One of the most asked questions is how much alcohol is too much. The answer is not too complicated. The CDCP’s dietary guidelines for alcohol advise max two standard beverages for men and only one for women a day. Keep in mind that one drink serving includes one beer of 12 ounces (0.35 l).
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism recommends no more than three to four drinks per special occasion. On the other hand, beer admirers often want to know how to drink more beer without negative consequences. It is a bit complicated to determine, but we can try. Let’s see.
What Affects Alcohol Tolerance
There are a few tips that can help you drink beer you like without negative consequences.
The package types
Believe it or not, the container significantly affects your beer and changes its flavor.
- Draft – This beer type has the freshest taste since its flow is quick.
- Can – Since the can prevent exposure to light, canned beer usually tastes fresher than bottled.
- Bottle – Clear glass will significantly affect the beverage since beer exposed to light loses its freshness over time.
Beer type
The rule of thumb is to find the right beer type because it will reduce the possibility of getting drunk quickly.
- Ale – This dark beer with a cloudy appearance has a strong, fruity flavor and a higher alcohol percentage.
- Lager – This light beer with a sweet, crisp, and smooth flavor and clear appearance has a lower alcohol percentage and high sugar content.
- Porter – It is the darkest, almost black beer available with high alcohol content, often over 10% ABV.
Storing
Always store beer far away from the sunlight since it negatively affects its freshness. Avoid storing it in the fridge for a long since the low temperature can change its taste. The better option is to put your beverage there for approximately ten minutes before drinking it. One more thing! Unlike wine, you need to keep the beer bottle upright.
Serving
Once you are ready to drink your beverage, pour it into the glass center, from the high of about 1 inch (2.5 cm) above the glass. Never use frosted glasses to save the carbonation intact. Then, wait for a while until the foam settles, and drink your beer in small sips for the full flavor.
How Much Alcohol
When it comes to beer, a standard drink includes a bottle or can of one mid-strength beverage. Remember that your body needs one hour to process one standard drink that contains approximately 0.35 ounces (10 g) of alcohol (ethanol).
Therefore, you shouldn’t drink more than one standard drink per hour to allow your body to process it appropriately. Be aware that many factors influence the amount of alcohol you can handle, including:
Age
Alcohol tolerance decreases with your age because of muscle mass decrease. You can notice that experienced drinkers can intake more beer than teenagers. However, they will become drunk quicker than at their young age.
Gender
It is scientifically proven that the average woman needs to drink less beer to get drunk than a man. The reason is less water percentage and higher fat content in her body.
Body type
You have probably noticed that two people who drink identical amounts of the same beer type react differently. A reason is their body types that affect the speed at which they get drunk and make drunkenness an entirely subjective experience.
Weight
The fact is that your weight directly affects how fast you can get drunk. For instance, after only two beers, you can become intoxicated if you weigh 100 pounds (45 kg). However, you need to drink at least three beverages to feel the first signs of drunkenness if you have 200 pounds (91 kg).
Height
Tall people’s circulatory system is lengthier, and alcohol better distributes through their bloodstream. Therefore, you can drink more beer before getting drunk if you are tall.
Ways to Improve Beer Drinking Experience
After drinking a standard beer, your small intestine absorbs it, and alcohol goes to the gastrointestinal veins and portal vein to the liver, where enzymes metabolize it.
Keep in mind that your body removes only 8% of the alcohol through urine, so regular peeing won’t help you when overdoing it with a drink. Therefore, you need to find a way to increase the body’s alcohol tolerance. Let’s follow a few best tips to do it.
1. Drink plenty of water
Drinking beer will force urination, which may lead to dehydration. That is the reason for a horrible hangover the following morning. Since a dehydrated brain can’t function well, you will also feel drunk and reluctant.
You can delay intoxication and prevent any inconvenience when drinking a glass of water per beer, no matter how strange and unnatural it may seem to you to ingest so much fluid.
2. Eating before drinking
Avoid drinking beer on an empty stomach since your body will absorb alcohol faster when you are hungry. On the other hand, the food will significantly delay alcohol absorption into the bloodstream.
Having a nice dinner before a party is a solution you are looking for, especially when you are not sure how to drink more beer without the unpleasant consequences of excessive consumption.
The best option is to eat foods rich in proteins and fats to stimulate the enterogastrone hormone release. It will slow intestinal peristalsis and decrease the stomach empties rate.
3. Food to avoid before drinking
Remember that the wrong meal can precede an exciting night out or a complete disaster, depending on the food you consume. I will list a few food types you should avoid before drinking beer to prevent unpleasant drunkenness.
- Energy drinks – Sugary from these drinks will help you get drunk quicker because of higher alcohol production. Don’t mix them when planning to drink more beer without undesired consequences.
- Salty snacks – Salt combined with alcohol will lead to dehydration, so you should avoid mixing your beer with snacks like pretzels, chips, and popcorn.
- Sushi – Raw fish usually don’t sound delicious in combination with alcohol, but it is not the only problem with this food. It is a custom to dunk a crunchy tuna roll in highly salty soy sauce. As I have already mentioned, the salt will cause dehydration and a severe hangover the next morning.
- French fries – A huge pile of greasy French fries will form a grease layer in your stomach. It will probably cause vomiting after drinking a few beers.
- Spicy food – If such food usually upsets your stomach, you will have more problems after drinking a few beers. In short, spicy food and alcohol don’t go together.
- Salad – Unfortunately, consuming this food before drinking alcohol will have the same result as drinking on an empty stomach. In a situation when you want to drink more beer, meat is a better solution.
4. Take a rest before the party
Nothing is easier than getting drunk after a hard-working day because fatigue leads to less efficient alcohol elimination in the liver. As a result, the blood alcohol concentration will become higher than usual for a shorter time.
Plus, alcohol is a depressant, and its consumption increases the fatigue level and effects that alcohol has on the body. As you can conclude, having a rest before the party will allow you to drink more beer than usual without a bad headache the day after.
5. Consume active yeast
Boston Beer Chairman Jim Koch recommends taking a teaspoon of yeast before starting drinking beer. It claims that this procedure practically disables you from getting drunk because enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase breaks alcohol down into oxygen, carbon, and hydrogen.
That way, your body will destroy alcohol before getting into the bloodstream and reach your brains. It will be enough to mix the dry yeast with yogurt and drink it before the party. It will increase your tolerance for beer for sure.
6. Never mix alcohol with caffeine
When you want to drink more beer without getting drunk too fast, it is wise to avoid coffee. Yes, caffeine will keep you awake but can’t keep you sober. In fact, caffeine will trick your body, so you can believe you are far from the limit of drunkenness.
As a result, you can face a severe blackout after mixing these two liquids. One more thing! Caffeine is a diuretic that will lead to additional dehydration and help you to get drunk quickly.
When to Avoid Beer
There is a bunch of evidence that beer has significant health benefits, but it is not safe for anyone due to the amount of alcohol it contains. Therefore, people with particular health conditions should avoid this beverage, including:
- Very young people
- Pregnant or breastfeeding women or those who plan a pregnancy
- People suffering from gout, resistance heartburn, stomach ulcer, and liver-related complications
- People on meds
- Those who feel depressed or suffer from insomnia
Summary
It is often impossible to control the level of alcohol intake, especially when you are in an excellent company. Therefore, you can quickly drink more beer than you realize. One of the best ways to be aware of your status is to count the bottles you drink or ask someone to help you control your beer intake.
Always remember to drink responsibly! Thank you for sharing this article.