A writer’s journey has never been easy, but some roads, it seems, are more treacherous than others. These days, you’re more likely to hear about nurturing self-care practices to support creativity—like yoga or meditation—than a writer’s favorite cocktail (unless, of course, it’s made with kale juice). Are writer’s drinking less? It’s hard to say. Perhaps they’re just using different libations to arrive at the same destination. After all, Charles Baudelaire didn’t think your spirit of choice mattered. “One should always be drunk,” he wrote. “But with what? With wine, with poetry, or with virtue, as you choose. But get drunk.”
—E.B. White