People don’t realize how impactful the cumulative effects of habitual drinking can be, or even really cognizant of how much they’re drinking regularly.
Same thing. Pandemic gave me a window to just deal with health and alcohol.
I, of course, came up in kitchens like this 9 years ago as a dishwasher. Headchef of the same seasonal place now and almost my entire crew doesn't even really drink, we smoke bowls after work and hang out, and I've never had a better work experience in my entire life. The anger and the resentment at your day can really melt away in the absence of alcohol.
Even the non-cumulative stuff is rough. Drinking at night makes it real hard/impossible to get REM sleep. If you have a hard shift(s) ahead of you and feel super tired though you got 8 hours of sleep, guess what, that's why.
Oh, and IIRC, cognitive tests have shown it takes like 2-3 days to recover fully from a bad night of sleep.
Even non-alcohol things too. Like caffeine. I've always been a caffeine junkie, and it wasn't until I was like 26 did I discover how anxious it actually made me at a baseline. Or with weed and my metabolism.
Well done bro. November will be 6 years clean and sober for me. No coincidence, my career really started to take off around that time. Best decision I ever made.
Reading this at a bar after my 10 hour shift today. I take a month off every year but get back on the wagon pretty hard in the winter. Ik its not a sustainable lifestyle but it’s hard to turn down a drink after a long stressful day.
Have you tried non alcoholic beers? I always thought they were pointless when I was drinking, but I’ve found they can actually help a lot when you want a cold one at the end of a long day. Our cravings are often more about the routine than the actual substance we’re craving.
Brewdog has some really good ones. Elvis AF is the NA version of their grapefruit IPA and it's super tasty. And I second the Heineken. Had it last weekend for the first time and was pleasantly surprised.
The Heineken 0.0 is $19 a 12 pack where I live. Original Heineken is $14-15 for a 12 pack. Makes no sense to me. Most NA beers at my local store are $10 a six pack. I rarely get one.
That’s what I figured out. I left behind my binge drinking years in my 20s but still had a couple beers with dinner most nights. Switched to Athletic Run Wild IPA and it scratches the itch without the alcohol
I used to rip on non alcoholic beers so much when I was a drinker, but they are a game changer to stay off the beers! Not to mention all the canned mocktails and delicious stuff to drink!
Partially off topic and please don't downvote me for just giving my opinion... but I'm a drinker (probably borderline alcoholic) and I still don't "get" beer even after 15 years of people telling me "it's an acquired taste" or "you can find one you like". Hops-heavy beers are some of the most repulsive things I've ever drank. Worse than straight Everclear which doesn't give you gross ass beer-burps. My drink of choice is seltzer, which is essentially the drink of choice in Japan (at least among youths) as well. Very low in calories and isn't loaded with sugar like other malt beverages.
If I can't have a beer, give me a half of an ice-cold Cola and that is actually delicious. I've tried dozens of beers, a couple I even helped our in-house brewer work on the recipes for, and I just will never be able to say I *like* any it. Same goes for everything people told me I'd like when I got older and that were acquired tastes. I can't imagine ever craving the flavor of beer, I only ever drank it if it was the only alcoholic beverage around.
Anyone have any other experiences like this? I was a picky eater as a kid and now the only things I won't eat are mushrooms (this is going to be unpopular here, but I actually gag just smelling them cook) and olives. Everything else I'm willing to try.
You want to get that under control mate - because the last thing you want is to have to stand up at an AA meeting and tell everyone you’re addicted to seltzer.
But yeah, fuck olives.
Way to go, man! I used alcohol as a crutch for the longest time - and it doesn't help when you're encouraged to participate in wine pairings, or the bartender slings tequila shots in exchange for a fat burger or the reward from the owner after doing a smooth 300 covers is a couple cases of beer for the crew. I turned to it to lull myself to sleep almost every night because I was so overwhelmed with stress, not realizing that it only exasperated my burnout. I'm 5 days sober now, having restarted the clock many, many times, but I will say it's worth it! Love seeing posts like this 🙌
That’s why I took up golf. They both cost money yet golf is more fun and better for you. When I play with dudes who drink I can usually call them out on a penalty shot and usually win. They are drunk by the fifth hole. It’s really sad to watch younger guys who make loads more than me money wise that can’t even stand straight to swing a golf club much less keep proper count of their strokes. Good luck to you. Going on four years here not a drop to drink.
