Table Drinkers

[Briar Lee]

Some of the curious laws and customs of Humansville of fifty some years ago, were there was one beer joint, that wasn’t allowed to sell anything alcoholic but beer to drink inside the beer joint, and no hot food, and one package store that sold all kinds of booze, but no consumption of it in the store. Both shut down tight at one in the morning.

Then in the center between the liquor store and beer joint was the Humansville Christian Church, which always kept a light on outside the back door, where there was always a well stocked refrigerator, something to drink, and a cot to sleep.

The drunks were polite enough to smoke outside. Sometimes my father would find a drunk sleeping it off in the back on Sunday morning, and of course he got a free ride home.

I never hear Sunday Morning Coming Down without remembering that.

—
Judge not, that ye be not judged.

For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
—
As my hair grays I realize that if I’m not a good man, I can’t blame my upbringing, you know?

 

[puff_not_snuff]

I like your style. Only in my dreams. Yes, in another life, if I lived in a downtown area of some large city where these places existed, and I had more money than I knew what to do with, I could very easily see myself doing exactly what you suggest, every evening.

But alas, I don't live in a city like that, and I'm so broke I can hardly pay attention, so it remains a dream...

Thanks, while I live in a city where this is possible, my finances far from allow it or will ever, which is likely a good thing. I am probably one of the few people who can say that getting covid was a life improvement as it broke me of my alcohol dependency. Didn't have a drink after getting it for at least a year and now, similar to some of the aged posters here, when I do have a drink now it has lost a lot of its allure as I too get sleepy and slightly agitated by silly things so I now chose my drinks carefully which is a good thing as while I can't afford much in the way of a night out boozing on what I prefer I can now afford to have the stray drink of things I really like as my goal isn't to obliterate my consciousness. I do, as this thread is testament to, sometimes look longingly at my drunk years of misadventures, but even those thoughts get tried fast.

Here is a nice little article that touches on the subject from a magazine which is also out of my budget:

What is it REALLY like giving up alcohol?

Sobriety is easier and more interesting than it used to be, finds Giles Kime, who has spent the past year exploring the unanticipated delights of alcohol-free beer.

www.countrylife.co.uk

 

[puff_not_snuff]

Some of the curious laws and customs of Humansville of fifty some years ago, were there was one beer joint, that wasn’t allowed to sell anything alcoholic but beer to drink inside the beer joint, and no hot food, and one package store that sold all kinds of booze, but no consumption of it in the store. Both shut down tight at one in the morning.

Then in the center between the liquor store and beer joint was the Humansville Christian Church, which always kept a light on outside the back door, where there was always a well stocked refrigerator, something to drink, and a cot to sleep.

The drunks were polite enough to smoke outside. Sometimes my father would find a drunk sleeping it off in the back on Sunday morning, and of course he got a free ride home.

I never hear Sunday Morning Coming Down without remembering that.

—
Judge not, that ye be not judged.

For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
—
As my hair grays I realize that if I’m not a good man, I can’t blame my upbringing, you know?

In Utah you cannot have a shot and a beer in front of you at the same time although you can have one after another. Also, martinis are forbidden as apparently they contain too much alcohol in a single drink.

 

[telescopes]

In Utah you cannot have a shot and a beer in front of you at the same time although you can have one after another. Also, martinis are forbidden as apparently they contain too much alcohol in a single drink.

Not forbidden. I drink them in Utah when I am in Salt Lake, but I have to tell you, what a waste they are when you order them.

You get what they call a Mormon Pour, which is really just 1 oz of whiskey, gin, vodka, or whatever you are having in your mixed drink. A gin martini is something like a bit less than 1 oz with a splash of vermouth.

I prefer the Palm Springs pour - a pour that has spoiled me.

I say this with love and a bit of amusement, but a martini in Palm Springs is poured into a BIG martini glass until it just about tops it. Waiters struggle to bring them to the table.

I've measured the pours - they can be 3-almost 4 oz of whatever.

Now when I travel to other places, I always feel cheated by the bartender when I order a drink.

