Originally Posted by
ScottFromWI 
Mile Hi:
I had similar concerns when I first quit about being at work related functions around alcohol. Honestly, worrying about what other people think about your drinking ( or lack thereof ) should be the least of your concerns. Most people won't think twice about whether or not you are drinking. It's your mind percieving that they care because you are so accustomed to drinking, but in reality most of them don't even think about it.
I was a bit different than you though in that i decided to quit completely rather than cutting back, so I can't really give much advice on how to have just one beer, i'd advise against it if possible.
Either way, you need to do what is best for you. Telling people you don't want to drink more to stay sharp is an perfectly acceptable response, and it's not an excuse - it's the truth. Best of luck!
Ultimately I hope that I can quit drinking altogether. At this point I feel one beer is better than a pint of bourbon or tequila or vodka or rum. For some reason I don't get that same burning desire to have another beer that I do from the hard stuff. I think it has something to do with the mouth feel. Whenever I drank hard stuff I would always hold it on my mouth for at least few seconds, sometimes over a minute before I swallowed. If anything I think I am most addicted to that sting, that burn. There have been quite a few times that I caused my mouth to bleed. I have not read that or heard of than anywhere else.