Since I don’t get to visit Europe often these days, I try to get my fix in Toronto and Montreal, in the neighbourhoods.
I didn’t try a Frappe iced coffee until 2003, in Toronto. Frappe wasn’t something that my relatives in Greece served us on my previous visits. It was a group of Greek Canadians in Toronto who introduced me to really long coffee meet-ups, as well as frappes and fredos.
My family is always on the go when we visit relatives anywhere, in Canada , the States, Germany, Greece, and beyond, so a 2 or 3 hour coffee visit was new to me, 20 years ago.
It’s sort of funny, because my German relatives are into a 2 h coffee and cake at 4 pm, the cowboy cousins will do a long chat with coffee and a slice of pie, my Greek and Italian friends will do long coffees. Relatives married to Brits will enjoy a leisurely cup of tea.
Some of my 3rd or 4th generation Canadian friends have this inner clock, and they can’t do coffee or sit still for more than 45 minutes. I have to remind myself who I’m doing coffee with, and pay close attention to cues that it’s time to go.
That might be technically also the case in Germany, France, Austria and Italy (European countries we have been very recently) but practically that is not the case
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Harters
(John Hartley - a culinary patriot, cooking and eating in northwest England)
23
You are more widely travelled on my continent than I am, so I bow to your more extensive knowledge.
Funny, in some circles, having a kid has the opposite effect. You are obviously more sensible than those people.
In all seriousness, though, parenthood is great. Wouldn’t change it for the world.
4 Likes
BarneyGrubble
(Fan of Beethoven and Latina singers)
28
Alcohol is a strange beast. I used to always enjoy a glass or so of wine with my meals. Then, about 18 years ago I was put on a “black box” (dangerous) drug that is harmful to the liver, and told that I was only allowed a glass a week. I thought that would be a problem, but it hasn’t been. A liver specialist subsequently told me that in England they say 4 glasses. I stick with one to two.
Yes! He is nearing 19 months and it is true what they say, parenthood is great indeed.
I just want to be completely ‘aware’ and in the moment when we have 1 on 1 time, he deserves that from me. There was one occasion when I came home very late, around 3AM, out drinking, and wasn’t at my best in the morning when we were spending time at a play room. I just felt so guilty!
But at xmas, with a large group of family around, I had like three glasses of wine - but then he is being entertained by so many people, I don’t mind so much.
Yeah, the thing is though that I can handle alcohol really well these days. I wouldn’t say better than ever, but pretty close. Even that morning, I was just pretty tired, not hung over or anything. No headaches.
I’ve learned what works well for me. For example, relatively clean spirits like vodka and gin, and lots of water. I can have numerous Belvedere on the rocks with a splash of soda water, and be fresh as a daisy the next day!
Harters
(John Hartley - a culinary patriot, cooking and eating in northwest England)
34
When the ban was introduced in the UK, the vast majority of hospitality venues applied the new law. A handful didnt but there were always customers who would inform on them to the local council. That would invariably result in threats of draconian action which usually ensured future compliance.
FWIW, the ban has made a very significant contribution to the decline in the number of pubs. In the ten years following the ban (2007 - 2017), there was more than a 20% decline in pub numbers in England (presumably a similar decline in the other three nations of the UK). I understand it’s disproportionally affected small pubs, mainly in urban areas, which don’t have beer gardens or are not large enough to partially convert to food service. That happened where I live. We used to have three pubs in the “village”. Two have outdoor space and are still in business. The third, smaller and with no outdoor space, closed in 2009.
I’ve found that I really enjoy NA beers. I know they have -.5% alcohol (still alcohol) , but I’ve realized all these years, I just love the taste of beer. Plus, I get the little hop buzz. Pabst NA is my go-to now.
I find I’m just as crazy in the bar, and can drive my crew o’ drunks home safely.
I quit making beer when my kids were wee, and the price for raw ingredients has gone way up. PBR NA for me.
To be fair - I haven’t read the article because I don’t want to register for an account. If you are a non-drinker, this is not a surprise to anyone on how many cultures - but the US culture in particular - are ingrained with this idea that drinkers are fun, spontaneous and cool and if you don’t drink alcohol, you’re the outcast and must be socially abnormal and deviant in some way.
It’s gotten slightly better with a few restaurants trying to offer mocktails or something more interesting than water or a soda to non-drinkers. I hated hanging out with my coworkers and friends who loved bars because the bars had absolutely nothing to offer. Any time I protested that there was nothing to drink, the invariable answer was just get a ginger ale for years almost two decades. They probably still do that. Well, I’m sick of choking down ginger ales.
I paid $10 for a honey lemon drink the other night - the one mocktail they had. I appreciated they had one. Restaurants can absolutely make money with non-alcoholic drinks, but it’s not cool enough for most bartenders or mixologists to put much effort into this. I agree that having friends who are also non-drinkers are key to having a good, engaging social circle. If folks want to hang out every weekend at bars, then all the power to them. We just need more options and that shouldn’t be the default of every social circle.
It should be a gift article, but I don’t know how long those are valid
I don’t know where you are, but in our tiny town in the boonies, which is absolutely dominated by drinking culture (students make up most of our population during the school year), many bars now offer creative, delicious NA concoctions and mocktails.
Since I’ve cut down on hard liquor and other booze significantly, I welcome those choices.
And the ladies night I organize pretty much on a weekly basis now alternates between bar meets and movie nights at mi casa: booze optional
Hmm…yeah, the article was prompting me to register for a free account. In any case, judging by folks responses and my own experience, I was able to deduce what they would say. I live in a big metro area, so while there are options, they’re not really designed to be a ‘night out’ type of place. I live in a big college town so that makes it worse, because a night out really does feel like an extended frat or sorority party. It’s pretty amazing how much that scene though is a through line in certain industries. The casual/“hip” companies want to attract candidates with beer kegs and booze in the office, and I’ve voiced my concerns around how all our office social events are centered around alcohol.
Even the local coffee shops aren’t designed to have big tables and have people hanging out. I’ve been doing a lot of prix fixe menus and special dinner series, and they’ll always mention the wine pairings you can have and are silent if you don’t drink (to be fair, a few places have surprised me with mocktails when I add the note that I don’t drink alcohol).
