Mod Note (Andy): Best of Eddie, this was originally posted on 5/7/12. To see all of our top content from the past, click here.
"If you took all the heavy drinkers out of finance, you'd be left with like two bond analysts and an ATM machine."
I actually laughed out loud when I heard the above quote on last week's episode of Blue Bloods (great show, by the way). Detective Danny Reagan was questioning a couple of BSD's at what appeared to be a pseudo-boiler room over the ring death of a young associate in a boxing match they'd set up. He asked if the kid was a heavy drinker and that's what they told him.
It was certainly true in my day. We even had a semi-rigid drinking schedule worked out: Monday through Thursday you'd have a few drinks to calm down at get to sleep at night. I'd like to say a couple of glasses of wine with dinner, but we were always in the office for dinner. Friday was always a big day. Friday was the day you got annihilated after the close. The market closed at 1 in the afternoon in California, and we were in the bar by 1:30. Friday afternoons were all about blowing off steam by power drinking until you blacked out.
Saturday was the one day of the week that you were actually social. There would usually be a dinner of some kind with friends (although after awhile your only friends were other finance guys and their dates) followed by a party of some kind. The drinking that went on Saturday nights was a little more refined than the Friday blowout.
Sundays (at least at the beginning of my career) were spent at the park near my house with my dog, a blanket, a 6-pack, and whatever Napolean Hill-esque You'll-Be-A-Billionaire-Someday book I was reading that week. About 3 in the afternoon I'd start dreading the week ahead of me so I'd switch up to gin and tonic or rum and coke and then start the whole process over again.
I'm wondering if it's similar on the Street today. Is drinking a part of your everyday life? I've often thought that the bar for alcoholism needs to be raised for those working in finance. The rule of thumb seems to be that if you consistently have two units of alcohol per day (2 beers, 2 shots, etc...) that you're an alcoholic. I just don't think that's realistic for those in finance, at least not when I was doing it. Maybe five a day is a better number. Or maybe I'm just a drunk.
Of course, if you listen to Alcoholics Anonymous (who are no doubt shilling for new members) everyone is an alcoholic. Here is their 20-question test. If you answer just one of the questions in the affirmative, you might be an alcoholic. Two and you're probably an alcoholic; three and you're definitely an alcoholic (according to AA, anyway).
Has the boozy culture of Wall Street changed over the years? Do you guys still drink every night after work? How many drinks do you usually have in a week?
is that flake in your picture?
The less I drink, the more I consider the long term, and I don't see Wall Street in that future. Lately I haven't been drinking at all and I consider becoming an accountant, being a part time financial advisor, and spending weekends hiking. Who knows, I might actually have time for friends and family.
I might even get a dog.
Dude, you're the biggest bum-out on WSO.
Do one with your kid shit! Get off your high horse, not everyone is unhappy, stop spreading your bum-out.
I fail to see how's that's so bad? Cool your tits, buddy.
Dude I don't care about your drinking, I'm just pretty bored of every post of yours being an invite to the UFO pitty party, no one wants to hear it.
Yea internet tough guys are the worst.....
http://www.youtube.com/embed/hf_XpLOYfog
~yep i dont drink or smoke at all. I work out and I go to school. I agree ufo you gain clarity and start worrying about the long term rather than short happiness. Discipline and self control take you far in life.
Sounds about right on the drinking....I dont know about you but the Blow is a little bit more pure now (so I hear)
a lot but I drank wayyyy more in undergrad...even more in highschool.
I went from Grain Alcohol and spiritual drinks (actually made from indians) > Bacardi 151 > craft beer and watered down rum and cokes
I bet you lost your virginity at 12 years old and are on pace to break Wilt the Stilts record.
Nah I was too busy getting drunk to think about fucking.
These days is all about being focused on career progression. I don't drink much anymore (granted, I went to Mardi Gras 2 and a half months ago and drank enough for the rest of the year) and I barely go out clubbing. Surprisingly girls dig my focus and ambition.
Definitely drink 4-5 days a week, it seems to be part of the culture in finance. As long as you work out and don't get blackout, it's not too bad.
gucci
A lot
A lot. I wouldn't call it everyday but I certainly would qualify as an alcoholic according to that test, although I'd imagine very few people wouldn't in some way or another. In a somewhat related note, I have read studies before that show that the abuse of drugs and alcohol is much higher among those with higher IQ's. Interesting, considering along with high stress alcohol and drugs is a pretty solid coping mechanism.
