Synthehol

[CoveTom]

Okay, help me out with something...

In "Relics," Data tells Scotty that synthehol "simul the appearance, taste and smell of alcohol, but the intoxicating affects can be easily dismissed."

So does synthehol not get you drunk in the first place? Or is it just that if you need to sober up -- such as a sudden red alert -- you can do so in an instant?

(Frankly, I thought the idea that in the TOS days an officer like Scotty could sit in their quarters and get hammered, even on their off hours, was a bit absurd. I mean, there can be an attack or a malfunction at any moment. What happens if the warp engines start to overload and the chief engineer is in a drunken stupor?)

 

[Orcus]

Knowing Scotty, he probably does his best work when he's five parts pissed...

 

[Klaitu]

I don't really know a legitimate answer, other than I just assumed that synthehol was some sort of alcohol derivitive that can't get you fully drunk.

I'm not someone who drinks, but I don't know a single person who drinks alcoholic beverages for the taste. They drink to get sloshed. I am not at all certain that drinks that taste like alcohol, but don't get you drunk would be at all popular.

After all, beer tastes, smells, and looks like goat urine. If it couldn't get you drunk, why would you ever drink it?

 

[Orcus]

I don't really know a legitimate answer, other than I just assumed that synthehol was some sort of alcohol derivitive that can't get you fully drunk.

I'm not someone who drinks, but I don't know a single person who drinks alcoholic beverages for the taste. They drink to get sloshed. I am not at all certain that drinks that taste like alcohol, but don't get you drunk would be at all popular.

After all, beer tastes, smells, and looks like goat urine. If it couldn't get you drunk, why would you ever drink it?

Really? They obviously don't brew decent beer where you're from...
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.
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...or, as you don't drink, maybe someone slipped you a goats' urine in the hope you wouldn't know the difference. How do you know what goat's urine tastes like, anyway...?

 

[Ward Fowler]

I'm not someone who drinks, but I don't know a single person who drinks alcoholic beverages for the taste. They drink to get sloshed.

That may be the case with the people you know, but there are plenty of us out there who do enjoy the taste and don't drink solely to get drunk. That's why there are people that buy and collect expensive bottles of wine or, like me, look for different microbrewed beers that they've never tried and buy different brands of expensive scotch, bourbon, and whiskey. Don't get me wrong, I know there are people out there who just pound miller lites to get wasted but I know a lot of people like me who are a bit more discriminating.

After all, beer tastes, smells, and looks like goat urine. If it couldn't get you drunk, why would you ever drink it?

There are a hell of lot more kinds of beer than the Pilsner style you're talking about. Time to broaden your horizons.

 

[ChaosAngel]

personaly i wouldnt go for synthahol cause its synthetic. i dont think synthahol cider would taste as good anyway

 

[Timo]

But all alcohol is synthetic, too. AFAIK, there's no alcoholic beverage today that would take alcohols from the nature and put them in a bottle. It's all done using bioengineering in more or less industrial setups.

(Also, add me in the camp that thinks wine is just ruined juice, beer isn't supposed to be ingested, and champagne is 99% urine aroma and 1% morning breath bubbles. Vodka, OTOH...)

Timo Saloniemi

 

[skep155]

Got to agree that very few people drink alcohol for the taste. I drink a lot but i do it for the intoxicating effects. If it tastes so great then where are all the lager/beer flavoured sweets or vodka flavoured soft drinks? Nobody in their right mind would drink/ingest half of that stuff if it wasn't getting them drunk.

 

[Ward Fowler]

If it tastes so great then where are all the lager/beer flavoured sweets or vodka flavoured soft drinks?

I can ask the same question in a different way. If no one likes or cares about the taste of alcohol then why has there been an enormous growth of microbreweries in the past 10-15 years. Why are there more small batch artisan beers now than ever before? Why have the sales and price of scotch gone up so much in the last 5 years? Why have the price of quality wine futures (yes there's such a thing) exploded?

