And yet I have to explain to every new person every time why I don't drink alcohol :( "It tastes bad" "But have you tried X cocktail/drink/whatever?" "No, but I don't need to, the alcohol tastes too bad to be masked".
Hell, I've returned desserts because they contained liqueur. I can't stand it.
Alcohol (including beer) is an acquired taste, but with no good reason to acquire the taste. It is exactly like smoking. If you have not forced yourself to like if when you were young and stupid^H^H^H^H^H^H^H impressionable, then there is no good reason to start later in life.
(The same can be said about coffee and tea, but those have arguably good reasons to acquire the taste; i.e. a cheap way to get caffeine.)
What do you find is the benefit of caffeine that couldn't be said of nicotine or alcohol?
Obviously they have different effects, but the people using each of those various drugs find the effect desirable.
Also, what's the point of starting caffeine later in life? AFAIK studies show that people who use no caffeine are generally more energetic/alert than those who use it regularly; it only works in the short-term.
I also think there have been studies that show both wine and coffee can be good for your health, so there's that, too.
I never drink coffee (hate the taste, similar to alcohol), and am plenty energetic throughout the day. I regularly go to sleep at 6am if I'm working on some side-project, and that's only because I don't want to wake up very very late the next day.
I said “arguably good reasons”, not “definitely good reasons”.
I think the current accepted truth about nicotine is that it doesn’t give anyone anything except nicotine addiction. Any perceived boost is simply making a nicotine addict not feel the cravings for a short while, i.e. just like a non-addict feels like all the time. Possibly, as you say, the same is true of caffeine, but as far as I know, this is not currently a generally accepted fact.
There was a good reason to acquire the taste when we knew how to brew beer/wine but not how to make water safe to drink or store for long trips, many, many years ago.
I get a headache when I drink alcohol but other people have described to me a pleasant feeling from drinking, for which I will just have to take their word for it.
I have experienced both cases, in varying quantities. Sometimes I have a headache very quickly (after a small amount of alcohol), and oftentimes I have a headache if I drink too much.
On the other hand, I often experience no obvious ill effects, particularly with limited consumption.
Hell, I've returned desserts because they contained liqueur. I can't stand it.