Eddie - very heavily. I still drink very fucking heavily. It'll kill my liver but at the same time, come the 12th, I don't plan to drink much anyway until September. Somehow it works for me.
Out after work ~2 days a week (not including Fridays). Friday nights pretty well follow your description. Saturday nights are reserved for an event of some kind (horse race, football game, etc.) and drinking again on Sunday morning.
I was about to comment about how gay this post was until I read the user name... well played sir.
As for drinking, I need to start doing it more. I've been far too productive lately and I remember more than I'd like about my week.
Who dabbles in the bah-say, gutter glitter,base house, 8bal, basuco, candy caine, cat's pee, you know that champagne of all that is good? Who is chasing the dragon each day? Whose traveling down those dusty roads? who likes a little extra FLUFF...Do I have any AUNT NORAs here? Any fans of Jim belushi here?
I need some California Cornflakes I NEED some Acapulco Gold
Too much
For me personally, an average week would be: black out at a bar on Weds, recoup on Thurs, severe black out at a (possibly strip) bar on Fri, drink all day and black out again on Sat, maybe a few beers on Sun, recover on Mon & Tues. Wash, rinse, repeat. For some reason it works for me.
Only a couple of beers spread out over the week after work, though I like to kill more than a few with friends from time to time.
Oh, and Happy Hours with Frieds and the rest of you, of course. :)
Drink way more frequently than I did in college but less heavily, generally. I think I probably have some kind of alcohol 4-5 / 7 days of the week, even if it's just a drink or two on the weeknights.
I'm not sure if it's something to do with my heritage or what, but if I had a choice, I'd probably be drunk 24/7. There is nothing nicer to me than waking up and drinking right away and drinking throughout the day. Unfortunately, life must go on.
Couple of gin tonics 2-3 days a week, total blackout on friday, drink saturday evening (after 5-6pm) at a friends house, or Hyde Park or smth without getting smashed, and same on sunday.
I can hold my own, one night of drinking (beer) a week, some malbec/cab w/ dinner the other nights
I was usually so burned out after work on Fri, that I would just keep it low key and get a lot of sleep. Then would go out to clubs/bars on Sat. So I guess one day a week.
I guess I did most of my drinking in college/high school. Nowadays its just a glass of wine or 2 with dinner once or twice a week, and the Saturday night.
Same for me on Fridays - usually beat from the week, will maybe have some wine at dinner then crash early. Saturday go out with friends, have 5-6 drinks. Sunday night, probably kill a six-pack or bottle of wine with the fiance before hitting the road Monday.
Only drink during the week when I'm out with coworkers / clients, otherwise I take it easy.
Who does Blow and how often?
Charlie Sheen said that AA does not work... I trust his judgment.
My tolerance now is pretty low, I usually have to eat a heavy meal if I have to keep up with the heavy weights. I usually end up amusing everyone by getting kicked out of the club/bar. I drink socially and stick to either Guinness or Sam Adams. Also, I don't drink alone; seen my uncle pouring whiskey at night and popping antidepressants.
I am now trying to cut back. I think drinking contributes to my stress rather than relieves it. Exercise is good; alcohol is good in moderation. Light beers are a good way to trick yourself into consuming less alcohol in aggregate. Finding activities outside the city is also a good way to help moderate drinking.
Life is too short; your twenties are too short to spend them drinking all the time.
In college I drank during the weekends... now I drink during the week. Sad.
Anyway nothing like a nice beer on the LIRR on my way home... makes it so easy to go to bed.
This made me LOL and it's pretty appropriate for this thread:
I basically don't drink anymore.
Never been a heavy drinker, but I definitely used to drink during the BSc/MSc. Nowadays (just 6 months after...it's not like I am old and grizzled), I drink one day per week in boring weeks (which is, when I am not away for the weekend)
disclaimer: mbb, not finance.
Drink hard Fri and Sat, sometimes Thursday, and Sundays during the NFL Season...usually keep it to a glass or two of wine/beer on other weeknights if at all.
Come on dewey, join the party!
http://www.youtube.com/embed/zdq4Llr-K-s
If I'm not at work, I'm probably drinking. If I'm at work on the weekend or late on a Friday, I'm probably drinking. If it looks like I'll get out of work before midnight on a weekday, I'll probably go out drinking, after drinking at the office to get ready. If I get home especially late, I'll probably have a drink to chill out. If I go out for lunch (rather than eat at my desk), I'll probably have a drink.
The advantages (and disadvantages) of well-compensated grunt work.
haha, impressive.
