It is absolutely not something you "need" to do, and definitely isn't for everyone. Try it if you want, but you're likely not missing out. Or maybe you are. It all depends on the person.
Anyway, I don't really drink, but there have been a few times. I remember all of them quite clearly, and one or two are fun stories. The first time I really got drunk I was in Russia, and had been pressured into taking an unholy amount of vodka shots with a meal because Russia. I then kept suggesting that the people I was travelling with watch Battlefield Earth (the cabin we were staying in had it on VHS) and then sat on a couch in quiet drunk mode until I recovered.
--
Something something something
^Poorly disguised anti-caps sig