And to answer your question about moderation -- I never thought that 1 or 2 beers sounded like much fun. I'd just as soon have an iced tea if I wasn't going to get blitzed off my ass. Honestly, the rare times when I did have just a few I ended up just geting irritable because I wanted more. It took a minor epiphany to realize this, but it's something that's helped me not be envious of those who can drink socially without going overboard.
Maybe you're different than me in that respect, though.