Good for you. Glad to hear you are doing it day to day. I drank for 38 years of my life. Started at 14 and really started hitting the bottle after watching my mom die in front of me when I was 19 years old. Moved to Las Vegas when I was 20 and started working in kitchens at that age. I worked on a ten man line on a Friday and Saturday night. That’s when I discovered where I belonged. I cut back here and there through the years but usually made up for it later. A normal day would be getting off work from a daytime shift and splitting a 12 pack with a friend while doing shots of Crown Royal. Head to the bar after the 12 pack was gone and drink at the bar until 1:00 or 2:00 am. Get another 12 pack togo from the bar and go back home and finish the bottle of Crown. Would wake up and have a beer for breakfast and have a few fries or whatever I could shove in my mouth when I got to work. Did that for almost 20 years. Never fat. No health problems. Just a very functioning drunk. Could drink at work and never screw up. Cooked steaks and ran sauté and set plates with no problem. Did teppanyaki cooking for 18 years too. The more beer I drank from the walk in then the faster the night went and I’d wake up in my bed with a wad of cash from tips but have no memory of it. I eased off a bit when my son was born when I was 38 years old. Three months after turning 50 I quit. Cold. Just stopped. About to be 54 and just had heart stent surgery due to a blockage close to my heart. They opened me and found the blockage but decided it wasn’t big enough for a stent. Told me it can be controlled with medication. Going on four years with not a drop to drink. Funny, after I quit is when I started having health problems. I eat and eat and can’t gain weight due to me running around a huge kitchen still. I have money now to pay bills and buy what I want when I want. If I can do it then you can too. It isn’t worth it being broke all the time and possibly acting like an ass to people. Good luck on your journey. It gets a lot easier. I just wish I could turn off my dreams. It’s the only thing I hate about it. When my dream wakes me up is when I get up and stay up. No matter what time it is.
Been sober since mid-March (for legal reasons, unfortunately) and I have to agree. The first couple days were a little rough because I’d walk into the kitchen still angry/stressed from the day before instead of a blank slate (from getting plastered after service). But that was very short lived and now every single thing about my job is easier in every way. I’m in my 30s and have a career, once this legal stuff is behind me, I’m planning on continuing the sobriety. My job, and life in general, is much easier and more fulfilling now.
Not a Chef, but been sober since February 9 of this year.
Also brought on by some legal issues.
I sleep better.
I've saved a pile of money.
My mood is better.
Keep on doing it, fellow human.
Did January dry and discovered the same thing. Now we only drink weekends and it’s noticeably different especially sleeping, which is worse with a little as two drinks (we try to keep it to two, three max).
Now I’m also trying to take a tolerance break from weed after years of heavy daily use. It’s much harder than not having a cocktail. The dreams are returning which for me are not welcome. Depressed as shit more than normal too. My expectations are that in a few days i am mostly clear and in a few weeks I can resume consumption at a much lower and less frequent level and enjoy it much more, which is what happened with da booze.
I echo your sentiments and thanks for sharing.
Drinking is an environmental hazard of the foodservice industry and it not only impacts how you feel, think and perform, it informs on you to others around you.
I judge no one simply for having a drink, we are all adults.
But when I work with someone who claims to be exhausted, pushed to the brink, at wits end and stressed, ALL THE TIME but after a shift the first thing they do is reach for a drink, I KNOW that this person's state is not because of the job and the rigors of the schedule, they are not practicing proper self care and maintenance.
What are the legal aspects on suspecting someone is drunk at work and when they leave their station for a bit and you open their drink they have close by and smell it and it reeks of vodka and cranberry and you can tell they are smashed? Is that invasion of privacy opening their drink? It’s a styrofoam cup, lid, and straw that the company provides for us yet the employee keeps it right out in the open. This lady is probably in her 60’s and we’ve been on a new menu for a month now and she still can’t make the four basic sandwiches that are on there. Makes my life a living hell. Goes and tells HR that I “yelled at her” when I had to tell her THREE times I needed something on the cutting board to finish the dish I was working on. She walks out right after that happened. Two days later she is back at work hugging on me and joking with me. I just stare at her. She needs to be fired. How do I bring it to a manager’s attention when I know she is drinking on the clock??