My problem is that I really suck at working out hungover or working out after I have drank that day. So, basically any happy hour or hard night out sabotages at least one workout which makes the staying in shape thing difficult by drinking too much.
I used to drink heavily. Usually I would start the night with 8-10 red bull cans, maybe a shot of a 5 hour energy drink, and the cheapest handle or 5th of vodka. I would then hit up the bar and blow loads of cash on as much alcohol as possible for my friends and me. Very little socializing, just drinking.
I went to the doctor one day and he told me my liver was already showing signs of alcohol poisoning, which I think was bullshit but I dont know (I went back to a different Dr for a full physical and blood work 2 months later, and everything came out perfect). Mind you I am only in my mid 20s now. I have virtually quit drinking since as I realized how much stupid money I was blowing and how bad I was treating my body. I also do not enjoy drinking at all, as in the only time I will have a glass of alcohol is if I plan to get fucked up. Having a beer at dinner does not interest me. I had a ton of fun times though. Now I really only drink on special occasions, like a get together with old friends, going to vegas, that type of thing.
I simply cannot believe that you drank 8 - 10 cans of Red Bull. I used to drink that shit like water and would top out at 3 a day...and those were on extreme, sleep deprived days. That shit would send your heart into a frenzy.
I would drink it multiple times a week. Usually Thursday, Friday, Saturday would be 8-10 red bulls before going out a night. A couple buddies and I threw a party and got Red Bull to sponsor it - DJ, Tables + 3,000++ red bulls. We had enough Red Bull for a year after that, not to mention a buddy of mine was a Red Bull rep and would get like 2 or 3 cases a month.
It got me ampd to go out and I would be able to go until 5 AM. Very, very, very bad for your health. I still look back and wonder wtf we were thinking.
Pretty much just a weekend warrior drinker. Don't have time to drink during the week.
Cacaine doesn't give you a hangover
Are you kidding me?
When its pure as a Nun it doesn't. Get the good stuff, dont be cheap
i dont drink nearly as much as i did in UG. In the history of my life, i have NEVER had a productive day after a night of drinking. That's a large reason why im trying to cut back. Even more importantly is because in UG I used to drink in hopes of having my willy touched and now I just drink cuz i'm a pissed off, unemployed lemming like 50% of the other rceent college grads (as opposed to the other 50% which are pissed off EMPLOYED lemmings, lol)
I will sponsor the fight if you do it in Midtown. Free PBRs for both fighters after.
I will fight anyone for a PBR.
The Poor Kid
Get More: SOUTH
PARKKenny McCormick,Mrs. McCormick,more...
Some of these stories are absolutely nuts.
At my peak I was usually blacked out Thurs/Friday/Saturday + Sunday Funday. Usually kept it together M-W cold turkey.
I might drink more often now, but far less blackouts.
Am I the only one who can still count the number of times I've blacked out on my hands? I went to school in a city and partied 2-4 nights a week, when I worked I drank more frequently but less intensity.
Cocaine is probably safer, but much much more expensive.
I drink everyday and that 2 units per day rule is total shit. A shot of whiskey in your tea is the best way to wake up while a seasonal ale is my modus operandi to wash down lunch. What I do notice is that most of us will drink with the intentions of getting sloshed and tagging some wildebeast whom they believe to be a "shorter version of Kate Upton." Seriously why do we drink boys and girls? We drink to get nice; to take the edge off and relax. We do not drink to look like a 17 year old girl 3 coronas deep.
I've contemplated just moving to bum fuck Ireland and working just to make enough money to drink all the time.
That seriously sounds like Heaven to me. I've wanted to move to Ireland for awhile, but you have to have a really compelling reason to live there (because the economy is shite) and whiling my life away in a pub doesn't work for my wife and kids. In my dreams, though, I'm the king of a big fuck-off shiny ghost estate with no neighbors for miles. I get drunk and ransack vacant houses. Naked.
Yeah, it'd probably be pretty expensive, even in its current state. I always get this feeling though after listening to the Dubliners. You don't even have to be Irish to want to move to Ireland, go to the pub every night and just drink beer and not give a shit about current events, finance, money, anything. It'd be fucking nirvana. Rain can't keep you down when you're always drunk.
The owner of my local watering hole made me take a lap around the block before letting me back in on Saturday night. Something told me the defense "But I'm normally way more drunk than this" would have backfired pretty hard.
I'm sober 100% of the time... Especially right now.
8-10 Red Bulls in the space of a few hours = health problems. Just you wait.
