Civilized people have cocktail hour at 4pm. My parents taught me that.
That said, on weekends it’s entirely suitable to start a bit earlier - maybe as early as 2pm, if it’s an especially festive weekend.
Vacations have completely different rules. It’s not really a vacation if you don’t have your first beer before noon.
But I also agree with [b[Jackknifed Juggernaut**, in that it’s not a “too early” thing, it’s a “too often” thing. I don’t like drinking every day; therefore some days it’s always too early, and other days it’s never too early.
Actually, let me rephrase that: I do indeed like drinking every day; it’s just that doing so makes it hard to do stuff like have relationships and keep a job, so I do my best to quell the urge.
Whenever I am done with work for the day. So during the work week, that means about 6 PM, and on weekends or vacation, well, it could be 6 AM. Seldom does it mean 6 AM, but in theory, it could.
The earliest I ever started was 8:30am when we were all in college celebrating our university founder’s birthday. I agree with the “its always noon somewhere” crowd - there is a correct drink for every time of day or night.
I generally don’t drink during the week unless I’m on vacation. On weekends, I’m not likely to have a drink before dinner, unless it’s a big event that begins in the afternoon. I can’t remember ever having a drink before noon, unless you count 3 a.m. as before noon and not a continuation of the previous evening.
My parents started putting a little wine (just enough to turn it very, very pale pink ) in my water glass at about 5 years old. I come from a family that believes that there is no such thing as too early agewise, as long as it’s supervised, sensible and with food.
I’m not saying I haven’t drunk before noon, just that I feel incredibly decadent when I do!
“When the sun’s over the yard arm” is the rather nautical expression used around here, generally taken to mean 10am - the traditional pub opening time.
The 10am rule is used in my family. However, it needs to be understood that frequent drinking at that time of day would certainly raise family eyebrows. It’s more that under certain circumstances you can do it (been mowing the lawn since 8am, for example), but you can NEVER drink before that.
All that kinda flew out the window for me when I started doing shift work. I then looked at the men in the 6am early opener pub as being less tragic than I previously had thought (hey, it may be their personal 8pm). I have a Kurdish friend who likes to start a 6am working shift (in winter) with one large belt of arrack. I have done that with him on occasion, and I can see the attraction of that Eastern European and Middle Eastern custom. It seemed fine to do that, whereas I wouldn’t even like to think about beer or wine at that time of day.
Having said all that, left to my own devices and without considering shifts or anything, it’d generally be a late afternoon or evening start for me.
In Broken Hill there’s a bar which has 2 cocktails for $10, when I was there last year I (and the nurses from the residence) were in there as soon as our shift ended most days. Not much else to do in BH except drink, at least cheap cocktails at 3pm felt a little classier than wine from a box in the communal kitchen in the nurses home!
I don’t have a ‘too early’. I have a too late though. If I am not sober at least 2 hours before I go to bed I get insomnia, so I try to get my drinking out of the way at around 1pm or so.
I’m in the ‘it’s never too early’ camp. The best days I’ve ever had started with a mimosa or screwdriver on the balcony. I would drink a little bit all damn day if it weren’t for my job (I’m on call 7x24 when I’m home). I’d have a beer with lunch, a couple cocktails after work, and start all over again with a morning mimosa, or even a bellini, but those are a lotta work.
Usually after work or evening on weekends, but sometimes for lunch. Pretty much the only time I drink in the mornings is when I’m flying international.
It’s only too early if I still have work, a class, or a performance later. If I have the day off, I’ll drink any time I want (granted, I’ll go weeks at a time without drinking). I don’t like drinking cocktails if it’s sunny out, though; I’ll stick with beer, then.
It is apparently impossible for me to get a hangover, so I don’t have to restrict my drinking to the weekends because of after effects. That’s come to mean I don’t really have a starting time for drinking. When I think of it and it would be legal and/or prudent, I have a drink.
I resolved that since '04-'05 was my last year of college I would drink as much beer as possible. My fall schedule pretty much kept me from daytime drinking during the week but during football season…yeah, it was cheap beer and homemade queso dip (my patented family Mojo Dip*) all Saturday.
Once spring rolled around…woo, it was a different story. Many days of skipped classes due to my inability to operate a vehicle ensued (although I did attend my Comm Law class drunk as a skunk several times to spice it up a bit). I could coerce my roommate/best buddy to drink with me only after he’d had lunch, but we had many interesting afternoon conversartions on our front porch.
It seems I’ve been reminiscing. Alas.
I generally won’t start before 10am, but there’ve been a couple of exceptions.
*Patented Mojo Dip consists of the following: One (1) block of regular Velveeta cheese, one (1) can of diced tomatoes, and one (1) can of diced green chilis. Dump the tomatoes and chilis into a large pot on the stove and set heat to medium. While the veggies warm, slice the Velveeta and add it as you go. Stir until cheese is completely melted. Takes appx. 15 minutes. Serves two or three big bags of chips. YMMV.
Sometimes on the weekends, I like a beer with an egg sandwich and a cup of coffee.
Or, I’ll head out on the porch with the Sunday paper and a beer.
But, I rarely have 2 drinks before the start of whatever sporting event I’ll be watching that Sunday. A race or a football game starts at 1:00 and I’ll start going through some beer at that point.
There is a strong Aussie tradition for the “chicken and champagne breakfast” on odd occasions - Melbourne Cup Day, an after wedding recovery or a work Christmas function. I have been to several and it is kind of fun but also creepy to be feeling half pissed at 10am. Mind you it’s always bloody hot at those times here.
