Newbie Alcoholic Beverage Advice

@spwath

A shot can be so many things. 10 shots of B52 (for instance) isn't bad because there isn't actually that much alcohol in it and the cream softens the blow a bit. But if you're talking ten 1.5 oz shots of 100 proof liquor that's quite a bit.

 

I mean, idk how much a shot was. We just filled little cups a little, estimating a shot.

 

Well, let's put it like this. 10 shots of 1.5 Oz 100% proof rum is the equivalent of drinking nearly a full bottle of Jack (JD is 80 proof if I remember correctly). Maybe you didn't drink quite that much if you weren't measuring the shot, or maybe you were.

I'm not really condemning or condoning, I did my share of heavy drinking in my youth as well. But if you can handle this amount of alcohol this easily when you're only 18 you may want to watch out later in your life. When you're 18 your body is invincible, but once you get into your late 20's and 30's and keep drinking like that it may lead to all kinds of problems. Especially since your alcohol tolerance tends to only increase as you get older.

I'm not saying don't go partying, enjoy life while you're young. Have fun, life was meant for living etc. But be sensible, give your body time to recover. If you go drinking like this in the weekends you should stay away from alcohol during the weekdays and do sports to compensate etc. At least that would be my 2 cents.

 

Yeah, I only do it on the weekends, and I go to the gym a lot (try to go every day, but don't quite do that)

 

I doubt anyone here really cares how much other members can drink. I know I don't. My friend Ryan can put down that much in about 4 hours and be ok. It would probably put me in the hospital.

What I do care about is seeing a valued member of this community apparently drinking a lot at single settings. But I don't know you. That could be fine for you.

I've lost 4 friends to DUIs car wrecks, and a couple family members to alcoholism. I could preach. I won't. Just be smart. We trust you.

 

I mean, it seems to be fine. I was still very much in control of myself. And I would never drink and drive, or get in a car with someone who has.

 

Cool. We'd be shitty friends if we didn't express concern, though, ya know? My buddy Ryan and I had a similar chat. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to get down on you. Just making sure you're good.

 

Sorry, couldn't quite parse the "oneoa" bit. But yeah, while it might not seem like much in terms of volume, the alcohol content in those 10 shots is kinda out there. Definitely above what I'd recommend a new-ish drinker take.

Also, the fact that you just estimated the shots leaves a fair margin of error. You could have downed anywhere from 6-15 shots total in my experience. Visuals are one of the first things to go when inebriation hits, right after higher thought processes

A bit of an aside: one of the reasons I spend a lot of time on here, the great audio advice aside, is the fact that it's like we're all one big group of, well, friends. Some are better friends than others since they get to see each other in person, while you have strange folk like me who live halfway across the globe from most, but I like to think we give a crap about each other since you usually just see the same ol' people around.

The concern some people are showing is proof (hah) of that, I feel.

Lots of people get fucked up on alcohol way too easily and too often for their own good. You're just starting out, so pace yourself— you're still just getting a feel for your limits. Perhaps not the most convincing advice coming from someone who lost his dinner and ended up puking all over a Christmas gift meant for a friend in grad school (looooooooong story), but sincerely offered.

Cheers, @spwath, and good job on the exercise. That's... something I need to accustom myself to all over again

 

Oh the memories. When I was your age I chased beer. It really wasn't the kill for me, it was the thrill of the chase (insert Van Halen joke here)

I was your magical age during the drinking age transition from 18 to 19 to 21. I turned 18, I could drink legally for 2 months, then I couldn't again when the law changed in the new year. Then 10 months of illegal beer chasing at "questionable convenience stores" again. Then 14 months again of legal drinking. Then 10 months of it being illegal again. There's a lesson in bureaucratic idiocy somewhere there...

 

My advice? Don't drink to get wasted. In fact, don't get wasted at all. Nothing good comes from it and I can't tell you how many lives I seen ruined by it. I drink now to enjoy the taste of what I am drinking or to explore new tastes that I may or may not like. I get buzzed but not so bad that I don't know what the hell I am doing. You don't have to get shit-faced to have fun. In fact, you end up having more fun if you don't.

Based on what I have read here I would guess I will be ridiculed for my advice and called a kill-joy. But, I am not and fun is not a functioned of how many shots you can down before you throw up or pass out.

