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Being a lone drinker in a place as socially teeming as your local watering hole is a tough business. The trick is to treat the activity as a sacred art form, not as the last refuge of the social pariah, says Esquire. Its rules:

• Start early.
• No small talk.
• People-watch.
• Drink whiskey.
• No mixing.

• If you must mix, only a beer back is acceptable--no bright colors allowed.
• No TV.
• Read: Books and papers are both within the guidelines.
• No eating.
• If you must use the jukebox, nothing maudlin, please.
• If a buddy joins you, ditch him. Then he, too, can learn the zen of drinking alone.

(Read more beer stories.)