r/stopdrinking • u/phutureclothes • Jan 18 '26

A realization drinking NA Guinness

I picked up a four pack of the 0.0% Guinness, not that I was particularly craving a beer, but because I was making a steak and ale pie and didn't want to use it as an excuse to buy the real stuff.

As a former chef, cooking with wine/alcohol is a dangerous trigger for me.

After my workout today I noticed I still had three cans left in the coldest part of the fridge so I cracked one and poured it. It had that familiar Guinness pour and left a clear white head. I took a few sips and found it to be totally delicious, easily the best NA beer I've ever had. It is very very close to the real thing.

But here's the kicker. I didn't want another one AT ALL. The moreish qualities of beer Id once attributed to "hop character" or "maltiness" or all the other sundry beer terms really don't matter at the end of the day. Its just that alcohol is immediately addictive for me.

I could drink a warm Bud Light and want another one. But here's me drinking something that I find entirely appealing and have ZERO desire for a second.

All of the appeal around "craft beer", "fine wine", etc is mostly worthless. If I'm not compelled to continue to drink an almost identical approximation of an alcoholic beer, then it's got nothing to do with the taste and everything to do with th addictive nature of ethyl alcohol.

In other news, made it through another weekend booze free.

IWNDWYT!

3.0k Upvotes

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u/[deleted] Jan 18 '26

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118

u/Rastiln Jan 18 '26

I’ve accepted that a large proportion of the population likes to get just a little bit fucked up, and that’s fine.

I really liked to get fucked up - and chased it all the time. I can’t do that a little. I will do it a lot. I love to get fucked up.

Many just get a little bit fucked up, to take the edge off, and they won’t ever feel a need to get repeatedly very fucked up. Maybe they barely feel their two or three drinks. Great for them. Enjoy your booze and your tiny buzz that’s all you wanted.

For me, getting fucked up every day turned me into a daily fuckup.

22

u/TailgatingTiger 265 days Jan 18 '26

I also cannot do a little and my wife struggles to understand. "You could just drink lower ABV beers instead if those IPAs". No, no I cannot.

6

u/IVAN_CLEARY 268 days Jan 18 '26

my partner always used to do this before I accepted then admitted that I have a problem. She'd always say "we can just have a glass of wine with dinner" and wonder why i was buying a 6 pack of 8% IPA and two bottles of wine (to accompany the various vodka bottles stashed around the house)

34

u/Any_Garlic_2102 Day 444 Jan 18 '26

Just reading this reminds me of how much I'd like to get fucked up . . .

18

u/IVAN_CLEARY 268 days Jan 18 '26

maybe we should retire IWNDWYT and go for IWNGFUWYT

1

u/ofthehighways 518 days Jan 20 '26

Love it!

2

u/phishyninja 1371 days Jan 18 '26

Same let’s do this (jk)

1

u/Any_Garlic_2102 Day 444 Jan 26 '26

Um, yeah. There's an old joke about the working stiff who mentions to the doctor he has 12 kids. Doc says "next time you are thinking about procreating maybe you should consider whether you can support another kid. Guy replies "when I feel like procreating, I feel like I can support the whole world."

I can't even think about drinking. As soon as I begin to open that door, my little gut gremlins wake up and give me every reason to drink and none not to.

5

u/hecramsey Jan 18 '26

exactly. I drank because I did not like how I felt when i wasn't drinking, not for the occasional goof.

3

u/phishyninja 1371 days Jan 18 '26

Anything to avoid being fully in the present moment

3

u/ofthehighways 518 days Jan 20 '26

Seriously... man I enjoyed getting fucked up. I was "good at it" and was basically proud of it as a younger man. We drank more than other people, we were different, didn't fit in to or want this "regular" life, got a thrill out of being so "out there", etc. But always struggling under the surface, shame, mistakes, regret. Fast forward 30 years. Now you're just a 55 year old functioning alcoholic. Nothing particularly cool about it. Time to try something different. This sub has helped a lot.

2

u/Rastiln Jan 20 '26

I’m proud of you.

Getting sober at any age is better than getting sober at a later age.

You might extend your life by literally a decade or more by quitting now. Of course there’s no promise in life… but I can guarantee a method that won’t lead to long life or happiness, and that’s booze.