 

@winders

Nah, I kind of agree. I got really stupid drunk in my youth because it was fun at parties and everyone ended up doing crazy shit. These days slowly sipping something over the course of an evening is where I'm at. Quality over quantity etc.

Overall I've found this graph to be pretty true:

 

IME "still very much in control of myself" is really hard to tell when you've been drinking a bunch. While you might think you're totally cool and frosty, your own perceptions are naturally being affected, and it's nearly impossible to keep an objective view of your own actions. Try having someone take a video of you (while you're not aware) for a bit after 10 shots and my guess is that if you watch it while your totally sober you'll see less control than you think (try being the one sober person in a room of inebriated people and you'll also get a good viewpoint - all the things that were so smart and/or hilarious to those who had been drinking aren't nearly as smart or funny). Additionally, the tipping points that lead from drunk to stupid drunk, and then stupid drunk to blacked out are like blind corners, where you won't really know what's coming until it's too late. Cheers

 

I believe I meant to say once a week... not really sure though. It was pretty late, I was tired. I guess even sober I don't really know what I'm saying.

I don't think I ever got wasted. IDK, hard to tell. I was having a good time, and talking with some of my less drunk at the moment friends, they said I was fine.

I saw some videos of me, I didn't do anything too stupid, and I remember it all. I was having a light saber/sword fight with my friend. Nothing too not in control or anything.


I do appreciate all the sentiments from everyone. Its nice to know that this forum really cares. I don't think I have ever had to much, but Ill start to take it more seriously after all the concern. I try to already too. Space it out over time, have food (maybe next time not buffalo wings...), drink water, etc. I have had no negative effect so far, so I think I am good, but I shouldn't drink much more than I had before in one night. Anyways, thanks, and sorry for kinda hijacking this thread into 3 pages.

 

If you had 10 shots, yes, you were wasted. You are already doing a classic alcoholic staple. You are rationalizing your condition while drinking. Just be aware of it.

 

I was talking to my friends the next morning, and they all thought I was good, but I see what you are saying.

 

Real talk: Drink less. Spend time with women. Not with the goal of getting laid, just spend time with them.

Basically, drink half of what you're doing and spend twice the time with women.

Even if you are just trying to start a conversation, you will get shut down fairly often. This is fine and nothing to be concerned except as a helpful guide for your own behavior.

 

Double 0 is still 0. Honestly I am pretty bad a starting a conversation with a woman. Well maybe I'm not bad at it, but I'm too afraid to do it. Getting off topic, but yeah idk. I'm good once I am somehow forced to talk due to a while of close proximity, but that doesn't happen that much. Idk, this has nothing to do with this topic though.

 

Liquid courage @spwath...

2 drinks should be perfect, and 10 shot should have you in a place where women will tell other women bad stories about you...

Is anybody else secretly judging @spwath 's father for not teaching this boy at least a few things here. My kids know alcohol, because I explain it to them, and never let their peers influence their opinion. (well I like to think that anyways)

 

Other problem is that when we drink, there are usually no women. We don't know many. All my friends are engineering majors, kinda hard to meet women.
Anyway, I feel like a mod should clean up this thread, maybe move all of this stuff into something like "spwath learns life lessons"

 

I feel like the fabled Ballmer Peak applies to conversation skills as much as it applies to coding. Alcohol won't magically make you more competent at speaking to women if that's what you're going for. It will make you THINK you're more competent at talking to women though. And sure, that confidence is sexy up to a point, but rambling for 25 minutes over a story that you don't even have an ending to isn't. Gotta find that fine point of liquid courage but functioning brain capacity.

Also, go to networking events, especially ones with booze. Some of the best mentors and contacts I've made were while I was drinking at a networking event. There's a large number of engineers/engineering graduates who are now in businessy type fields, and that's a good connection point to just get started talking. Conversation is a practiced skill and the more you use it, the better you'll get at it.

Back to the topic of alcohol; drink stuff at bars because you enjoy the taste of it, not because you want to get drunk or tipsy. If being drunk and having a great time is the end goal, pre-drinking is advisable for the sake of your wallet. Saves you many a dollar over finding out you drank $30 worth of highballs and don't even have a decent buzz going yet.