You’re out with friends, a loved one, maybe even flying solo, and when the drink you’ve ordered or been given gratis at a party is handed to you and you take a sip, you just aren’t that into it. You try the drink again, and still the same reaction. Despite the fact that this concoction is made of booze, it’s not something you want to drink. You think to yourself, “It’s not worth the calories,” and instead of drinking it anyway, you place the drink on the table and walk away. Congratulations. This is one of the clearest signs that you’ve come of age as a drinker.
There was probably a time in your life when every drink felt like your last. Even if it was a bad beer or a cocktail that was made too sweet, who knew when you’d get another one? So there was no way on earth you weren’t consuming it. There’s a time in our lives as drinkers when alcohol feels like a precious commodity, something not to be wasted, even if we don’t fully enjoy the drink. We all know that person who used to scream as beer or wine was poured down the sink at the end of the night.
But as we mature as drinkers, one of the key indicators that we’ve come of age is our ability to put a drink down and walk away. Sure, nobody likes wasting things, but in the grand scheme of things you realize you’re better off drinking something you actually enjoy than drinking something just for the sake of drinking.
However, with this new ability to walk away also comes a new responsibility — to not look like a snob while doing it. This can be a tricky thing; putting down a drink you don’t enjoy doesn’t mean someone else doesn’t like it. So don’t make a public display of the fact that you’re passing on the libation and, heaven forbid, don’t say the drink isn’t worth the calories out loud. That’s what private thoughts are for. Instead, find a place to casually put the drink down and then grab something else.
While the above scenario works if you’re at a party, if you’re at a restaurant or bar, held captive by the fact that you’re sitting at a table and being waited on by a server, walking away isn’t the best advice. Even if you don’t love the drink, ditching the bill is never a good idea. Instead, simply let the server know that what you’re drinking isn’t what you thought it would be. You don’t have to say you hate it but you can be honest that you don’t enjoy it. Most places will replace the drink — and you will not have wasted any calories.
