No Hard Spirits: Simon Osei-Mensah Draws a Thick Line on His Drinking Preferences | Discuss Ghana

Setting the records completely straight on his personal lifestyle choices, former Ashanti Regional Minister Hon. Simon Osei-Mensah has revealed that he strictly avoids hard liquor, opting for beer as his sole alcoholic beverage of choice.

The candid clarification drops as the veteran politician addresses the public regarding his lifestyle, setting a personal boundary that distinguishes his casual social habits from heavy drinking.

Setting the Boundary

Addressing the media regarding long-standing public perceptions and the social expectations placed on regional political figures, Osei-Mensah pulled back the curtain on his dietary habits.

He made it explicitly clear that high-percentage hard spirits—such as whiskey, vodka, gin, or local Schnapps—have absolutely no place in his routine:

"Let me clarify this once and for all so people don't mischaracterize my lifestyle. I don’t take hard alcohol; I only take beer. There is a massive difference between sitting down to responsibly enjoy a cold beer and consuming hard spirits that can impair your judgment. I know my limits, I value my health, and I have always maintained that strict discipline in my personal life."

The "Sobriety" Precedent

While the confession might seem like a simple lifestyle choice, industry watchers note that Osei-Mensah has historically been highly sensitive about how his relationship with alcohol is framed in the public domain.

The most prominent example of this friction traces back to a highly publicized 2017 incident in Kumasi:

The Noise-Pollution Conflict: In November 2017, Osei-Mensah personally stormed the premises of the House of Bethel Ministry church in Anwomaso at dawn alongside armed police officers to halt a loud all-night service following repeated community noise-pollution complaints.

The Counter-Accusation: Following the pastor's subsequent arrest, the church's head pastor publicly accused the minister of being visibly under the influence of alcohol during the dawn raid.

The Fierce Refutation: Osei-Mensah furiously blasted the claims on Atinka FM, stating that he was completely sober, driven purely by the rule of law, and went as far as invoking traditional spiritual declarations to clear his name.

His latest declaration regarding his strict preference for beer further anchors his ongoing defense that he maintains an organized, highly disciplined personal lifestyle outside the political arena.