I'd say the answer is that there are apparently a lot of us out there that appreciate quality. Otherwise they wouldn't even make any of that stuff and we'd all be drinking grain alcohol mixed with kool-aid. You see, it doesn't all taste the same and if you think it does then you're not spending enough money.

 

[ChaosAngel]

@ Timo: by synthetic i mean not produced by natural means. most alcohol is produced through a fermentation processe. i did biology and science and i drink lots of wine so i know ;P

 

[CoveTom]

I don't think it's fair to say that -no one- drinks alcohol for the taste, or appreciates differences in quality between various drinks. But I do think it's fair to say, based upon the popularity of the extremely low-quality, low price alcoholic beverages, that a great majority of people who are consuming alcohol are doing so solely for the intoxicating effects and don't much care about the taste.

 

[Yeoman Randi]

It's very weird, i love the taste of beer, but i no longer like drinking. So you would think i would drink alcohol free beer just for the taste right? And yet i don't. Go figure.

 

[Ward Fowler]

I don't think it's fair to say that -no one- drinks alcohol for the taste, or appreciates differences in quality between various drinks. But I do think it's fair to say, based upon the popularity of the extremely low-quality, low price alcoholic beverages, that a great majority of people who are consuming alcohol are doing so solely for the intoxicating effects and don't much care about the taste.

Ultimately you're probably right, but it's still a bit more complicated than that. If you only look at units sold, then of course those drinking solely to get drunk will buy more alcohol than someone who is drinking it to enjoy craftsmanship. Some friends might get together and go through a couple of cases of beer. But my buddies and I aren't going to down a whole bottle of scotch in one sitting.

 

[Pemmer Harge]

I'd like to think that synthehol is like alcohol but better, i.e. it still gets you drunk, but there's no risk of alcohol poisoning and no hangovers. I suspect that that isn't supported by the show, however.

 

[Therin of Andor]

Synthenol - aka synthehol - was briefly described in the Second Season TNG writers' bible. It is served in Ten-Forward on the Enterprise-D and its advantage is that its intoxicating effects can simply be shaken off, leaving one ready for action in times of crisis. Supposedly it was invented by the Ferengi, IIRC. Allowing real alcohol to be used on starships means that, at any one time, a third of your crew might be potential useless to do their duty during a red alert.

Re drinking for the taste? Why do people attend wine-tasting events if the sole purpose of alcohol is to get drunk? Wines are also created to complement meals.

 

[STR]

Allowing real alcohol to be used on starships means that, at any one time, a third of your crew might be potential useless to do their duty during a red alert.

Right, because humanity has never, ever served alcohol on men-o-war.

I'm suddenly very thirsty for some good rum. *Checks Time. See's it's after noon. Cracks open bottle.*

 

[Therin of Andor]

Right, because humanity has never, ever served alcohol on men-o-war.

I'm suddenly very thirsty for some good rum. *Checks Time. See's it's after noon. Cracks open bottle.*

Well, that's the point. 24th century technology permits a crew to imbibe without any concern over its effects. Many Starfleet vessels are supposed to be exploratory ships on longterm missions, but they can become warships if necessary. Who wants a third of their crew hung over, or sleeping it off, when the Cardassians provoke a battle?

 

[ChaosAngel]

Thats actualy a good point. and what about if the captain was hungover? not a pleasant thought...

 

[Therin of Andor]

Thats actualy a good point. and what about if the captain was hungover? not a pleasant thought...

Ever worked for a boss who was hung over?

Should a captain of a 21st century cruise ship refuse alcohol at the captain's table banquet because he might be needed for an emergency?

Starfleet officers on a 5YM should all have to be teetotallers for the duration just in case they meet an aggressive vessel?

The idea of life in the 24th century is that we needn't be weighed down by such concerns.

 

[ChaosAngel]

^ not personaly but a friend of mine worked at a resturant where the manager was frequintly drunk or hungover. one morning he was so drunk he went in resturant kitchen and tried to make a pizza. needless to say he faild miserably...