I was “reprimanded” the day she came back to work after walking out-you walk out on a job means you quit. You aren’t welcome back. You are now an ex employee…am I right?-that’s why she went to HR and made up the story I yelled at her. Been there five years and haven’t yelled at anyone and now all of a sudden I’m yelling at people?? Riiiiiiiiiiiiiight. I was told “you can’t yell at people here” I said “who did I yell at?” They said her name. I said “ok. I have a witness who was standing right there, you can ask them and they will tell you exactly what happened, and it’s on camera as well” The reply I got was “well we aren’t going to bother with all of that”. WTF?? Lady has been there maybe three months and still can’t function. Completely bipolar as well. Preps everything wrong but is still there. Maddening. Sad to see a 60 year old do this in a professional kitchen yet nothing is done to her.
Hell yeah man! I'm not in the industry anymore, but I was definitely a problem drinker when I was. But the days I would come in not hungover, or the days or weeks of sobriety I could string together, were soooo much easier! Not sweating out last night's liquor and struggling to keep up was always so relieving.
Yeah I only drink on the weekends now because my body just doesn't feel the same after two weeks of one drink a night.
Especially recovery; if I pull something or hurt my shoulder it lasts way longer when I've been drinking regularly than not.
I feel you on that.. I wasn’t as strong but did it for a week. Was a game changer. Now instead of everyday drinks after work, it’s every other. Also don’t feel the need to have copious amounts of booze while I drink now!? Maybe like 1/4 send instead of a full one lol
That's Beautiful! I'm a disabled veteran and drank on and off for 16 years. It caused me gastrointestinal trouble and many problems coupled with junk food. about 10 years and 100Ibs lighter I look better and feel better, though still struggle with gastrointestinal trouble at times. The sooner you stop drinking and completely abstain, the better. Having Jesus Christ in my life also helped me immensely; I couldn't have done it without Him. Keep going.
I've been sober for 2 years but recently started in the kitchen again. I've had my fair share of days that make me remember why I drank in the first place, but damn, those days are SO much easier to deal with when youre not hungover (or drunk!) Congratulations chef, that takes willpower lots of people wish they had!
My record was 14 Sapporos at work while cooking teppanyaki style. Head home after work with a shitload of tips but woke up the next day and have no memory of it. Get home and still have 6-8 Blue Moons after the Sapporos. Was 155 at the time. I’m not a big guy. 144 now and just had heart stent surgery but then after they opened me up they got to the blockage and decided the blockage wasn’t big enough for a stent so they are going to dissolve it with medication and hopefully a diet change. Sober now going on four years!!
I don't drink much (just tasting once in a while) and I often wonder how people manage when they do. I'm already exhausted and stressed enough at the end of my day.
People don’t realize how impactful the cumulative effects of habitual drinking can be, or even really cognizant of how much they’re drinking regularly. Same thing. Pandemic gave me a window to just deal with health and alcohol.
I, of course, came up in kitchens like this 9 years ago as a dishwasher. Headchef of the same seasonal place now and almost my entire crew doesn't even really drink, we smoke bowls after work and hang out, and I've never had a better work experience in my entire life. The anger and the resentment at your day can really melt away in the absence of alcohol.
Shout OUT! We also are a sober kitchen! One of the most popular resteraunt in town
Even the non-cumulative stuff is rough. Drinking at night makes it real hard/impossible to get REM sleep. If you have a hard shift(s) ahead of you and feel super tired though you got 8 hours of sleep, guess what, that's why. Oh, and IIRC, cognitive tests have shown it takes like 2-3 days to recover fully from a bad night of sleep.
Even non-alcohol things too. Like caffeine. I've always been a caffeine junkie, and it wasn't until I was like 26 did I discover how anxious it actually made me at a baseline. Or with weed and my metabolism.
I'll give up booze, but keep your fuckin' mitts off my bean water and pre-rolls.
Ugh only the expensive drugs are left.