Friday very similar to yours eddie though usually don't start at 1:30 (that'd be a dream). If I can get out early, Ill try to get a work out out in before drinking...starts the weekend better I've found.
Saturday, day drinking on to dinner and then more drinking. Try not to stay out as late as Friday or drink as much...but usually ends up happening.
Sunday, work out in morning and have some wine in the evening as I mentally prepare for the coming week / stress out / reevaluate my life. Sunday evening....worst thing ever invented.
No time to drink during the week.
Never on normal 5-day work nights (sans closing dinners and the rando one off night). Blackout every Friday and Saturday night.
Havent drunk for 2 weeks now. Going through a pack a day though. This morning phlegm is shit but I cant quit. Lighting up a fag is pretty much the highlight of my day.
I always chuckle when i hear people call cigs fags.
I drink too much...I actually own part of a bar so that basically tells u all u need to know. To be honest I love the neighborhood i live in and i sometimes literally find it hard to stay home...for eg right now i am urging to go do something. I shouldnt say this, but i pride myself on destroying the youngsters at my firm when they try to go out with me and cant make it in the next day...all i'll say is that I dont care what you do after work but at 630am you better be at the desk b/c i will be there at 530 no matter what and I am a good 5-7 years older.
This reminds me of a tale from my early days.
The number 3 guy in the firm came out for a road show and we all went out after. We went hard in the paint (and I mean fucking hard) until the bars closed at 2. We had to be back in the office 4 hours later. I went home and passed out in my clothes and came to 4 hours later - when I was supposed to be in the office. I knew he was going to be there that day, so I didn't even bother changing - I just rushed into the office in the clothes I wore the day before feeling like fucking death. I got there at 6:30.
He was waiting there at the entrance to the office clearly pissed off, and I mean fuming. On top of that he was showered and fresh as a daisy. He looked at me like he smelled shit and growled something I'll never forget. "You need to learn when to come in from out of the rain, sport." I mumbled something and walked into the office thinking for sure I was about to get fired when to my surprise I discovered I was the first one there.
Nobody showed up for hours. The VP of the office didn't even bother coming in that day. Needless to say, the big boss was pretty fucking heated. But I remember being astounded that this guy who easily had 15 years on me could party like that and then just shake it off and be all business a couple hours later. He was probably dying inside, but you sure couldn't tell to look at him.
"i pride myself on destroying the youngsters at my firm when they try to go out with me and cant make it in the next day. all i'll say is that I dont care what you do after work but at 630am you better be at the desk b/c i will be there at 530 no matter what and I am a good 5-7 years older."
looks like you're not alone. wish i read this last yr. would have been better to head straight to work looking like a mess instead of trying to catch up on some sleep. the 'math' never adds up when ur drunk and out past 3-4...
Will be interesting to see if actions speak louder than words at the next happy hour...
I just got back from a four day bender, and i have been paying for it dearly...8 hrs of sleep over 4 days while drinking every waking moment is never good for the body
Do any of you guys keep track how much money you spend on alcohol? I look at my CC statement and when I add up those small $30 tabs I cringe at the final amount per month.
I cannot even fathom how much $ would be gone if I started going to the meat packing district on the weekends.
Whatever it's fun and I'm helping someone else make a living. My money will trickle down to the economy lol.
^^^^thats a good story eddie. Back in the early days when i commuted into manhattan i had alot of similars...i used to call it "the math"...like if the clock was ticking past two AM or so I'd be like "OK if i go home in an hour, ill still have an hour to get home, an hour to sleep, 10 minutes to shower, etc"...I had a solid plan. Then past a certain time the math stops working and I'm like "well OK I can cut out the sleep, etc"...its not going to be easy but the math still works out. ...and then at some point I'm just completely mathematically eliminated...there is no possible way to make it to work except to go straight to the office. Its a sinking feeling when you realize your mathematically eliminated from anything resembling a normal day the next day.
But, I once read a book back in the day written by former Cowboys DE "Hollywood" Henderson which gave me a great hangover perspective. Hollywood was huge partier and coke-head and in the book he claims he played better hungover because he was like lion with a thorn in his paw...the hangover just pissed him off and he would take it out on his opponents I try to be smarter about drinking then i was back in the day but on the occasions I do over-indulge I always think about Hollywood Henderson and try to just up my level of rage to offset the hangover.
16 tequila shots, 4 Vodka, 1 Mohito and a beer., yup that will be enough to get me high. :)
Depends who I'm hanging around. Some years I can go months without a drink, others, it's bearly a dinner without wine.
