Why Not Drink?

[Frozenoak]

It frequently gets suggested, taught, maybe preached, that one shouldn’t drink while enjoying a pipe. I almost always do, unless I’m lunting, My curiosity has grown over the years. Does anyone know why there is such a strong opposition to the drink X smoke combo?

Regards,
Dale

 

[Richmond B. Funkenhouser]

I pretty much always have a drink near me.

I've never heard such advice... Maybe I'm doing it wrong.

 

[irishearl]

Years ago heard that mixing alcohol with tobacco smoking increases the risk of oral cancers.

 

[warren]

If you are simply enjoying the pipe I see no problem with a drink. If you are teasing out the various tastes in a blend I suspect certain drinks might effect your palate.

 

[bullet08]

Yeah, never heard that. Other than alcohol beverages not being recommended due to oral health. Two hours without a drop sounds torturous.

 

[kcghost]

Never heard of this problem so I don't believe it. Everybody I know who smokes always has a beverage near them.

 

[OzPiper]

It frequently gets suggested, taught, maybe preached, that one shouldn’t drink while enjoying a pipe.

Sez who ?

Just so long as you do not drink enough to fall off the perch and destroy the pipe you're smoking

It depends on my mood. Or the prevailing weather conditions.
If it is a hot day, then lots of iced water. Or a tall drink eg gin and tonic or Campari and soda
In winter, either a rum or cognac/armagnac or whisky/whiskey - neat.
Or just a mug of tea or chai

 

[Chasing Embers]

If I've got a drink with me, I'm smoking with a drink. If not then I'm smoking without one.

 

[JOHN72]

There is a connection in my brain, which enjoys this mixture of tobacco and alcoholic beverage. Sometimes I have a drink nearby, and I'm preparing a pipe to smoke, or the other way around. It's not relevant, you just feel like it, or not. But it is true that I like it, alcoholic beverage together with tobacco. Why, I have no idea.

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

It frequently gets suggested, taught, maybe preached, that one shouldn’t drink while enjoying a pipe. I almost always do, unless I’m lunting, My curiosity has grown over the years. Does anyone know why there is such a strong opposition to the drink X smoke combo?

Regards,
Dale

Maybe you could source this "preaching" or "teaching"? Never heard of it. Maybe a poll?

 

[Frozenoak]

Maybe it's because I'm in California? Or, maybe I'm getting it from those looking for the more subtle flavors? Who knows. Just seems like, except when I'm with the Pipe Club, every time I ask what drink goes with what smoke, I get reminded that I shouldn't smoke and drink. To be fair, the people I talk to at the smoke shop are primarily cigar smokers... and sober.

 

[Sobrbiker]

Because they won’t let me take my pipe with me into jail….
I have an allergy, when I drink, I tend to break out in handcuffs

 

[fireground_piper]

If we are talking alcohol, I found it dulls the flavors and lead to more tongue bite. I generally attribute this to the properties of the alcohol and it's reaction to the saliva in my mouth. I've ceased drinking alcohol all together at this point and it's been a notable difference that I've experienced for the better.

Coffee and any form of tobacco has always been a favorite combination of mine.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Most of you may not remember, but when I first came on here, the reason people advocated that you not drink alcohol while smoking is that it removes a protective layer, maybe saliva or something, inside our mouths, and when you smoke after that breaks down, there are things in the smoke that the sensitive layers of our mouths gets exposed to, making mouth cancer much more likely. I cannot explain this with any expertise, but it is what got slung around when I first came on here. Most of us old timers still don't advocate drinking and smoking.
Me? I don't give a crap what you guys do to yourselves. But then, if someone suggested covering a trampoline with gasoline and jumping on it while smoking a cigar, I would cheer you on with enthusiasm.

 

[AreBee]

I've always had a beverage of some sort when smoking a cigar or a pipe.

With cigars, I drink any brown liquor, (Rum, Scotch, Bourbon) or several types of beer all depending on the cigar itself.

I've only been smoking pipes about six months, and when it comes to beverages, I seem to gravitate to the non-alcoholic. Unflavored seltzer or tap water for the most part, but I have been enjoying coffee with a pipe in the morning. The only alcoholic beverages I have tried with pipes have been darker beers. English Bitters, Scotch Ales, Stouts, etc. These have been paired well.

 

[verporchting]

A pint and a pipe have been a standard for centuries, who am I to buck the historical trend?

And coffee or tea is divine with a morning pipe. Haters gonna hate but step away from my morning pipe and coffee! There will be trouble.

 

[anotherbob]

It frequently gets suggested, taught, maybe preached, that one shouldn’t drink while enjoying a pipe. I almost always do, unless I’m lunting, My curiosity has grown over the years. Does anyone know why there is such a strong opposition to the drink X smoke combo?

Regards,
Dale

two reasons that have any legitimacy in my opinion. One is that any strong flavor will alter the flavor of another thing. I call that a purist argument. The other is health and is legit but like many things it's a question of risk/reward. Alcohol and pipe smoking does give you a higher chance of oral lesions then either by themselves. Don't take this as gospel but to me it looks more like if you're an alcoholic who smokes a pipe you have one more thing to worry about. Not if you enjoy the occasional drink along with a smoke. Or even if you have a nightly nightcap with your pipe. I don't drink enough to really look into that issue too deeply so put as many salt pinches as needed.

 

[anotherbob]

I pretty much always have a drink near me.

I've never heard such advice... Maybe I'm doing it wrong.

I have a theory that you do everything wrong, and it works for you. And more importantly if you stopped doing everything wrong it probably kill you, so probably keep at it. Including take my advice (which no one really should do).

 

[anotherbob]

Maybe it's because I'm in California? Or, maybe I'm getting it from those looking for the more subtle flavors? Who knows. Just seems like, except when I'm with the Pipe Club, every time I ask what drink goes with what smoke, I get reminded that I shouldn't smoke and drink. To be fair, the people I talk to at the smoke shop are primarily cigar smokers... and sober.

A lot of things end up going from advice with reasons attached to dogma with a just because attached. Not just pipe smoking.
To me it sounds like the situation here is more about deflecting from them not having a real answer to your question.

 

[Frozenoak]

If we are talking alcohol,

Yes, I guess I should have clarified. I am talking about alcoholic drinks. Nobody seems to be offended by coffee or tea... in fact, one gentleman I had this discussion with was drinking a diet soda with his cigar while telling me that I shouldn't be having my rye.