# Lots of people have taken to drinking........



## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

......since self-quarantine / self-isolation. Sales of alcoholic beverages have sky-rocketed since the Corona Virus hit.


----------



## stokes (Jan 17, 2017)

Are there more people drinking or is it just a case of all the drunks that may only have a pop or two during the work day now free to suck it up all day long?


----------



## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

stokes said:


> Are there more people drinking or is it just a case of all the drunks that may only have a pop or two during the work day now free to suck it up all day long?


From what I have read or heard, it's more people consuming more alcohol on a daily basis, due to not only the virus itself, but how the virus has effected their lives by virtue of the economy shutting down.

People turn to drugs and/or alcohol in times of great stress. I suppose this is just such a time.


----------



## SSGN_Doc (Mar 12, 2020)

Also heard that a poll revealed 46% of people currently working at home admitted to drinking while working. So, numbers could be higher as far as those who,didn’t admit it.

No Range was stated. (1 beer or glass of wine is one thing, compared to killing a pint of whisky or knocking back Manhattans at the keyboard all day.)

still interesting.

I did purchase one six pack of beer since this whole thing started. and I bought it so I could make drunken pork chops for dinner and didn't have any beer in the house.

I have also consumed 1-2 cocktails or evening drams per week. But my liquor cabinet has not been added to. This past year seemed to be the year that friends and family thought I needed Scotch, Bourbon and Gin for gifts on my birthday and Christmas (Before all of this kicked off). Last bottle of Scotch I emptied lasted me about 5 years. Finished it the day I retired from the Navy with close friends.)


----------



## Jeb Stuart (Jan 19, 2020)

This thread makes me thirsty. I do not drink as much as I would like to. In fact,* I have cut back to just one beer a day* since the Virus Panic started. A man must know his limitations.


----------



## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

I've never been much of a drinker. I think I can count on a couple of fingers how many hard drinks I've had in my lifetime.

We keep a six-pack of beer in the fridge, as my wife likes to have a beer sometimes when we have pizza. I tend to go with a Coke or Pepsi. That six-pack of beer usually lasts about a year or so.

I think I enjoyed beer more so when I was younger and under-age. I looked older than I was, and more times than not, I was the _go to_ guy when it came to buying beer. Back then, store clerks were pretty sloppy when it came to checking of the ID.


----------



## Jeb Stuart (Jan 19, 2020)

I still love the smell of Cheap Perfume and Stale Beer.

And nothing like a good Whiskey and fine Cigar.


----------



## mdi (Jan 11, 2020)

From one that knows; people drink because they drink. You can assign as many reasons for drinking as you want, but most drinkers drink when times are good, when times are bad, then they're happy and when they are sad. Perhaps more recreational drinking is going on because for some it's just one long weekend, not having to go to work clear headed...


----------



## Jeb Stuart (Jan 19, 2020)

mdi said:


> From one that knows; people drink because they drink. You can assign as many reasons for drinking as you want, but most drinkers drink when times are good, when times are bad, then they're happy and when they are sad. Perhaps more recreational drinking is going on because for some it's just one long weekend, not having to go to work clear headed...


Might be one of the reasons why people celebrate with a bottle of Champagne.


----------



## pic (Nov 14, 2009)

Quality of life !!
if a drink is what's desired so be it. 
Smoke a joint. Lol


----------



## pic (Nov 14, 2009)

paratrooper said:


> I've never been much of a drinker. I think I can count on a couple of fingers how many hard drinks I've had in my lifetime.
> 
> We keep a six-pack of beer in the fridge, as my wife likes to have a beer sometimes when we have pizza. I tend to go with a Coke or Pepsi. That six-pack of beer usually lasts about a year or so.
> 
> I think I enjoyed beer more so when I was younger and under-age. I looked older than I was, and more times than not, I was the _go to_ guy when it came to buying beer. Back then, store clerks were pretty sloppy when it came to checking of the ID.


Wtf , have some cocktails with the wife, get hammered. 
Pull the plug, will ya.


----------



## SSGN_Doc (Mar 12, 2020)

Well, when in quarantine an old Navy medicinal cocktail seems appropriate.

Navy strength (can't have the liquor keep the powder from burning if it leaks)
Plymouth gin (Royal Navy traditional supplier and one of the oldest gin distilleries around)
Indian tonic water to prevent the malaria
lime for vitamin c to prevent scurvy.


----------



## Jeb Stuart (Jan 19, 2020)

SSGN_Doc said:


> Well, when in quarantine an old Navy medicinal cocktail seems appropriate.
> 
> Navy strength (can't have the liquor keep the powder from burning if it leaks)
> Plymouth gin (Royal Navy traditional supplier and one of the oldest gin distilleries around)
> ...


Now that looks refreshing! Especially on a cool summer evening sitting next to the Ocean.


