Rant: Wine & Beer, It's Not Just About Flavor

Why do you enjoy wine and beer? And please be honest about your reasons.

When you read winer and beer reviews, when you speak to the staff at your local wine and beer shop, when you speak to family and friends, you'll generally learn about the various flavors in those beverages. Some will even rhapsodize with a lengthy litany of aromas and flavors they discern in these beverages, sometimes using descriptors which seem to make little sense to the casual drinker.

In all those descriptions though, one important element is usually omitted, possibly a legacy of our puritanical heritage. It's the dark secret of beer and wine consumption, that aspect we dare not speak aloud. However, it's a secret most of us share, and it makes little sense to conceal it. We shouldn't deny the reality behind our drinking.

Be honest. You can do it. Sure, you probably enjoy the aromas and flavors of your wine or beer, but we all know that you also enjoy wine and beer because it contains alcohol. You like that apparent sense of euphoria provided by alcohol. You revel in how alcohol makes you feel, altering your perception. Frankly, you probably wouldn't be drinking beer and wine if it didn't include alcohol. When is the last time you drank a non-alcoholic beer or wine? How often do you consume non-alcoholic beer or wine? 

In the U.S., non-alcoholic wine and beer has become more popular but it still only accounts for less than 0.5% of overall alcohol retail sales. Some may drink non-alcoholic beverages because they believe it's healthier for them. However, I've heard plenty of complaints about the taste of non-alcoholic wine.     

Maybe we should talk more about our enjoyment of alcohol in wine and beer, to stop hiding our reason in the shadows. It's an important element of what we drink so there's no need to deny it. It probably doesn't seem like proper etiquette to discuss our enjoyment of the effects of alcohol. It seems more refined to discuss the various aromas and tastes rather than explore how the alcohol affected us. If we discuss our enjoyment of the effects of alcohol, we might be perceived by others as having a problem. 

Those who actually discuss such effects, like Anthony Bourdain, are usually seen as rebels and bad boys. However, as so many people actually enjoy the effects of alcohol, it should be the norm to openly discuss it. It shouldn't be perceived as bad. So step up and admit the truth, that you drink wine and beer, in part, because you like the effects of alcohol. It certainly isn't the only reason we enjoy these beverages, but it plays a significant factor. And maybe by discussing it, we can better avoid problems with the abuse of alcohol.