Here’s a fun little piece of history. In the September 2, 1947 issue of Look magazine, journeyman freelance author Don Wharton wrote an article examining the different types of drinkers one might encounter in mid-20th century America, as long as one kept to the mainstream America filled with white, affluent males. In his introduction to What Kind of Drinker Are You? he alludes to eleven different types, at least “according to doctors, psychiatrists, bartenders and drinkers of all types.” They admit that their types couldn’t cover everyone, but believe 95% of the population should be able to find themselves among the types. I thought the article I found online was complete, but it only shows ten. However in the text describing “Pick-Up Drinkers,” they refer to the “Week-End Drinker,” so that must be the missing eleventh type of drinker.
- Convention Drinker
- Before-Dinner Drinker
- Pick-Up Drinker
- Sneak Drinker
- Abnormal Drinker
- Hard Heavy Drinker
- Convivial Drinker
- Polite Drinker
- Petty Drinker
- Party Drinker
- Week-End Drinker
The descriptions of each type of drinker provide a fascinating insight into how people thought about drinking in the late 1940s, shortly after World War 2 ended.
Which type are you?