions where drinking was something we did while at the party, but it was not the party itself.  It was a bit of a training ground on social interaction that we all encounter on a regular basis as adults.  

I cast no stones.  I've been in all of the vast levels of stupor.  I have friends who will vouch for it.  Watching The Hangover made me think of a lot of those times and what came of them.