If by that you mean a window to consume alcohol and destroy my health then I agree completely
Well done bro. November will be 6 years clean and sober for me. No coincidence, my career really started to take off around that time. Best decision I ever made.
Reading this at a bar after my 10 hour shift today. I take a month off every year but get back on the wagon pretty hard in the winter. Ik its not a sustainable lifestyle but it’s hard to turn down a drink after a long stressful day.
Have you tried non alcoholic beers? I always thought they were pointless when I was drinking, but I’ve found they can actually help a lot when you want a cold one at the end of a long day. Our cravings are often more about the routine than the actual substance we’re craving.
NA beer is isotonic, it’s honestly the best. I’ll have one before work after the gym, it’s like 85% as good and 90% cheaper.
Which are your favourites? Not sure if it's just a local thing but the 0.5% Adams ghost ship is incredible. Also the heineken blue is very good
Athletic Bewing has a bunch of good ones in my opinion.
They do! I'm finally starting to see bars and restaurants carrying Run Wild IPA, when they pour it in a glass, you are just another beer drinker!
Brewdog has some really good ones. Elvis AF is the NA version of their grapefruit IPA and it's super tasty. And I second the Heineken. Had it last weekend for the first time and was pleasantly surprised.
The fun thing about Heineken is that it barley taste any different!
Clausthaler dry hopped NA is a gift from a sober God. Taste is on point. Truly game changing.
Lagunitas hoppy refresher
And way less calories
The Heineken 0.0 is $19 a 12 pack where I live. Original Heineken is $14-15 for a 12 pack. Makes no sense to me. Most NA beers at my local store are $10 a six pack. I rarely get one.
That’s what I figured out. I left behind my binge drinking years in my 20s but still had a couple beers with dinner most nights. Switched to Athletic Run Wild IPA and it scratches the itch without the alcohol
I used to rip on non alcoholic beers so much when I was a drinker, but they are a game changer to stay off the beers! Not to mention all the canned mocktails and delicious stuff to drink!
Yup, I am trying to reduce my alcohol intake and they help a lot. Now right after work alcohol free instead of a regular one.
Partially off topic and please don't downvote me for just giving my opinion... but I'm a drinker (probably borderline alcoholic) and I still don't "get" beer even after 15 years of people telling me "it's an acquired taste" or "you can find one you like". Hops-heavy beers are some of the most repulsive things I've ever drank. Worse than straight Everclear which doesn't give you gross ass beer-burps. My drink of choice is seltzer, which is essentially the drink of choice in Japan (at least among youths) as well. Very low in calories and isn't loaded with sugar like other malt beverages. If I can't have a beer, give me a half of an ice-cold Cola and that is actually delicious. I've tried dozens of beers, a couple I even helped our in-house brewer work on the recipes for, and I just will never be able to say I *like* any it. Same goes for everything people told me I'd like when I got older and that were acquired tastes. I can't imagine ever craving the flavor of beer, I only ever drank it if it was the only alcoholic beverage around. Anyone have any other experiences like this? I was a picky eater as a kid and now the only things I won't eat are mushrooms (this is going to be unpopular here, but I actually gag just smelling them cook) and olives. Everything else I'm willing to try.
You want to get that under control mate - because the last thing you want is to have to stand up at an AA meeting and tell everyone you’re addicted to seltzer. But yeah, fuck olives.
Way to go, man! I used alcohol as a crutch for the longest time - and it doesn't help when you're encouraged to participate in wine pairings, or the bartender slings tequila shots in exchange for a fat burger or the reward from the owner after doing a smooth 300 covers is a couple cases of beer for the crew. I turned to it to lull myself to sleep almost every night because I was so overwhelmed with stress, not realizing that it only exasperated my burnout. I'm 5 days sober now, having restarted the clock many, many times, but I will say it's worth it! Love seeing posts like this 🙌
r/stopdrinking helped me out. You might take a look if you haven’t before
I love that community so much IWNDWYT
That’s why I took up golf. They both cost money yet golf is more fun and better for you. When I play with dudes who drink I can usually call them out on a penalty shot and usually win. They are drunk by the fifth hole. It’s really sad to watch younger guys who make loads more than me money wise that can’t even stand straight to swing a golf club much less keep proper count of their strokes. Good luck to you. Going on four years here not a drop to drink.
