I enjoy drinking, both alone and with friends. I basically go by Hitchens rules, don't drink on an empty stomach, don't drink cheap booze, don't drink when you'

I enjoy drinking, both alone and with friends. I basically go by Hitchens rules, don't drink on an empty stomach, don't drink cheap booze, don't drink when you're depressed and if you have a hangover you're drinking too much. I think alcohol is both incredibly enjoyable just as food and drink, Scotch, Wine, beer in many meals I wouldn't want to miss, and it's relaxing and pro-social. I stopped drinking for a few months a few years ago and I didn't really notice any change other than just being more bored and missing having a good glass of whiskey. When I was a teenager every summer on the weekends we'd get a crate of beer with friends and go down to the lake, swim, grill and drink. (thankfully legal in Germany from 16 on), today's young generation seems to have replaced it with sitting at home in isolation. As far as I can tell, everywhere where drinking culture declines it pretty much gets replaced with nothing.