How Many Ounces of Alcohol Before You Know You've Had Enough?

[Fast_Eddy]

It takes about 8 oz of alcohol(or 100 oz of 8% abv) beer before I really start to think that I'm about done drinking (maybe have one more ;) ). Of course it's usually over the course of an evening - say 3-4 hours.

What is your tolerance?

[wortchillergoal]

I think it is much less now that a son, 4yrs, has been my main focal point. One of the pubs I went to often would let me drink Anchor Foghorn by multiple pints and not take my keys, but those days are gone. for the better.

[hopjack13]

the last time i got really faded was around thnxgiving, me and my bro (the oldest)had 2 (1 each) alesmith i.p.a.s 22oz, 4 arrogant bastards 22oz(2each) some other weird beer with a canoe on flames in the sky and a devil on it. 750ml between both of us. a ruination and a 12 pac of seirra navada celebration 2002. ... . i think that was it ,oh and a fullers 1845 , over a period of about 5 hours ,i'll never do that again. me and my bro can put them away when we get together,we went to the store to get some brew and things got out of hand, thats why i've only seen him once sence then. the norm for me is 2 22oz maybe three in one day and only on weekends. i won't drink during the week, or sometimes i'll have a six pack of bridgeport i.p.a in a day, although i sometimes go 7 or 8 depending on how much is in the fridge. damn i could go for a bridgeport now and it's only wednesday.....thnx alot eddy!:(

[Fast_Eddy]

Now I'm not asking about how many ounces before you're totally blitzed - instead how many ounces of alcohol before you start really feeling it. Anybody can keep on drinking after a point - but how much does it take to get to that point? The point where you have a good buzz but you're still a good ways away from the "I Love You, Man" stage.

BTW, who said 15+? That's like 150 oz of 10% abv - geez I would be totally hammered - like knee crawling, puking hammered.

[b3s]

15 was me...you asked "how many before you are done" -- on weekends 15 beers is not out of line...over a six hour period...although i often cut that short and go to mixers...that's a little more than two beers an hour. you also did not specify a time period...when at the bar for extended periods of time i feel obligated to "pay rent" so to speak, so i deem 2 beers an hour to be adequate for those purposes.

[Fast_Eddy]

I was thinking the answer was the number of beers - so like 15(@12 oz each) beers that are 6% abv that's like 10.8 oz of alcohol.

I still don't think I want to get into a beer drinking contest with you ;)

Oh yeah - for a time period - let's say 4-5 hours

[danno]

well, I suppose "it depends" is a total copout answer...

But, that's what I'm going with. Right now i'm having a first pint of my 8.5% abv Belgian golden ale, and halfway through it, I can feel the warmth. Contrast that to another beer I have on tap, a sweet stout, it isn't until the second or third pint that you start to notice the alcohol, even though it's half the abv of the belgian. My point is, I think concentration matters, (somewhat) irrespective of volume.

PS: I wrote the above before I even voted, and it turns out I'm the lightweight around here... It may have as much to do with the fact that I tend to stop drinking before I get to anywhere near the sloppy drunk stage. My stepson's father is a raging alcoholic (how's 9 DWI's sound?) so even though I'm a homebrewer, my cutoff point is probably fairly low, given the "family" history...

[hopjack13]

.Now I'm not asking about how many ounces before you're totally blitzed - instead how many ounces of alcohol before you start really feeling it.



Euphoria (BAC = 0.03 to 0.12 percent)
They become more self-confident or daring.
Their attention span shortens.
They may look flushed.
Their judgement is not as good -- they may say the first thought that comes to mind, rather than an appropriate comment for the given situation.
They have trouble with fine movements, such as writing or signing their name.

Excitement (BAC = 0.09 to 0.25 percent)
They become sleepy.
They have trouble understanding or remembering things (even recent events).
They do not react to situations as quickly (if they spill a drink they may just stare at it).
Their body movements are uncoordinated.
They begin to lose their balance easily.
Their vision becomes blurry.
They may have trouble sensing things (hearing, tasting, feeling, etc.).

Confusion (BAC = 0.18 to 0.30 percent)
They are confused -- might not know where they are or what they are doing.
They are dizzy and may stagger.
They may be highly emotional -- aggressive, withdrawn or overly affectionate.
They cannot see clearly.
They are sleepy.
They have slurred speech.
They have uncoordinated movements (trouble catching an object thrown to them).
They may not feel pain as readily as a sober person.

