Just whe you thought about giving up booze

I guess I'm in the minority when I say that I don't like getting **** faced. Anymore. Been there, done that. I was pretty much over the alcohol to excess thing when I poisoned myself January 1st, 1999. Well, not officially poisoned because I didn't go to a hospital - but I'm pretty certain.

Naturally, this does not preclude my becoming drunk, but mostly when I drink it's all about enjoying the flavor of a Crown and Coke (can't drink straight hard liquor anymore - except for tequila!) or a premium beer.

Obtaining and maintaining a buzz is adequate most days, while getting drunk just enough to allow me to socialize with / tolerate the wife's extended family is a requirement during the holidays. They're so damned extroverted and all up in your business and ****. In a good way - but it's still annoying.


Still, regarding this 'synthetic alcohol' - which isn't even an alcohol but a kind of Valium prodrug - I have grave misgivings about the state of my favorite naturally brewed/aged beverages. Is it really possible to distill Rum, Whiskey, Vodka, etc and remove the alcohol to replace with this? Will it be the same? I'm skeptical, but willing to try it. I seriously doubt, though, that there will be a 'synthetic alcohol' version of Crown Royal or Bushmill's.

It's more likely that this stuff (if ever completed and approved) will really only gain traction in "session beers" like Natural Light (which I will NOT drink)...though it is possible that some of the higher quality beers will put out a line or two of feelers that feature the drug. I can't really imagine a hard liquor that is composed of 40% of this stuff. How about a synthetic EverClear?


And let's face it: If you cook a lot, you should know that alcohol is very useful for dissolving fond, re-hydrating dried fruits, dissolving alcohol-soluble flavors, etc. Plus the stuff the alcohol is contained in adds flavor or depth to whatever you're adding it to (if you do it right).

There will never be a dish called "Buzzed Chicken" that I will ever eat. ("Buzd's Chicken" might be a different animal though ;) )