Latest Stories

Most recently published stories in Proof.

5 Reasons My First Attempt at Quitting Drinking Failed. Top Story - March 2020.
5 Reasons My First Attempt at Quitting Drinking Failed On January 1st, 2016, I decided my New Year’s resolution was going to be to quit drinking. Nothing bad happened the night before. I just found myself drinking more than I normally did (being it was NYE) and noticing that it wasn’t really adding to the experience. If anything, actually, it took away from it. I wasn’t as present for my kids as I could have been and I feel asleep before it was even midnight because of all the wine and champagne I drank. I thought back to when I was in high school and overall did not drink much and was perfectly happy. I wanted to go back to feeling like that. If your track record with New Year’s resolutions is anything like mine has been, then I probably don’t have to tell you that this one didn’t last. I made it to mid-April, so about 3 and a half months. I eventually ended up stopping again in late 2017 and when I did, a book I read said that if you have not been successful with quitting drinking in the past, it is because you have not had the right tools. That, combined with all the buzz I was hearing about how failures and setbacks are lessons you can learn from, caused me to sit back and analyze why this earlier attempt was not successful. I have been able to narrow it down to 5 main reasons:
By Kate Crouthamel Nelson6 years ago in Proof
A Near Death Experience
While living my best life I attended Eden’s 30th birthday. The event was at Mosman Hotel in a small outside room upstairs. It was a hot Stormy day, the kind of weather that sets the mood, that promises drama and excitement. It’s the kind of weather that lacklustre cinematographers use to tell the story when they lack the artistic ability to convey a nuanced mood. But yeah, it was promising weather for a promising night. I was ready to get wrecked and the weather had my back. I generally have a pretty solid tolerance for alcohol. I would back myself in a drinking competition against anyone but the most hardened of alcoholic miners. Tonight, I was going to test the tensile strength of my liver and I was going to have a blast doing it. I was enjoying myself catching up with my old Uni crew. It had been three months since we were all together, the last time was Charles 30th. It was the year of 30th birthdays, the year of everyone saying goodbye to their twenties and most of them stepping up to the ‘I’m an adult for real and proper now’. Obviously, I didn’t do any stepping up, but the people around me were starting to make those life choices. I had polished off my 3 bottles of white wine and decided to switch to vodka, as you do in the second hour of drinking. I decided to be a reformed former smoker for the night as well because it seemed like a good idea at the time. By this stage I was visibly drunk, but there is never any stopping Dionysus. Dionysus doesn’t want your speed zones, Dionysus doesn’t see your stop signs, Dionysus wants to have fun, and fun happens at pedal to the metal. The thing that stopped me, my metaphorical wall if you will, was a cigarette. After smoke bombing myself for hours, it was a cigarette that tipped me over the edge. The room started to spin uncontrollably. It had been a while since I had drunk that much and smoke bombed myself that hard, and the consequences of my day hit me all at once. Like Sally Pearson, my system just gave up on me, lay down and cried, but unlike an Olympic rowing team there was no-one left to row row row my boat to shore. Like introverts everywhere I decided to do the dodgy bail, to sneak away and order an uber and hope no-one noticed. To my surprise as I exited the pub there was 4 taxis already lined up. I tried to order an uber through my phone app because it’s cheaper than a taxi but I was by this stage incapable of using my phone. It’s entirely possible I was trying to order my Uber on the back screen of my phone or maybe even on a shoe like a funky modern version of get smart. The point being it wasn’t working. I decided to take a taxi because, while expensive, it was within my current capabilities and I wanted to get home. We got about 2 kms in the taxi before I started to feel violently sick. As politely as possibly when incoherently intoxicated, I asked the driver to pull over so I could throw up. He pulled over, and I opened the door just in time to throw up. I threw up so violently that I briefly lost consciousness and came to, face down in a pile of vomit in the gutter. Half in and half out of the taxi, I languished there like an uncoordinated flamingo. I had hit my head on the gutter, torn my ear at some point, and was covered in a foul-smelling wash of blood, vomit and shame.
By Brendon6 years ago in Proof
I Hope They Serve Tequila in Prison.
Before we begin, I think it is important to mention that these stories are only true to the best of my knowledge. I was drunk, a lot, and I solemnly swear that these are depicted as I remember them. But memory is cousin to truth, not twin, and in this case mutated, undesired lusus naturae.
