The merits of drinking alone, according to a Negroni-loving advocate
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The merits of drinking solitary, according to a Negroni-loving advocate
Drinking solo lets yous engage with the bartender and cut downwards on binge drinking. Plus, as wine editor Lin Weiwen argues, it may be the safest tippling option in the midst of a pandemic.
(Photo: Pexels/Cottonbro)
15 Aug 2022 06:30AM (Updated: 05 Nov 2022 05:38PM)
In the classic horror picture, The Shining, there is a scene where the protagonist (and antagonist) Jack Torrance – played by the irrepressible Jack Nicholson – enters an empty ballroom in the deserted Overlook Hotel, heading direct towards the vacant bar.
At the bar, the weary Torrance buries his face in his hands. Equally he uncovers his mien, he sees a bartender earlier him. The shelves, previously empty, are at present stocked.
"Howdy, Lloyd. A piffling wearisome this night, ain't it?" said Torrance, before unleashing a maniacal express joy that has since go a Nicholson trademark. The bartender agrees and takes his order. The ensuing dialogue reveals that the two of them know each other – or is Lloyd just playing the polite, all-around bartender?
Either way, information technology doesn't matter. Lloyd, a phantom bartender he may exist, is a charming old school professional, one of those tuxedo-clad barkeeps who answer in sparse and sometimes witty lines. ("Women. Tin't alive with them, tin't live without them" was his response to Torrance'south domestic grievances.)
Every time I visit a bar alone, this scene plays in my mind; this brandish of piece of cake-going camaraderie. It's ane of the reasons why I enjoy going to the bar solo: I look for this Lloyd-Torrance dynamic; a quirky obsession to meld reel life with real life, except I don't demand my bartender to be a ghost.
Over the years, I have paraphrased Torrance'southward opener – "Hi [bartender'southward name], quite peaceful tonight, huh?" – minus the maniacal express mirth. Mostly, this would segue into a prissy conversation for the evening. It is likewise from such interactions that a person of my profession would glean information on trends in our relevant beat, and possibly follow up with a story. Alcohol and journalism. Yous can't separate them, information technology seems. (P.South. I'm not an alcoholic)
On a few occasions, while overseas, I got local tips from the bartender: In Sapporo, a kindly barkeep, upon hearing that I was a ramen fiend, recommended me an first-class ramen shop.
I don't think such interactions with the bartender would come past easily if I were to drink with my friends – after all, information technology is the solo drinkers who often get deposited at the bar counter – because we would exist lost in our revelry.
Now I must say that I'm no misanthrope. I enjoy company as much as the next person, and tippling with my drinking buddies is a session I e'er look forward to. Merely when friends' schedules don't marshal, or when you happen to be near a bar you wanted to check out, or when you just want to take some 'me time', then drinking solo is the perfect solution.
Merely many nevertheless shy away from drinking alone. I know of some friends who wouldn't do it, much like how they wouldn't scout a movie, dine, or travel alone. Information technology'south the image of beingness solitary – the confinement, the blatant lack of company – that frightens them. You know, that nerd in the grade who has no friends, who is totally not cool. I understand such a perception. Humans are social animals, and the need to feel accepted or exist role of a group is strong.
But what if people effectually you don't care whether you are part of a grouping or non? What if the bartender doesn't recollect of y'all as Mr or Ms Lone Centre? What if you were just existence paranoid?
Dave Koh, bartender of Bar Stories, said he has "a lot of respect for solo drinkers". Drinking alone is "an advantage considering we tend to look out for you lot more than". Koh is inspired by chef Thomas Keller of The French Laundry, who gives his solo diners the VIP treatment.
"Solo drinkers know what they want and aren't afraid to become it regardless of having company or a social 'cushion'," said Koh. "A lot of them have go our almost loyal regulars, and nigh become our friends. Only nosotros attempt to read the situation: There are people who are cocktail enthusiasts, and there are those who want to be left alone."
Indeed, wanting to beingness left lonely, whether by the bartender or other guests, can exist a tricky situation to decode. At that place are occasions when I but want to nurse my Negroni quietly and search for life's answers in that cherry-cerise cosmos in my drinking glass. (And thus my preference for repose bars without bass thumps that send vibrations into my drink, like that unforgettable scene from Jurassic Park.)
"Solo drinkers know what they want and aren't afraid to get information technology regardless of having company or a social 'cushion'." – Dave Koh
I'thou aware that drinkers, especially women, may feel uneasy nearly going to a bar lonely considering they worry about getting unwanted attention from strangers. I compassion those who only desire to take a drink in peace and not deal with some creep who thinks he is the next Brad Pitt.
Perhaps more bartenders tin take a cue from their counterparts in Japan. My friend Mika Tomiyama, a freelance business consultant based in Singapore, frequently drinks solo at her regular bars in Tokyo, where the bartender would get-go ask her if it's okay to introduce her to other guests. She thinks bars in Nihon are more of "a sanctuary" instead of a social venue. (Many loftier-end bars in Japan discourage communication between dissever groups or drinkers, emphasising the Japanese custom of 'not bothering others'.)
"Going to bars alone is more normal [in Tokyo], fifty-fifty as a female. I tin bask 'me time' and just relax," said Tomiyama, adding that it is easier to command how much she drinks when she is lonely.
I drinkable less when I'one thousand lone at the bar – sometimes even keeping it to a single drinking glass – which runs against the stereotype that solo drinkers are on a downward path to alcoholism. (If you are already drinking much more when lone, and so yous need to get aid.)
Plus, we are in the middle of a pandemic, and my germaphobic cocky thinks drinking solo is the safest option now. You lot can still enjoy a tipple and contribute a little concern to your favourite bar without breaking prophylactic distancing rules. Tip: Call your bar to detect out if they open earlier for operations and caput there before the crowd arrives.
If you spot me in a corner, do say hi. Just no handshakes for now. And delight safe altitude yourself, or else I'd have to unleash my maniacal express mirth on you lot.
"Going to bars alone is more normal [in Tokyo], even as a female. I can savour 'me fourth dimension' and just relax." – Mika Tomiyama
READ> What will having a drinkable be like when Singapore'due south bars reopen in Phase 2 (or 3)?
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Source: https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/experiences/the-merits-of-drinking-alone-247556
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