----------



## Jeb Stuart (Jan 19, 2020)

I use to tend Bar when I was in college. A high end Beach area. I remember this one guy would come in wearing a decked out suite, complete with Rolex etc. He would always ask for a Martini. Now a good Martini requires very little Vermouth. He would always do the same thing. Take a sip and say, Make me another, this has too much Vermouth. Well, the fact is, I never put any Vermouth in the drink. (learned quickly that his was simply for show)
But I would smile, say no problem. Take his glass and go and just place his same drink in another fresh glass do nothing to it, bring it back.
He would then take a sip and say, Ahh, just right.
He would then proceed to get sloppy drunk. I always ended up calling him a cab. And the good part was he was a BIG tipper.

Sorry, just one of many stories of my youth. I learned quite a bit about people working behind a bar.


----------



## SSGN_Doc (Mar 12, 2020)

Jeb Stuart said:


> I use to tend Bar when I was in college. A high end Beach area. I remember this one guy would come in wearing a decked out suite, complete with Rolex etc. He would always ask for a Martini. Now a good Martini requires very little Vermouth. He would always do the same thing. Take a sip and say, Make me another, this has too much Vermouth. Well, the fact is, I never put any Vermouth in the drink. (learned quickly that his was simply for show)
> But I would smile, say no problem. Take his glass and go and just place his same drink in another fresh glass do nothing to it, bring it back.
> He would then take a sip and say, Ahh, just right.
> He would then proceed to get sloppy drunk. I always ended up calling him a cab. And the good part was he was a BIG tipper.
> ...


I tend to disagree with the majority, who think a Martini needs very little vermouth. A well paired martini should use the herbals and botanicals in the gin and vermouth to complement each other. If I have a Martini I typically keep it 2:1 or 2: 0.75. I actually like to use Cocchi Americano sometimes instead of vermouth. If folks just want to drink Gin straight, then they should just give up the pretense of ordering a martini. If they order a martini with vodka instead of gin, they should also not call it a martini either.


----------



## SSGN_Doc (Mar 12, 2020)

Jeb Stuart said:


> Now that looks refreshing! Especially on a cool summer evening sitting next to the Ocean.


G&T, the Gimlet, or a Tom Collins tend to make refreshing summer drinks. Some rum drinks work too (ginger beer and rum, pain killer,). Fall and winter tend to shift to whiskey cocktails. (Old fashioned, Sazerac, Pennicillin, Manhattan or just a neat dram.).


----------



## Tangof (Jan 26, 2014)

Wal Mart must think so. We picked up an online order of mostly Cat food and a prescription for my Wife a couple day's ago and they had renovated the entire store. We only go about once a month even if normal times. The Liquor aisle used to be one side of one aisle now it's two full aisle's. Beer is now two full refrigerated coolers and two aisle's of non refrigerated Beer. Stocking up for the Summer or just a lot more people drinking? I haven't been able to drink alcohol for ten years since the VA told me that Agent Orange had drop kicked my Liver, but if I did I would need to go no further than Wal Mart.


----------



## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

We have a Safeway grocery store in our community. It's only one of about 3 or so grocery stores.

They have a huge alcohol area. I mean surprising huge. I don't know anything about hard liquor and the quality. But, walking thru their alcohol area, it's very impressive. They seem to have just about anything anyone might want.


----------



## desertman (Aug 29, 2013)

paratrooper said:


> I've never been much of a drinker. I think I can count on a couple of fingers how many hard drinks I've had in my lifetime.
> 
> We keep a six-pack of beer in the fridge, as my wife likes to have a beer sometimes when we have pizza. I tend to go with a Coke or Pepsi. That six-pack of beer usually lasts about a year or so.
> 
> *I think I enjoyed beer more so when I was younger and under-age.* I looked older than I was, and more times than not, I was the _go to_ guy when it came to buying beer. Back then, store clerks were pretty sloppy when it came to checking of the ID.


Didn't we all? Then it really didn't matter what brand of beer you drank. Even the cheapest swill would do. Man, those days are long gone. Now I'm very particular about the beer I drink. I usually have two beers after dinner but only because I like the taste.

I would never under any circumstance drink even one beer and get behind the wheel. If we go out to eat it's iced tea for me.


----------



## desertman (Aug 29, 2013)

SSGN_Doc said:


> Also heard that a poll revealed 46% of people currently working at home admitted to drinking while working. So, numbers could be higher as far as those who,didn't admit it.
> 
> *No Range was stated. (1 beer or glass of wine is one thing, compared to killing a pint of whisky or knocking back Manhattans at the keyboard all day.)*
> 
> ...


We knew a guy who had a landscaping business, he drank two cases of beer a day. That's 48 12oz beers! We all used to call him "the pregnant broomstick" for obvious reasons. He didn't live very long, he was passed out in his vehicle for two days until someone found him. They took him to the hospital where he died shortly after. He was in his early 40's.

He never did any of the work himself and instead would hire teenagers from around town. A few of my friends occasionally worked for him. He'd pick them up in his truck drop them off and then go someplace to sit in his truck and drink all day. The back of his truck was constantly filled with empty beer cans.


