Many of the most popular alcoholic beverages unfortunately include yeast. And for someone who is trying to transition their diet into a yeast-free or gluten-free one, this can come as a disappointment.

I am a weirdo!!!

If you, like me, reside in the Eastern Provinces of the Great North, chances are you have come across the taxes which plague our liquor stores. With such elevated prices, how can you still catch a buzz without breaking the bank?

Whenever anyone has a problem with overuse of food, beverage, drug, alcohol, and anything, it is not a good thing, and the person must realize that there may be a problem.

Sometime around the beginning of December, 2015, I received a Facebook message from Kelly, a woman whom I had dated back in 2011. We had started dating after Valentine's Day of that year and continued until the end of August, when she moved away to continue her education. After trying the long distance thing until the end of the year, we met up one last time and decided it was in both of our best interests if we just moved on. It broke my heart to do so, but I loved her enough to know that letting her go would be much better for her than trying to string things along.

Sure, you can drink a can of Steel Reserve or blackberry brandy from a brown paper bag, but what if you want to be even more discrete? Maybe you're at a beach, park, movies, or high school graduation and really need to keep your alcohol consumption on the down low. Luckily, the best hidden flasks will make no one the wiser in regards to your secret boozing.

Take this simple test to determine if you are at risk for alcohol addiction. If you can claim two or more of these warning signs of alcohol you may be at risk and need to speak to your primary doctor who can help to assess and provide treatment options for problem drinking.

Six months ago, I didn’t know how this was going to go. I didn’t know if I’d quit for a week, a month, two months, the classic one hundred days, or more. Here I am today, six months after I chose to take a break from drinking, which was how I thought about it at the time. Taking a break— something that is temporary. I didn’t know how long this would last, and I still don’t. I do, however, know that six months is longer than I originally predicted I’d be able to go. As someone that had spent the past five years or so drinking regularly, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to stick with the sober lifestyle. What would Saturday nights be like if I wasn’t going to my favorite bar and relaxing with a few PBRs? What would I order to drink at nice dinners when the wine list was off limits? What would special occasions be like minus the White Russian or Long Island Iced Tea? And speaking of special occasions, over the past six months, I’ve had several come up that I’ve spent sober for the first time in years. I’ve attended two open bar weddings since going sober, including my own sister’s. On top of that, there’s been Thanksgiving, Christmas; New Years was especially hard. St. Patrick’s Day. In just a few weeks, my birthday. All of that being said, there are things that I’ve learned over the past six months—some of which I expected, some I didn’t. Here are a few.

You shouldn’t have to justify bringing boozy ice cream into your life, but if you do, think about life as an adult. You can spend your hard-earned money on cool stuff like new frying pans and toilet paper. You can choose to stay up late, but crawl into bed no later than 10 PM, anyway. You can make spreadsheets to budget your bills and schedule your own dentist appointments. And you can buy alcohol—all kinds of alcohol.

Just sitting on the back porch, sipping cheap whiskey mixed with canned blackberries. And I mean cheap whiskey, 1.75 liters cost like $17.50. And that's after tax. The two before were whiskey and Dr. Pepper. I ran out. But I ain't gonna sip just cheap whiskey. That's what alcoholics do. I'm not.

"To alcohol: the cause and solution to all of life's problems!" When Homer Simpson made that toast he couldn't have possibly known about all the scientific studies that prove drinking can be healthy. If he just maintains a moderate consumption of alcohol, Homer will be less likely to get diabetes, have germs in his mouth, and will have better bones. And you can reap the same protective effects while also warding off a health risk like cardiovascular disease. Bottoms up!

About half a year ago I was so certain who I was, who I thought I was going to be, and I don’t know when exactly it all changed. It’s possible that nothing really did change, maybe I just grew up and realized the picture was bigger than I previously thought. Maybe I hit one too many rough patches and still haven’t found the strength to get up this time. And hopefully that’s OK, hopefully this is all temporary and all the positive things that people in my life are telling me about myself are true. I hope they are. For now I’m still stuck.