It's a real art form finding the right spot, knowing when to say when and when to say just one more, a delicate balance of slow sipping and quick chugging, sprinkled in with some laughs and a smile growing across your face. I took a couple of quick polls on social media last week and found that the vast majority of folks (over 75%) who are with me for this weirdly beer centric trip I'm on seemed to agree that 3 to 4 beers was that very place to be when it came to the best feelings, the place where it's just right. I'll admit that I thought more people would lean into the old 2-Beer Buzz territory and of course some people still do, but with more than 3/4 of 300 plus people answering at the higher end, it got me to thinking if my own levels had changed over the years or not.
There was a time when I'd get home from work and think nothing of rocketing back a 6-pack of Brava or Old Milwaukee tall-boys in quick succession and that would get me on the way to where I wanted to go, a stumbling start to the black-out I was seeking. Somewhere along the way, I did find a better way to drink, still slipping into old habits of course, but generally being more aware of what I was pouring in my glass and trying to appreciate it gave me some pause when it came to my beer consumption.
It's been almost a decade of riding along this craft beer road and I have finally come to a place where the conversation turned to seeking a better balance in what had become a daily grind of trying to keep up with things I didn't really care about anymore. What I wanted was a way to enjoy what seemed like the perfect feeling whenever the fancy took me. Some days that's no beers, sometimes just 1 or 2 and on those wonderful days when it really felt right, the Beer Buzz hum of that third pint with a fourth in waiting. And therein lies the art of the entire thing, knowing where you are and not having the one that tips you from the Buzz to the Drunk. I'll say that I have found since the vast majority of my beers tend to be above 6% ABV, 3 is often the best place for me to slide into home with my eyes wide open. It's a really nice feeling to not have the next beer, to know that this one was the last one of the evening and savour every last drop. Sure, there are days when I make the decision to go a little past that last beer and drag myself to another place entirely, but in the last few months, I find myself intentionally stopping at the same spot, satisfied with where I was and how it made me feel. Too many mornings filled with self reflecting conversations of how I shouldn't have had that last beer, seemingly wasting a great pint on a night that didn't need another one.
Honestly, I feel like that is what the goal of this entire endeavour has been. It's about enjoying a couple, three beers, without extending myself into bad habits I know I have and mistakes I want to make less and less. Taking nights off of beer, stepping away from a toxic work environment and making peace with who I am and where I came from has been a big part of this too. Understanding myself makes it easier to know when I have found that very real feeling the Beer Buzz delivers and I can lean back to enjoy it without needing to go any further. I've spent a lifetime in search of this very peaceful place...
I hope you find yours.
Polk
February 20, 2024
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