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Comment by mgkimsal | Hacker News Reader

Similar views here. For me it's beer - I've just never, ever liked the taste of beer. I think I've have 3 beers in my entire life, generally as the result of awkwardly forced social situations where it was easier to have a few sips than to make a bigger issue out of it than I wanted to.

Wine? A glass now or then with a particular meal, it's OK. Spirits? Some vodka with OJ can give me a small buzz which, in some ways, can be relaxing for a while. These are the '1-2x a year' sorts of drinks, but never really for the taste of it.

But... beer. Of any sort. I've just never understood the fascination with it. It all tastes gross. It's probably saved me a small fortune compared to some of my friends over the years, and I'm sure I'm (a bit) healthier because of it, although I still eat junk food, so it's not all unicorns and rainbows on that score :)

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I think I've have 3 beers in my entire life.... I've just never understood the fascination with it. It all tastes gross

That's a rather strong conclusion to draw from having tasted at most three different beers (and I wonder if they were all that different... situations where people typically feel pressured to drink aren't known for the high quality of the beer on hand).

I couldn't get used to the taste of beer for something like two years since I started drinking alcohol. At first I hated it, now I just tolerate it. I still don't really like it, but I don't have problem with drinking it in social situations anymore.

[quote]I still don't really like it, but I don't have problem with drinking it in social situations anymore.[/quote] I think the author wanted to express precisely that point you implies: in social situation people who doesn't want to drink is used to fell forced from others' thought (or from circumstances) to drink.

None will say that aloud, because everybody knows that it is some sort of social rule, like wearing robes (you should truly put those pants up, Mike), and it's embarrassing for both sides pointing out the anti-social move. Thinking that those who won't drink would be boring or spoil the party(<--classic excuses) to the good guys, who simply follow society rule like "ought to drink in meeting", is a really spread notion, in which even I found myself. p.s. a less idiot excuse imho is that, when you drink with others, there is a mutual and tacit agreement to "relax" social boundaries, to be more natural, to not feel constantly judged ("Come on! I was drunk! I really didn't meant that"<<classic). But when there is one who won't agree putting on this kind of "shelter" or "mask" (not to spoil social relaxation but because he can't sustain the shelter itself), everyone feels embarrassed because you are not sure that this kind of social outcast is going to respect or not the tacit agreement without the ritual drinks. I hope I've been comprehensible.

I figured this would come up.

I've exaggerated a bit - I've had sips of more than 3 beers in my life. I've had tastes of lagers in the UK, a couple German beers, and a few others over time - a swig here and there, etc. 3 was basically full (or near full). There's just nothing appealing at all with any of the types (closest I could probably do would be a cider, which isn't really a beer though, right?).

This feels like a no true scotsman issue. "Well, if you'd had good beer, you'd feel differently!". :) I've had tastes of beer where people said "this is the best stuff here". It's still ... ugh. Can't deal with the taste.

If my life depended on it, I probably could do it, but thankfully I've never been in that situation :)

If that's your experience, I'm fine listing you as "doesn't like beer."

It probably isn't the alcohol, then. If it's the beer you find unreasonably offensive, it may be that you are a supertaster. I am one, and I've had the same experience you describe: enjoying wine and spirits, but unable to form any sort of friendship with beer.

I actually react most strongly to spinach -- once as a child, I gagged on a perfectly good spinach leaf and threw up in my napkin right in the middle of a restaurant on best behavior! But I also definitely have the sense that what I taste when I sample coffee and beer cannot possibly be what other people are tasting.

Wow. Never heard that term. I was always just a "picky eater" as a kid.

Spinach and some other veggies - I'm fine with almost everything raw. Can't stand it cooked. Yet people complain about that. WTF? I'm asking you to NOT do any food prep - no energy to cook/heat it up - there's no wasted effort, and it's good for you. I'd still get push back from family over the years as a "picky eater".

My brother got us a juicer, and I'm juicing up loads of carrots, spinach, celery, beans, greens (collard/turnip), etc. Yeah, that definitely doesn't taste awesome, but in some ways, because of the mix, it doesn't taste strongly of anyone type of food - they sort of cancel each other out a bit. It's not a great taste, but doable, and it's healthy.

Coffee - that took a while to be an acquired taste. Why do this but not beer? A) cheaper. B) caffeine kick is more useful to my daily life. I'm not a coffee addict - 2-3 per week is a lot - but generally cheaper to add on to a breakfast meal than a beer is with a dinner. I prefer flavored coffees/mochas/etc, but coffee with enough cream/sugar is workable.

Man, I wish I could take you to some beer bars so we could see if you really hate beer, or if you've just had bad ones. A friend of mine was positive that she hated beer; then I introduced her to gueuze and now it's gotten to the point that she's planning a trip to Belgium to drink more of it. By chance did all three of the ones you've tasted have Bud, Miller, or Coors anywhere in the name?

Nope. As i wrote above, I've actually had more than 3 when counting small samples/swigs over the years ("here, try some of this"). Had UK lagers and ales, ciders (closest to something I could actually have more of), a couple types of german beers, a couple of 'micro brew' things from breweries local to wherever I was living at the time, etc.

Just... ugh. Can't do it. And honestly, if it was a case of "just try XYZ a few more times"... I'm not sure if I want to get accustomed to something that's $6/ bottle, which would end up adding $12-$20 per meal I go out for. I'd rather be able to leave a large tip if I've enjoyed the meal than pay for expensive bottles of 'the good stuff'.

I most social situations, I'm driving anyway, so it's always easier to bow out and grab a ginger ale or something, if I'm heading to the car in an hour.

When I'm not driving someplace (hotel for a conference, etc), it's tastier to get a fuzzy navel or some other fruity drink with some alcohol in it :)

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