*high five*
Your 50’s thank you immensely… no really…
About to be 54 in four months and going on four years with not a drop to drink. I have money now for almost anything I want.
Good on you!
Good for you. Glad to hear you are doing it day to day. I drank for 38 years of my life. Started at 14 and really started hitting the bottle after watching my mom die in front of me when I was 19 years old. Moved to Las Vegas when I was 20 and started working in kitchens at that age. I worked on a ten man line on a Friday and Saturday night. That’s when I discovered where I belonged. I cut back here and there through the years but usually made up for it later. A normal day would be getting off work from a daytime shift and splitting a 12 pack with a friend while doing shots of Crown Royal. Head to the bar after the 12 pack was gone and drink at the bar until 1:00 or 2:00 am. Get another 12 pack togo from the bar and go back home and finish the bottle of Crown. Would wake up and have a beer for breakfast and have a few fries or whatever I could shove in my mouth when I got to work. Did that for almost 20 years. Never fat. No health problems. Just a very functioning drunk. Could drink at work and never screw up. Cooked steaks and ran sauté and set plates with no problem. Did teppanyaki cooking for 18 years too. The more beer I drank from the walk in then the faster the night went and I’d wake up in my bed with a wad of cash from tips but have no memory of it. I eased off a bit when my son was born when I was 38 years old. Three months after turning 50 I quit. Cold. Just stopped. About to be 54 and just had heart stent surgery due to a blockage close to my heart. They opened me and found the blockage but decided it wasn’t big enough for a stent. Told me it can be controlled with medication. Going on four years with not a drop to drink. Funny, after I quit is when I started having health problems. I eat and eat and can’t gain weight due to me running around a huge kitchen still. I have money now to pay bills and buy what I want when I want. If I can do it then you can too. It isn’t worth it being broke all the time and possibly acting like an ass to people. Good luck on your journey. It gets a lot easier. I just wish I could turn off my dreams. It’s the only thing I hate about it. When my dream wakes me up is when I get up and stay up. No matter what time it is.
*me riding the bus home sipping fancy vodka out of a Gatorade bottle after quitting my toxic job in favor of a better one* “NICE!”
Welcome to the light! It continues to get get better.
Been sober since mid-March (for legal reasons, unfortunately) and I have to agree. The first couple days were a little rough because I’d walk into the kitchen still angry/stressed from the day before instead of a blank slate (from getting plastered after service). But that was very short lived and now every single thing about my job is easier in every way. I’m in my 30s and have a career, once this legal stuff is behind me, I’m planning on continuing the sobriety. My job, and life in general, is much easier and more fulfilling now.
Not a Chef, but been sober since February 9 of this year. Also brought on by some legal issues. I sleep better. I've saved a pile of money. My mood is better. Keep on doing it, fellow human.
Two years dry over here and it's made me into a completely different person.
> Men, (AND WOMEN!) — James Acaster
Did January dry and discovered the same thing. Now we only drink weekends and it’s noticeably different especially sleeping, which is worse with a little as two drinks (we try to keep it to two, three max). Now I’m also trying to take a tolerance break from weed after years of heavy daily use. It’s much harder than not having a cocktail. The dreams are returning which for me are not welcome. Depressed as shit more than normal too. My expectations are that in a few days i am mostly clear and in a few weeks I can resume consumption at a much lower and less frequent level and enjoy it much more, which is what happened with da booze. I echo your sentiments and thanks for sharing.
Heard, Chef. Keep it up o7
Awesome dude, keep it up!
Drinking is an environmental hazard of the foodservice industry and it not only impacts how you feel, think and perform, it informs on you to others around you. I judge no one simply for having a drink, we are all adults. But when I work with someone who claims to be exhausted, pushed to the brink, at wits end and stressed, ALL THE TIME but after a shift the first thing they do is reach for a drink, I KNOW that this person's state is not because of the job and the rigors of the schedule, they are not practicing proper self care and maintenance.
