Agreed. I find even a beer or two throws me off. However, when I need to write emails or some more social, less technical thing, a couple beers makes me way more productive. I think because I tend to waffle on verbiage and think things like, "no, that sounds condescending and I don't mean it to be, backspace" I find a little alcohol brings the "fuck it, send" threshold close enough to be productive at something I'm kind of bad at sober.

Such is the wonderment of lowered inhibitions.

"Drinking Alcohol May Significantly Enhance Problem Solving Skills" http://medicaldaily.com/news/20120411/9496/alcohol-solving-s...

Reminds me of this talk about creativity by John Cleese[1]. The tl;dw is creativity is about getting into an open, uninhibited state of mind where new or risky ideas flow freely. Then getting into a closed, more focused state that allows you to implement the idea without getting distracted. Being able to switch between the two modes is key to creative problem solving.

I guess for me, alcohol promotes the open mode, but pretty completely wrecks the closed mode.

[1] https://twitter.com/#!/Renessa47/status/190802692245950464

Drinking and Drunk are not the same thing.

Depends on the culture, doesn't it?

(Don't tell me it's an American thing. I know it isn't as simple as that.)

Hungover yeah not good, but I find a beer or two can give you a different perspective on something that's exactly what you need sometimes. Like how you solve problems in your sleep or in the shower, sometimes just saying 'screw it' and doing something sloppily gives you the clarity needed for the real answer

For tricky problems I liked to take a 10 min walk to the pub a pint and a couple of games of pinball (thinking over the problem whilst doing so)

Ballmer's peak has nothing to do with "the morning after." For me it's after 2-3 drinks but after 4 it's probably gone.