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“Walter, fix me a drink!” In the 1960s, 70s and early 80s we always saw characters on TV drinking all the time, either at home, after work, during lunch, or pretty much all the time.

Everybody seemed to have a little cocktail bar set up in their living room. And then all of a sudden, everyone got rid of them. Except for TV shows like Absolutely Fabulous and Sex and the City, we seldom see TV characters getting drunk like we used to. What happened?

Are we drinking less today, or are we hiding it better?

On today’s show, Feast of Fools teams up with Project CRYSP, Chicago Task Force on LGBT Substance Abuse and Sidetrack to bring you a very special live podcast forum about our complicated relationship with alcohol.

Meet the experts-

Dr. David McKirnan, Professor of Psychology at University of Illinois at Chicago, and a Research Investigator at Howard Brown. He began studying alcohol & drug use among GLBT people in the mid-80s and he later examined the intersection of substance use & HIV risk. Think of him as the Dr. Kinsey of booze!

Lisa Rivitz, the Program Manager for Recovering with Pride Substance Abuse Program at Howard Brown Health Center. Her work focuses on addictions, 12-step recovery for substance abuse and other compulsive behaviors, working with individuals to overcome their abuse with drugs and alcohol.

And meet two bartenders from your favorite gay bars in Chicago, from Sidetrack Paul Davis and from Minibar, Tom Andrika. Paul’s been in recovery for as long as he’s been a bartender at Sidetrack, which has been called the “best gay bar in America.” What’s it like to be a bartender at such a well visited place when you don’t touch the sauce?

In 1946 Tom Adrinka’s grandfather opened up a bar in a small town in Ohio called “The Gay Bar” but it wasn’t a gay bar. But as gays became more visible in the coming years, his grandfather changed it to the “Twin Rivers Tavern.” It’s funny that fate allowed him to have two gay grandsons!

Today he works at Minibar, a gay bar in Chicago known for their sexy male bartenders.

Listen as we talk about what it means to drink responsibly, how to avoid those nasty hangovers and clear up some misconceptions on mixing your drinks.

True stories about boozing it up from Chicago’s gay bars plus questions from you in our audience! Click here for a photo gallery from the event (pictures by Fausto Fernós and Rick Aiello).

The podcast that comes with a little extra sauce on the side- Feast of Fools.

Check out today’s sponsor:

Gay, Sexy, Healthy- Lifelube.org
Your “big tent” guide to gay men’s health,
from sex and drugs to Faeries and Bears
Your friendly concierge for all that’s gay, sexy and healthy.

Featured Music:
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Eric Himan - There’s Gotta Be Something: CD Baby | MySpace

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