Curse

Xue Yi Liang · Aug 19, 2005, 07:03 PM // 19:03

It's a matter of personal taste.
Most of the time I can't stand beer - I'll take a Killian's or Anchor Steam but only to be social.
I prefer wine. But my tastes aren't very sophisticated. I'm with Omega in that I really enjoy a good port. Dessert wines can be comforting. Bailey's on ice is good to have with the right person at the right time.
But I can live without alcohol - and don't drink on a regular basis.

Big digression:
In case you don't already know, many people (including a majority of Asians) have a genetic deficiency in Acetaldehyde Dehydrogenase which is an enzyme that helps metabolize alcohol. Depending on how severe it is the person can tolerate a limited amount. Beyond that they get instant "red face," nausea, breathing problems and heart palpatations. In the worst cases it might even precipitate a heart-attack. Many of them don't even get to the nice fuzzy euphoria before they start getting sick.

There's a drug they used to use for alcoholics called Antabuse (Disulfuram) - not commonly used anymore. What it does is cause alcoholics to get sick from alcohol - supposedly curing them of their addiction. Well, the way it works is by blocking Alcohol Dehydrogenase - a very similar enzyme - with the same side effects.

So if you happen to know someone that says alcohol just makes them "red faced" - don't ridicule them as a sign of weakness. Please don't assume their tolerance just needs buffing and please don't pressure them to drink more than they can tolerate. I knew plenty of fellas like this in college - they weren't really ostrasized - but they weren't with the "in" folks either.

Oops. Sorry for the digression....