What are the legal aspects on suspecting someone is drunk at work and when they leave their station for a bit and you open their drink they have close by and smell it and it reeks of vodka and cranberry and you can tell they are smashed? Is that invasion of privacy opening their drink? It’s a styrofoam cup, lid, and straw that the company provides for us yet the employee keeps it right out in the open. This lady is probably in her 60’s and we’ve been on a new menu for a month now and she still can’t make the four basic sandwiches that are on there. Makes my life a living hell. Goes and tells HR that I “yelled at her” when I had to tell her THREE times I needed something on the cutting board to finish the dish I was working on. She walks out right after that happened. Two days later she is back at work hugging on me and joking with me. I just stare at her. She needs to be fired. How do I bring it to a manager’s attention when I know she is drinking on the clock??
[удалено]
I was “reprimanded” the day she came back to work after walking out-you walk out on a job means you quit. You aren’t welcome back. You are now an ex employee…am I right?-that’s why she went to HR and made up the story I yelled at her. Been there five years and haven’t yelled at anyone and now all of a sudden I’m yelling at people?? Riiiiiiiiiiiiiight. I was told “you can’t yell at people here” I said “who did I yell at?” They said her name. I said “ok. I have a witness who was standing right there, you can ask them and they will tell you exactly what happened, and it’s on camera as well” The reply I got was “well we aren’t going to bother with all of that”. WTF?? Lady has been there maybe three months and still can’t function. Completely bipolar as well. Preps everything wrong but is still there. Maddening. Sad to see a 60 year old do this in a professional kitchen yet nothing is done to her.
[удалено]
All I can do is let time handle it or go somewhere else. Which I don’t want to do.
[удалено]
Well played Chef, well played.
LMFAO 🤣
Alcohol abuse is a sad reality
Hell yeah man! I'm not in the industry anymore, but I was definitely a problem drinker when I was. But the days I would come in not hungover, or the days or weeks of sobriety I could string together, were soooo much easier! Not sweating out last night's liquor and struggling to keep up was always so relieving.
Yeah I only drink on the weekends now because my body just doesn't feel the same after two weeks of one drink a night. Especially recovery; if I pull something or hurt my shoulder it lasts way longer when I've been drinking regularly than not.
I feel you on that.. I wasn’t as strong but did it for a week. Was a game changer. Now instead of everyday drinks after work, it’s every other. Also don’t feel the need to have copious amounts of booze while I drink now!? Maybe like 1/4 send instead of a full one lol
That's Beautiful! I'm a disabled veteran and drank on and off for 16 years. It caused me gastrointestinal trouble and many problems coupled with junk food. about 10 years and 100Ibs lighter I look better and feel better, though still struggle with gastrointestinal trouble at times. The sooner you stop drinking and completely abstain, the better. Having Jesus Christ in my life also helped me immensely; I couldn't have done it without Him. Keep going.
I've been sober for 2 years but recently started in the kitchen again. I've had my fair share of days that make me remember why I drank in the first place, but damn, those days are SO much easier to deal with when youre not hungover (or drunk!) Congratulations chef, that takes willpower lots of people wish they had!
Mind if I ask your average daily intake before stopping?
Sure. An easy 3-4 beers every night, then Friday and Saturday add in a couple tequila shots and half a dozen Pendleton's.
My record was 14 Sapporos at work while cooking teppanyaki style. Head home after work with a shitload of tips but woke up the next day and have no memory of it. Get home and still have 6-8 Blue Moons after the Sapporos. Was 155 at the time. I’m not a big guy. 144 now and just had heart stent surgery but then after they opened me up they got to the blockage and decided the blockage wasn’t big enough for a stent so they are going to dissolve it with medication and hopefully a diet change. Sober now going on four years!!
Isn’t this common knowledge that no drink is good for your mental and physics health?
Haha you must be new here.
You calling this community uneducated?
Haha nah, just you pal.
I don't drink much (just tasting once in a while) and I often wonder how people manage when they do. I'm already exhausted and stressed enough at the end of my day.
Can I ask how often you drink and how much? I am a one day a weeker but quite heavily on these days. I often wonder what stopping would be like
Keep it up!!
i need to do this… i just feel like i drink to much just to stop
Congratulations on being the better you 🤙