Stupor (BAC = 0.25 to 0.4 percent)
They can barely move at all.
They cannot respond to stimuli.
They cannot stand or walk.
They may vomit.
They may lapse in and out of consciousness.

Coma (BAC = 0.35 to 0.50 percent)
They are unconscious.
Their reflexes are depressed (i.e. their pupils do not respond appropriately to changes in light).
They feel cool (lower-than-normal body temperature).
Their breathing is slower and more shallow.
Their heart rate may slow.
They may die.

Death (BAC more than 0.50 percent) - The person usually stops breathing and dies

[threecb]

Originally posted by hopjack13
some other weird beer with a canoe on flames in the sky and a devil on it.

that'd be unibroue's maudite (http://www.unibroue.com/products/maudite.cfm) for those keeping score at home.

real cheery topic, btw ;) !

I guess i'm a lightweight too, but anything more than a six-pack of a 6-7% ipa over 4-5 hours should make most people "feel it". The body doesn't process/clear the alcohol out of the bloodstream efficiently until you stop drinking, so the cumulative effects over that time period should put you in your cups if there is no break.

[Richard English]

It depends on the period.

Maybe six pints in an evening; ten pints in a day.

But that's medium strength Real Ale, of course.

If I'm drinking Welton's Pride and Joy (2.7abv) I would probably be able to keep drinking until I was ready to go home since I reckon to metabolise the alcohol as quickly as the Welton's can supply it.

[Fast_Eddy]

Originally posted by hopjack13
[B].

.....

Stupor (BAC = 0.25 to 0.4 percent)
They can barely move at all.
They cannot respond to stimuli.
They cannot stand or walk.
They may vomit.
They may lapse in and out of consciousness.

.............
B]


Those categories seem a little odd. For instance, I've blown chunks many times but have definitely still been able to respond to stimuli, stand and walk, and not pass out.

But if I had to use them I would say that I'm shooting for "Excitement" w/o the sleepy part. It's pretty rare for me to drink enough to get sick these days :(

[hopjack13]

i don't think all the syptoms apply to every one but for each stage certianly one or two do . i try not to leave the euphoric stage. just enough to smooth out those rough edges is all i need, shoulders drop , tension gone , i just want to relax and enjoy .

[Bman]

I will stop at three pints-sometimes four-depending on how long I am at a bar- I do not like to drive after drinking-having had an Uncle killed by a drunk driver-however I am a big guy-when I am on the road for business-I always stop at 2 pints-do no want to lose my job because I got hammered then drove from a brewpub visit

[Herb Ninja]

On the rare occasion with friends I might drink 6 5%alc. beers over a couple hours. Ive never puked just from beer, but hards I have and I NEVER wish to do that again. Usually 3 or 4 beers is the limit and I would never drive under the infulence of alcohol. I hope that nobody would drive after drinking, too many people have died that way, its stupid, selfish, and wrong.:(

[hops99]

I've always been fascinated by the varied effects that alcohol has on me and others. I know that conventional wisdom states that alcohol's effect is predicated on things like your body mass, how much food is in your stomach, how much water you drink to stay hydrated while you consume alcohol, whether or not you mix drinks (or even types of beer), etc.

For me though, I've never been able to pinpoint a rhyme or reason as to alcohol's effects on my body. Now, I don't drink copius amounts of beer that often anymore (I'm married with kids and have a job that keeps me on call most of the time), but I still manage to have a few more than I should a couple of days out of the year.

As a general rule, I can throw back 4 or 5 pints at 6 or 7% before I start to feel a little buzz. After 7 or 8 pints, I think I enter the "excitement" phase, and I know that I'm usually done at 10 pints. The problem is, there may be mornings after having only 6 pints that I feel like roadkill, and there may be some mornings after having 9 or 10 that I feel like a champ. It's strange. As a general rule though, on most ordinary evenings at home after getting the kids to bed, I'll have 2 or 3 - the perfect amount to just relax and enjoy the beer.

