Coffee and Beer

Lately, I've started to appreciate the beneficial effects of drinking two well-known beverages: coffee and beer. I didn't realize just how stimulating they were until a few weeks ago.

I used to have coffee only when out with friends at starbucks. I'd order a tall 'coffee of the day'because it was the cheapest one you can order. Always plain black, no cream or sugar, to get the full effect of the caffeine. Once I tried getting the Javanilla shake and though it tasted good, I quickly regretted having it, as I didn't get the same buzz and hyperactivity I had with regular coffee. I found that getting the full black coffee effect makes me a better listener and table companion.

For some reason, coffee tastes best when drank from a medium-sized paper cup, and it goes well when it is drunk while waiting for something, such as in an a hospital, or auto-repair shop. It also goes surprisingly well with a burger and fries at McDonald's or Wendy's (try it instead of having a softdrink). Life is good when you can relax at home with a cup of coffee while watching TV or reading a book.

Many years ago while working in Ortigas, I was one of the most stressed out people at work. My former boss gave me a hard time and there were a couple of other unpleasant people to deal with in the office. During that time, I would relax with a beer or two when I got home. I don't know what it is about the properties of beer, but it helped me get through that tense period. Oddly enough, my job drove me to drinking, but in a comedic way.

There were also times in the past when I would feel sick, either with a cold or sore throat or some sort of ailment where you knew you would feel a lot worse physically the following day. On some of those days, my officemates would want to go out after work, and I'd beg off, saying I wasn't feeling well. To which they would promptly reply that several beers would wipe out the illness, and that if I wanted to get well it was in my best interest to hang out with them. And the amazing thing is that it actually worked - by some miracle, I would instantly feel better after a couple of beers. And more often than not, my sickness would be eradicated and I would be healthy and active at work the following day.


I used to think that it was actually the company of friends boosting my spirits, rather than the liquor, that helped me get well. But now I'm thinking that the beer itself must have something to do with it. Because lately, on some nights I wouldn't be feeling that great, then have a drink, and it would just reinvigorate me. Now I know that alcohol is supposed to be a depressant, but for some reason it has the opposite effect on me. After drinking, I actually feel like going running, or doing a lot of push ups and sit ups. Drinking beer while exercising is something entirely new to me.

This new awareness of these two wonder drinks makes me understand why people get addicted to caffeine or become alcoholics. The tendency is to abuse these two stimulants to the effect that you get desensitized to their benefits, leading you to consume more and more of it to get that extra buzz. For this reason, it is important to limit your consumption of coffee and beer to get the full effect when you do drink them. So you won't be seeing me having them every day. Maybe only every other day. Or only during Friday nights and the weekend. Drink up!