That said, I'll always drink more than my parents, and my doctor like, and less than would be enough to impress my friends. No use counting them.
Bump
I drink a lot and I never really fully trust someone until I've been fucked up with that person at least a couple of times.
M-Th: Usually drink twice at about 3 drinks Fri: Similar to your blackout rage, but start much later around 6pm Sat: Day drink starting around 2pm Sun: Taper down with about 3 drinks
I don't drink too much, relatively speaking. These days I'd rather have one or two nice scotches every other day than a number of beers or cocktails all the time. I am somewhat of a seasonal drinker though. My beer consumption increases in the warmer months and my scotch consumption increases in the colder months.
I would say during the week I rarely drink, 1 or 2 drinks maybe. Friday and Saturday blackout and Sunday is recovery.
No comment other than drinking really does cure a hangover. Think about it.
I perhaps may have the most unpopular opinion on this post, but I don't drink at all. I find that all that money is better spent on good food, and trips abroad. Also, I might cook with wine from time to time, but that's about it. I used to be really partial to IPA but I stopped about 6 months ago :)
.
How much do you drink? (Originally Posted: 04/15/2008)
To full-time bankers (specifically not including SA's):
How many times per week on average do you go out to drink?
On an average night, how many drinks do you drink?
Are you a guy or girl?
How much do you weigh? (Obviously optional)
I usually can only fit in one night a week of "going out" and getting hammered. It's not necessarily a function of being at work really late every night, it's more that I don't want to spend both Saturday and Sunday being hungover. I need to have at least a couple hours a week of "me-time" not spent feeling sick.
Of course, a couple of nights a week, I have a drink or two at my condo to relax, but I don't think that really counts.
If I chose too, I could definitely go out both Friday and Sat. almost every weekend. I typically choose not to go out though, but not for lack of time.
-I go out Thursday through Sunday most weeks -Including wine or cocktails at dinner, hmmm Half a bottle of wine, then probably 4-10 drinks (depending on the length of the night) -Guy, 6'2" about 180lbs
I have the time to go out, and often will. However, may just hang out with friends in and play drinking games, watch movies etc. Since I drink on the cheap, I can more easily afford this then say someone who does the club thing. When I go out clubbing, I generally pregame a bit then only have 2 or 3 drinks out. The main difference between college and working is that I can afford to drink better stuff.
Powermonkey, what firm/group are you in? you can pm me if you want.
It's in half the posts I make, as is the firm I worked for before this one.
So you think you can drink a lot? (Originally Posted: 05/27/2011)
Still debating on whether or not this is real..
I've seen someone bong EC, needless to say he was vomiting less than 3 seconds later and we had to take him to the hospital for alcohol poisoning. The chick is fat, but I bet it's fake.
I wish they continued filming her as the alc kicked in
I doubt it's vodka..must be something else like smirnoff ice or something....IF that was vodka i am pretty sure there would be serious poisoning.
It's Bacardi
I was out with a German trader from Goldman that downed an entire bottle of whiskey in about 15 seconds. I think it was the first time in my life that I was actually speechless, that is until I had to call an ambulance 10 minutes later.
On the set of Animal House, John Belushi chugged the entire fifth of whiskey as seen in the movie and was throwing up 10 minutes later or something.
I drank more than that as a student, though the beer equivalent.
By the way, given the girl's features, she clearly already suffers from fetal alcohol syndrome.
No you didn't. A handle of rum is ~59 fluid ounces which is the alcoholic equivalent of over 39 beers. Did you regularly go out and crush 40 beers in a sitting?
That's absolutely disgusting.
FAke. There'd be an obituary notice at the end of the video if this was real.
Most likely fake. If if was real they would have cracked the seal on the bottle in front of the bottle or they would have put a lighter to some of the liquid
in front of the camera*
Reminds me of this story from a while back. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22219861/ns/travel-news/t/man-chugs-liter-v…
FAKE
I had a college roommate that tried to kill themself by downing half a liter of vodka.....and it almost worked. I bartended for almost a decade and can truthfully say I've only met a handful of people who can handle themselves after the 20th drink. Anything past that amount of alcohol is not something to be proud of. I know one couple that can down twenty pitchers of sangria between them, but they are some kind of outlier. Most people are basically useless after about ten drinks.
If that video IS real, the girl definitely needed to go to the hospital within a half hour and likely spent the night there. Plus, she spit a lot out at the end.
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