On Alcohol and Milk
I’m European. And partly because of that I am blessed with the ability to consume the milk produced by cows. Even more so, I grew up in the country that consumes the fourth most milk of any country in the world. Drinking milk has therefore been a natural part of my life for as long as I can remember. But even here the drinking it raw (not putting in in coffee, tea, or the like) becomes more and more rare.
I personally think that one really aught to give themselves fully to something, as long as there is a rational reason for it to begin with and not a quick instinctual act. That is the only way to achieve a sort of Hegelian sense of self-actualization.
I quite like milk however, and something I don’t like to the same extent is alcohol, to the point of even branding myself as a teetotaller. The question of “Why” is a vague one, however I think Protesilaos Stavrou explained one part of it very well in “On alcohol and sex”, however my feelings are broader than merely having to do with sex. I want to experience the world as it is, through a raw emotional and intellectual state that is unhampered by substances.
One might for this reason assume that the concept of a bar or pub is uninteresting. But one would be wrong. The bar has become the modern-day Viennese coffee house, qua a central meeting place to discuss ideas and learn new things. A supply of newspapers is no longer required as everyone present already possesses limitless reading material through their phones, the elaborate cakes now replaced by fish & chips.
But there is one element that is detrimental to intellectual debate; alcohol. Milk is a fine substitute, but really almost anything will do. The primary benefit of milk rather than something more mainstream is exactly its unorthodox nature. Drinking milk is a fun activity simply because ordering milk itself is an experience. Because it is often-times not an item on the menu, only available as an ingredients for drinks, you usually have to haggle yourself to a price. It is not uncommon for a kind bartender to mistake you as wishing for something that will help with tomorrow’s hangover and give you a glass or two free of charge, but there also ones who will insist on charging the price of a beer, since it’s usually served in a beer glass. In total, it is a fun and quirky thing I’d recommend more people to do that gives some randomness to your day, and is a better conversation-starter than a Rolex.