----------



## pic (Nov 14, 2009)

desertman said:


> We knew a guy who had a landscaping business, he drank two cases of beer a day. That's 48 12oz beers! We all used to call him "the pregnant broomstick" for obvious reasons. He didn't live very long, he was passed out in his vehicle for two days until someone found him. They took him to the hospital where he died shortly after. He was in his early 40's.
> 
> He never did any of the work himself and instead would hire teenagers from around town. A few of my friends occasionally worked for him. He'd pick them up in his truck drop them off and then go someplace to sit in his truck and drink all day. The back of his truck was constantly filled with empty beer cans.


It's only 4 1/2 glasses of beer.


----------



## pic (Nov 14, 2009)

Big glasses, lol.


----------



## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

Funny story. Some years ago, I was in a convenience store picking up a snack or two for later in the day. I was in uniform and got in line behind a couple of roofers who were in the process of buying a couple six-packs of beer. This was like 7 am or so.

One of the roofers glanced back at me and his eyes got huge. He nudged his buddy and said something in his ear. They paid for the beer and got into their roofing truck with the company logo on the side.

I paid for my snacks and returned to my cruiser. I pulled out my cell phone and called the roofing company in question. I spoke to the owner and asked it it was business as usual for his employees to be purchasing beer so early in the morning?

He replied Hell No! He did thank me for the call and said he'd be leaving shortly to go visit one of his job sites.


----------



## stokes (Jan 17, 2017)

Ratting those guys out was pretty cold


----------



## desertman (Aug 29, 2013)

paratrooper said:


> Funny store. Some years ago, I was in a convenience store picking up a snack or two for later in the day. I was in uniform and got in line behind a couple of roofers who were in the process of buying a couple six-packs of beer. This was like 7 am or so.
> 
> One of the roofers glanced back at me and his eyes got huge. He nudged his buddy and said something in his ear. They paid for the beer and got into their roofing truck with the company logo on the side.
> 
> ...


You shouldn't have ratted them out. That was probably their breakfast? How'd you like to go to work on an empty stomach? Especially on a roof.


----------



## desertman (Aug 29, 2013)

pic said:


> Big glasses, lol.


If it came in 55 gallon drums he'd claim that he only had one can of beer.


----------



## pic (Nov 14, 2009)

paratrooper said:


> Funny store. Some years ago, I was in a convenience store picking up a snack or two for later in the day. I was in uniform and got in line behind a couple of roofers who were in the process of buying a couple six-packs of beer. This was like 7 am or so.
> 
> One of the roofers glanced back at me and his eyes got huge. He nudged his buddy and said something in his ear. They paid for the beer and got into their roofing truck with the company logo on the side.
> 
> ...


Working construction we would sometimes buy the beer in the morning.
Took turns,
Put the beer on ice for a nice cold one afterwards.

One worker would have beer , soda n cigarettes.
He would charge a dollar a beer.
Toward the end of the day, we would all meet at JR's van


----------



## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

stokes said:


> Ratting those guys out was pretty cold


I figured if it was okay, their boss and owner of the company they were working for, would have said so.

By the facial expression of the one roofer, he knew better than to be buying beer.


----------



## pic (Nov 14, 2009)

paratrooper said:


> I figured if it was okay, their boss and owner of the company they were working for, would have said so.
> 
> By the facial expression of the one roofer, he knew better than to be buying beer.


Snitches get stitches, lmao.

Just kidding, you didn't do anything wrong. 
They must have been up front closer to the cashier, if they were nudging n whispering. Didn't realize you had an indirect eyeball on them. 
They were probably gonna slam a few down on the way to work.


----------



## SSGN_Doc (Mar 12, 2020)

My brother was a roofer. Some of the guys would drink on site (lunch time, on a break, or whatever. I’m sure their boss didn’t know and wouldn't have approved.)

One day coming back from lunch, my brother was climbing a ladder back into a roof, and one of his less than fully sober coworkers stumbled and knocked over a full tar paper roll which hit my brother and the ladder. Shattered my brothers right elbow in the fall. His elbow joint is fused. Can’t swing a hammer anymore. Put him right out of work.

I'm not a proponent of drinking on the clock, in case any of my previous statements may have been unclear.


----------



## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

Some years ago, I was dispatched to an injury call. It was to a home that was having a new roof put on it. Some of the roofers had been drinking while on the job. One fell off the roof and seriously injured his back. Another fell off a ladder while trying to go down it too fast to assist the one guy that fell off the roof. 

If I owned a business, no way would I want my employees to have beer in my company owned vehicle. I'm paying you to work, not to drink beer. 

But hey......that's just me.


----------



## Tangof (Jan 26, 2014)

SOP to furnish Beer to a house building crew and remodeling crew, I thought it was stupid. What about liability if someone get's hurt on the job? In our sue crazy world it will come back to bite you. My Friend was having a his house built, a custom home. We went to look at it and he stopped and bought four 12 packs of beer. We got there and he handed over the beer to a five man crew. I told him he was crazy. He said they expected it. Maybe it was common, Illinois in the '90's.


----------