Palm Springs is its own place for many reasons. It is an island in the desert - an oasis where because of the large Gay population, playful hedonism, flamboyance, and indulgence in all things shallow spills over into many regular aspects of life. It really is a place where people are encouraged to play, laugh, and stop worrying about worrying. In some respects, anyway.

Martinis are just one of the aspects that living near such a population has improved.

 

[telescopes]

The same, I should add, goes for breakfast. Many places offer very low cost, and by that I mean under 5-10 dollars, endless pours of champagne.

Now, I think I will head on down to Hair of the Dog and order a martini. It's not quite 9 AM here, so it is a bit late in the morning to be drinking, (I should have started at 7) but what the heck, anything for you guys. I'll send you a pic.

 

[bullet08]

Ha ha, why am I not shocked that this forum would be full of guys who don’t like people?

Don't get me wrong, I like people as long as they are not near me. Somebody's got to grow and harvest tobacco.

 

[Briar Lee]

More curious Ozark alcohol customs.

Even the atheists hold Christian values. Christianity is part and parcel of hillbilly life, and cuts across all class lines.

But unlike Utah where Mormons dominate or some Eastern cities where Catholics reign over religious matters, in the Ozarks there are literally thousands of different Christian sects.

The old time Christian Churches, mainly comprised of Scottish (and NOT SCOTS IRISH) descendents have no creed but Christ, no dogmas or doctrines, and modest unlocked churches where everything is voluntary. There is no evangelism, no missionaries, no tithing, and if you don’t like church leave, the church goes right on.

The elders of such churches realize our real competition is the local beer joint, set up on the same social principles, except we don’t sell booze.

Every song I know sounds like it was recorded in a Christian Church or beer joint. The pickers and singers play both venues.

But our fair young songbirds, are way better than the honky tonk queens.

My father used to say, the biggest difference between the beer joint and the church is our singers are live, and theirs are played over a juke box.

 

[telescopes]

Watching the World Cup with morning aficionados at Hair of the Dog. Gin is my drink, Dunhill 63 Pot my pipe, and C&D The Beast my smoke. This is Table Drinking as it should be. The rest of the country can freeze its a$ses off. Palm Springs, baby!

 

[telescopes]

More curious Ozark alcohol customs.

Even the atheists hold Christian values. Christianity is part and parcel of hillbilly life, and cuts across all class lines.

But unlike Utah where Mormons dominate or some Eastern cities where Catholics reign over religious matters, in the Ozarks there are literally thousands of different Christian sects.

The old time Christian Churches, mainly comprised of Scottish (and NOT SCOTS IRISH) descendents have no creed but Christ, no dogmas or doctrines, and modest unlocked churches where everything is voluntary. There is no evangelism, no missionaries, no tithing, and if you don’t like church leave, the church goes right on.

The elders of such churches realize our real competition is the local beer joint, set up on the same social principles, except we don’t sell booze.

Every song I know sounds like it was recorded in a Christian Church or beer joint. The pickers and singers play both venues.

But our fair young songbirds, are way better than the honky tonk queens.

My father used to say, the biggest difference between the beer joint and the church is our singers are live, and theirs are played over a juke box.

Your daddy went to the wrong bars.

 

[Zero]

Table drinking at it's best. SG Saint James Flake in a Johs rhodesian, good wholesome food that God designed and created, a good companion whose company I could never grow tired of, and good beer. Thank you Lord for your provisions, and protect those who might be freezing their asses off

 

[Briar Tuck]

I prefer the Palm Springs pour - a pour that has spoiled me.

I say this with love and a bit of amusement, but a martini in Palm Springs is poured into a BIG martini glass until it just about tops it. Waiters struggle to bring them to the table.

I've measured the pours - they can be 3-almost 4 oz of whatever.

Now when I travel to other places, I always feel cheated by the bartender when I order a drink.

That sounds like me with the pours at the Elks and the Eagles (I'm a member of both). There, you can order a neat single malt scotch and you will get it in a glass poured to the rim, provided you are on good terms with your bartender. Ordering it anywhere else around here would cost twice as much for half the drink.