[b3s]

i am reminded of something gerge carlin once said...what's the point of an immune system if you don't use it? eat food off of the floor, etc. (i can't remember much more of this skit)...i think the same is true of tolerance, you've gotta practice...daily...just like athletes :D

[hopjack13]

i'll buy that! im going to start building my tolerance now i think;)

[b3s]

remember, it's a marathon, not a race :D some people call it drinking, i consider it 16 oz. curls -- i'm body lifting!

[hopjack13]

ahhh yes...and when running a marathon or weight training be sure to drink plenty of fluids :D

[b3s]

lol...and remember when doing your weight training that while large weights at a small number reps (e.g. yards) build bulk, it's the small weights with the large number of reps (e.g. imperial pints) that build tone :D it also helps to imitate the count from sesame street (one, one pint of beer, hahaha...two, two pints of beer, hahahaha).

this body brought to you by vitamin beer

[Richard English]

It's good to hear from someone who believes that "a small one" is an Imperial pint!

You must have acquired your drinking habits in the same school as did I!

[b3s]

Originally posted by Richard English
It's good to hear from someone who believes that "a small one" is an Imperial pint!

You must have acquired your drinking habits in the same school as did I!

a cornfield in southeastern Wisconsin?

i think for me it was the finishing school that did it :D

[hopjack13]

at a bar once they brought me a beer in a 12oz glass?????
"i didn't order a shot " i told her " don't you have any beer glasses?"

[balinier]

depends on the day, but I would say perhaps 2 6 oz glasses of my cranberry melomel. I figure it to be around 18-20% though. Although it is entertaining to watch beer and wine drinkers try to keep up the pace with a decent mead. ;-)

[b3s]

Originally posted by hopjack13
at a bar once they brought me a beer in a 12oz glass?????
"i didn't order a shot " i told her " don't you have any beer glasses?"

sheesh! i mean, if it's not bad enough with these stupid 16 oz. pints getting fobbed off on us, i can't imagine getting a 12 oz. glass of beer!

[Fast_Eddy]

Originally posted by b3s
sheesh! i mean, if it's not bad enough with these stupid 16 oz. pints getting fobbed off on us, i can't imagine getting a 12 oz. glass of beer!

The only time I drink beer out of the bottle anymore is when I'm trying to fill one of my pint glasses using 12 oz bottles. I fill my pint up using two bottles and then kill the last swallow straight from the second bottle.

[b3s]

yeah, i know how that goes...i solved that problem with a set of imperial pint glasses here :D my next stop is building my own 2-tap kegerator.

[Fast_Eddy]

Originally posted by b3s
yeah, i know how that goes...i solved that problem with a set of imperial pint glasses here my next stop is building my own 2-tap kegerator.

Kegerators kick a** - I 've three on tap in the garage now and I am the envy of all of the male neighbors.

I mostly only use imperial pint glasses (approx 20 oz) - except for when I use my massive psuedo-weizen glass - it's about 45 oz. You know I've had a rough day when you see me filling that bad boy up a few times ;)

Actually England could solve my drinking from the bottle problem by making an imperial pint be 25 oz - just enough to hold two 12 oz's with a little space for head. Let's start a movement. Just kidding, Richard.

[hopjack13]

Originally posted by b3s
sheesh! i mean, if it's not bad enough with these stupid 16 oz. pints getting fobbed off on us, i can't imagine getting a 12 oz. glass of beer!

oh and if thats not bad enough, at home my little 12oz bottle of beer wont really fill up my 16oz pint glass, and 2 12oz bottle don't quite fit in my 23oz pilsner glass.... who was the smart ass who thought this system up!

[Fast_Eddy]

Originally posted by hopjack13
oh and if thats not bad enough, at home my little 12oz bottle of beer wont really fill up my 16oz pint glass, and 2 12oz bottle don't quite fit in my 23oz pilsner glass.... who was the smart ass who thought this system up!

Same guy that came up with the system of 8 hot dog buns/pack and 6 hot dogs/pack.

[chazwicke]

Originally posted by Fast_Eddy
Same guy that came up with the system of 8 hot dog buns/pack and 6 hot dogs/pack.

A little off topic but I once heard that Oprah Winfrey was on one of her famous diets and had nothing to eat in her house. So she ate an eight pack of hotdog buns smothered in Log Cabin syrup.



Back on topic: I had a device that neutralizes alcohol surgically implanted in my throat when I was in Morrocco. Alcohol does not effect me.

[hopjack13]

geee i've never heard that one before..lol;)