This post has pushed me further into reassessing my own drinking habits, Tynan - THANKS!
What M.Wehr and Mike said about being stuck as the nondrinker is very true.
When I was Mike's age I was too concerned with losing control like I saw so many friends doing. It got to the point where I would feel nauseated if I spent time with my friends when they were drinking. So, I would bail early in the evenings on that group of friends and go dancing or out for live music instead. I got comfortable going places by myself and making new friends when I got there.
Over the years I saw a fair number of my abstaining friends seem to jump on the booze and drugs bandwagon. Sometimes it really hurt, like in doing this they were rejecting me personally.
In my 30's I decided I knew myself well enough to experiment. Alcohol is an acquired taste, as is tobacco or any other drug. Experience has taught me how to enjoy myself and others with or without the so-called social lubricants. Now that I live in another country - the Czech Republic - where the cultural attitude toward drinking is radically different from what I saw growing up, I've tended to enjoy beer almost daily.
And I think I'll give the beer drinking a bit of a rest now, as a nice experiment.
Mike, stick to your guns so long as it serves you best.