How and Why You Should Drink Alcohol

Cultural Context & a Response to Sam Kahn

Nolan Yuma

Feb 07, 2025

The following article was inspired by

Sam Kahn

’s article The Case Against Drinking published in

Persuasion

. I loved it, but I’m here to argue the opposite.

Lately, I’ve been skeptical of the modern demonization of alcohol, especially when it comes wrapped in the hyper-individualistic, productivity-obsessed rhetoric of the 21st century. The push to eliminate alcohol from our lives often feels like another way to squeeze the last drops of our humanity into a work-optimized machine. “Don’t drink, don’t waste time socializing, and don’t engage in anything that doesn’t serve your career.” But humans have been drinking for millennia, across cultures and continents, and not just for pleasure, self-loathing, break-ups, sex, and so on. Alcohol has long been embedded in our social fabric, serving as a bonding tool, a ritualistic element, and what’s most interesting to us writers, a creative catalyst. And the evidence—both personal (too personal) and academic—suggests that maybe alcohol has benefits worth considering.

Alcohol and the Cultural Rituals That Bind Us

One of the most fascinating aspects of alcohol is its role in cultural rituals (those things we used to do away from our screans). Across civilizations, fermented drinks have played a central role in bringing people together. From the sacred consumption of chicha in Andean cultures to the elaborate sake rituals in Japan, alcohol has been more than just a drink—it has been a means of connection.

Religious psychology research on CREDs (credibility-enhancing displays) backs up this idea. CREDs are behaviours that reinforce the credibility of cultural and religious beliefs, and they’re most effective when people physically partake in the same rituals, especially in religious settings. The gnarlier the CRED, the more likely people are to stick around and believe.

Alcohol consumption in communal settings functions as a CRED (not only gnarly in some bars)—it strengthens group identity and bonds, reinforcing the values and practices of a culture. It’s why indigenous cultures that predate Western influence had their own fermented brews. It’s why Asian businesspeople drink together after work as a way to establish trust. It’s why in Spain, an almuerzo (brunch/breakfast) deal often includes a caña (small beer), and people sip their drinks on patios between endless chatter. These rituals create a strong social fabric, and I’d argue that the benefits of that fabric far outweigh the drawbacks of alcohol.

I can already hear some of you yelling at me. Here you go:

Spain: A Country That Drinks—and Thrives

If alcohol were truly as destructive as modern discourse suggests, countries like Spain wouldn’t be among the healthiest in the world. But it is. Spain consistently ranks high in global health indexes (it took the top spot in 2024), despite the fact that alcohol is deeply integrated into daily life. The key difference? The way it’s consumed. In Spain, alcohol is rarely about excess, but about social connection. Alright, sometimes it’s about excess, especially during a Saint holiday, but anyway.

Here in El Grao, where I live, there’s a morning ritual that most men over 50 (and me) take part in: Friday mornings start with a beer or tinto de verano (wine with bubbly sugar water), a Valencian almuerzo, and a carajillo. After that, I hike, bike, or surf. This is what I consider my “off-day” from sports because I’m not following an actual workout routine. And that’s the thing—this ritual isn’t about getting drunk; it’s about engaging with my community, moving my body, and embracing a lifestyle that prioritizes balance over extremes.

Contrast that with the American “all or nothing” approach to alcohol: binge drinking on the weekends, then extreme guilt and abstinence during the week (if you include prescribed pills). It’s a reflection of the broader work-hard, play-hard mentality, where people don’t just have a drink—they either go all in or cut it out entirely. And that’s exactly what leads to unhealthy relationships with alcohol.

Cutting Off the Prefrontal Cortex: A Feature, Not a Bug

Another under-discussed benefit of alcohol is its ability to momentarily shut down the prefrontal cortex. This is the part of the brain responsible for rational thinking, long-term planning, and inhibition. Bear with me. While this might sound like a bad thing, consider when the prefrontal cortex is too dominant. It leads to overthinking, social anxiety, and an inability to be fully present.

Many of the world’s greatest artists, writers, and thinkers were drinkers—not because they lacked discipline, but because alcohol allowed them to enter a different state of mind. Spain’s literary and artistic history is filled with figures who found inspiration in the country’s vibrant bar culture. Bars in Spain aren’t just places to get drunk; they’re places of intellectual exchange, where poets, philosophers, and artists have historically gathered to share ideas. Well, this is not so common anymore, but does gen Z even drink anymore? They should keep this into account: When you strip away the puritanical framing of alcohol as an evil substance, you start to see that moderate, social drinking can actually be a creative and intellectual stimulant.

The Ultra-Individualistic Push Against Alcohol

The modern anti-alcohol movement seems to be another extension of the hyper-productive, Silicon Valley-style obsession with optimization. “Why waste time drinking when you could be maximizing your efficiency, bro?” It’s the same mindset that pushes ice baths, fasting, and biohacking—things I’m not inherently against (I take ice baths and embody most Andrew Huberman-like advice). But much of the advice comes from an American, ultra-competitive culture, where even socializing is seen as a waste of time unless it directly benefits your career.

I get it. I’ve taken breaks from alcohol because I know alcoholism runs in my Belgian blood. I’ve never let alcohol interfere with my work or health, and I’ve always paid attention to my body—my memory, my digestive system, my abs. I think I might have the alcoholic gene based on two things: after three drinks, I don’t get tired—I get wired. I can bike, hike mountains, and somehow wake up in a different city after blacking out. Luckily, this has only happened a few times (mostly in North America), and I’ve never been on a binge. But even with the fact I’m living on borrowed time in mind, I still don’t buy into the idea that alcohol needs to be eradicated from my life.

The Case for Moderation and Context

I’m not here to argue that alcohol is without risk. Of course, excessive drinking is harmful. Of course, alcoholism destroys lives. But the modern narrative around alcohol often ignores cultural context. In places where social structures are strong, where drinking is integrated into daily life rather than compartmentalized into weekend binges, the harms of alcohol are drastically reduced.

The healthiest approach, then, is not elimination—it’s integration. It’s understanding how alcohol fits into a culture’s rhythm, how it strengthens social bonds, and how it can be enjoyed without excess. The productivity-industrial complex might tell you that alcohol is a distraction, that time spent drinking is time wasted. But if drinking means engaging with your community, enjoying life’s small rituals, and living in the moment, then I’d argue it’s anything but a waste.

So the next time someone tells you to cut out alcohol in the name of progress, ask yourself: progress for what? Because life isn’t about being perfect—it’s about being human. And sometimes, being human means sipping a drink on a patio, laughing with friends, embracing your shadow, blacking out, waking up in a stranger’s hot tub in Whistler, regretting everything, writing about it, contradicting yourself, and embracing the fact you’re going to die anyway, whether that’s with a beer in your hand or not.

Henrich, J. (2009). The Evolution of CREDs and Their Role in Cultural Evolution. Journal of Cognition and Culture. Link
Heath, D. B. (2000). Drinking Occasions: Comparative Perspectives on Alcohol and Culture. Routledge. Link
Dunbar, R. I. M. (2016). Friends: Understanding the Power of Our Most Important Relationships. Little, Brown. Link

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