I had a friend who theorized what if we don't have
liquid alcohol but pills. In order to get drunk you could choose the
pill of your
favourite: An
instant intoxication, building up a
drunkenness steadily,
puke-your-guts-out drunkenness (we only wondered if the pill could be modified so that you don't really have to puke but the other effects were similar) etc.
But quite fast he found out that drinking itself is the essential part of getting drunk. It's more sociable than popping a pill.
The pleasure of drinking beer didn't appear to me until I made my way to Northern Ireland about a year ago and I was introduced to such brands as Bass, Smithwicks and Kilkenny. Nowadays, if I ever want to get drunk I agree with my beer-guru friend that drinking is essential.
Btw, he was sober at the time!