At such times things happened.

Men like Joe Goose dated existence from drunk to drunk.

The longshoremen all looked forward to their Saturday night drunk.

We of the oyster boats waited until we had disposed of our cargoes before we got really started, though a scattering of drinks and a meeting of a chance friend sometimes precipitated an accidental drunk.
In ways, the accidental drunks were the best.

Stranger and more exciting things happened at such times.