"Drinkin' Man" is a song co-written and recorded by the American country music singer George Strait. The song was written by Strait with his son, Bubba and Dean Dillon. It was released on 30 April 2012, as the third single from his album Here for a Good Time.
"Drinkin' Man" received critical acclaim. Billy Dukes of Taste of Country rates the song 4.5 stars out of 5. He states, "the dark ballad from an equally dark album can immediately go alongside songs like âÂÂI Saw God Todayâ in terms of powerful messages from the second half of the singerâÂÂs career. Its weight is impossible to ignore." He also says, "âÂÂDrinkinâ Manâ is a courageous choice for a third single from âÂÂHere for a Good Timeâ â but a good one."
Kevin John Coyne of Country Universe gave the song an A rating. Coyne says, "More than thirty years into his legendary career, George Strait has released the most compelling single of his career with âÂÂDrinkinâ Man.âÂÂ" He goes on to say, "Strait isnâÂÂt known for dealing with such challenging subject matter, but his experience as a singer and remarkable growth as a songwriter have resulted in the genreâÂÂs best drinking song in recent memory. ItâÂÂs something that Merle Haggard or George Jones would have produced at their peak." He ends with saying, "this is the finest single that George Strait has ever released."
"Drinkin' Man" debuted at number 54 on the Hot Country Songs charts. It peaked at number 37 on the country charts in May 2012, becoming Strait's first single to miss the Top 10 since "Twang" in 2009.