By Suzanne Betz6 years ago in Proof
Who Was The Real Captain Morgan?
Captain Morgan is a name known far and wide, but today the only fear it generates is in people who can't quite remember what they did after their eighth shot of rum on Saturday night. However, unlike some products that come up with catchy names and memorable mascots to go with them, Captain Morgan was a real person. Beyond simply existing though, Captain Henry Morgan wrote his name in gunpowder and blood all throughout the Caribbean in the 1600s.
By Neal Litherland6 years ago in Proof
Unpopular Opinion
Wine is a drink best served happy. You can chill it too, if that’s what you prefer. Have it red, white, or blue, I don’t particularly care. But when it’s nine o’clock on a Tuesday night and you sit over a half-full glass watching tear drops on the counter top praying for comfort, when you don’t even believe in a god - then maybe you should reconsider. Speaking from experience, when you’ve exhausted all resources and sleep continues to escape you, reaching for a bottle, though it seems practical, isn’t the only option.
By A McNeal6 years ago in Proof
WHISKY - sophisticated hobby not everyone knows
Among the pleasures of men in the world, whiskey is one of the things that need to be mentioned first. It is the wine that is easy to enjoy, but the more you delve into it, the more you discover these interesting things that have become the favorite drink of many great people and successful business people. The reason whiskey is so attractive to men is because the story of whiskey itself contains a lot of lessons about maturity, how to enjoy them, there are many things that are sophisticated and not less careful turmeric.
By Motest6 years ago in Proof
How to make an English Iced Rose Tea Champagne Spritzer
Story researched and Developed by The Writers Room for FIN Media exclusively on Vocal It’s easy to get overwhelmed trying to make a cost-effective, crowd-pleasing drink that doesn’t leave you taking on the role of bartending rather than the host. No shade towards you if that’s the vibe you’re going for, but trust in me.
By Writers Room6 years ago in Proof
Choose Your Next Wine Tour With Care — Follow These Tips!
Wine tours are exhilarating experiences in themselves! It really feels enchanting being surrounded by the gorgeous beauty of the lush vineyards spread across acres of land! And what’s more pleasurable than the view? It’s the delectable wines that you get to know all about here – all those questions that you have in mind about pairing, swirling and more – now’s the time to have them answered.
By Lauren Williamson6 years ago in Proof
18 Amaretto Sour Cocktail Recipes that Will Keep You Coming Back for More
The Amaretto Sour is a delicious cocktail. The Amaretto, which is the main alcohol in this cocktail, comes from the Italian word amaro, meaning “bitter”, from the bitter almond which is one of the key ingredients of this liqueur. To sweeten it, simple syrup or almond syrup is added. While there is another Italian liqueur called “amaro”, they should be confused with one another. It is safe to say, though, that they share a trait - bitterness. However, amaro is a lot more bitter than the amaretto, therefore rightfully gaining its moniker, “the little bitter”.
By Rebecca Siggers6 years ago in Proof
Alcohol Pairing Tips From Experts. Top Story - February 2020.
Planning to host a dinner party soon? Impress your guests by delivering a great dining experience through impeccable alcohol pairing. Alcohol pairing is a skill that can be learned by simply combining good tastes. When you carefully curate your alcohol pairing, you are also enhancing the taste of the alcohol, as well as the food and cigar collection that you paired it with.
By George Swagger6 years ago in Proof
God's Favorite Bar
It’s often said that bartenders are like cheap therapists, and most days that feels like the truth. So, one day when I saw a reserved older man, sitting at the end of my bar all alone and looking like he had the world on his shoulders, naturally I went over and asked what he wanted to drink. He smiled kindly, his eyes crinkling around the edges just a little.
By Savannah Aichem6 years ago in Proof
Prickly Elder: An Epicenter For Both Familiarity and Innovation
Isolated at the farthest western tip of Texas is a desertic and mountainous gem. With over 500 miles between it and Austin, its closest major Texan city, El Paso, Texas, has become a flamboyant hybrid of the American Dream and Mexican culture. Two miles south of El Paso is Ciudad Juárez, one of the most populous cities in Mexico. The only dividing apparatuses between the two major cities are the Rio Grande and four international bridges of entry.
By Jose Antonio Soto6 years ago in Proof