It’s Friday night and you’re in the pub. You’re about to make the biggest decision of your life. This vital decision will dictate how your night, and quite possibly your life goes. Do you make the safe choice and go with a beer?Afterall, whats better than a cold pint of Heineken or a bottle of corona on a warm day. Or do you want to be wild and go straight into the spirits?Vodka, tequila, gin…etc.Whatever your poison is,you’re likely to be the first one drunk and probably the first to be sent home in a taxi.
With beer, you have the upper hand when it comes to lasting longer. Beer is also undoubtedly a far superior accompaniment to food than spirits. No one wants to wash down a burger with a vodka and coke. You also can’t get shafted by an establishment that gives you a glass of coke with a trinkle of vodka. You know what you’re getting when you order a pint of Hop House from the man/woman behind the counter. There’s nothing quite like the clink of two pints to set the night off either. Of course, in the Dublin city of today you’d be lucky to find a decent pint for anything under 6 euro but that’s just life unfortunately, spirits are rarely much cheaper and at times even more expensive.
The problem with beer, however, lies in the amount a person can physically consume. I don’t mean to underestimate anyone’s abilities here, but for the average person, there comes a point where you simply can’t drink anymore. You’ll end up switching to spirits in some form and feel even worse the next morning than the spirit drinkers themselves. Before, you know it, you’re starting to feel that tired feeling and those pints of Heineken are replaced by the quite dangerous and expensive whiskey. Beer also generally isn’t the type of drink that will inspire you to go out on the dance floor and let loose.
With Spirits, even the most passive, quiet person can be completely transformed. This can be both a good and a bad thing. It might give you the courage to dance your heart out but it could just cause you start a fight with bouncers and get kicked out. Every friend group has a person whose as polite and shy as anything when sober but turns into a fiend after a few shots of tequila. For some people, the night just doesn’t start off until the first shots go down your throat. All a lot of the time, you won’t even have the chance to say ‘no thanks’ before a shot of vodka is thrust in front of you.
So, i many ways, spirits are going to be drunk at some point regardless of what drink you choose. Maybe that first decision isn’t as important as I thought? You’re really just delaying the inevitable. So that’s it really. There is no really winner of the debate. You’re getting steamed not matter what you choose but you’re also going to have a great night so go crazy people.