Back in 2010, I was out grabbing a few drinks with a friend when he took a turn for the tipsy. His sudden inebriation took me by surprise since it didn’t seem like he had ordered many drinks. As my friend staggered toward the bathroom, I turned to the bartender.

Me: I don’t get it. He’s only had four drinks all night.

Bartender: What’s he been drinking?

Me: Long Island Iced Teas.

Bartender: Wait, he’s had four Long Island Iced Teas? Four of our Long Island Iced Teas?

Me: Yeah, why?

Bartender: Your buddy hasn’t had four drinks; he’s had like ten or twelve. You’d better get him home. How many drinks have you had? Did you guys drive? I can call you a cab if you need it.

I learned an important lesson that night, and I’ve never forgotten it:

A “drink” is an often misunderstood quantity.

We frequently say someone has had “two drinks” to mean they’ve consumed two glasses, but in actuality, they may have had far more. When used properly, the word “drink” refers to a specific intake of alcohol in the following amounts:

1 Drink =
12 oz of most beers,
4 oz of most wines,
or 1.5 oz of most liquors.

I say “most” because, in all of these situations, there’s some fluctuation in ABV (alcohol by volume). For example, most of the liquors I use in cocktails are around 40% ABV or “80 proof”; however, there are exceptions. For example, I have a rare bourbon on my shelf that is almost 60% ABV, and back in college, a lot of my friends enjoyed mixing drinks with Bacardi 151, which is a whopping 75.5% ABV. Needless to say, 1.5 oz of 40% ABV liquor contain significantly less alcohol than 1.5 oz of 60-75% ABV liquor. And now consider the fact that most cocktails contain around 2.5-3 oz of spirits (i.e. two “drinks” according to the measurements above), and it should be clear: there’s a little math involved in drinking responsibly. Use caution with the cocktails.

Of course, here in Jacksonville, the cocktail scene is fairly small, but we have a much larger community surrounding craft beer. Craft breweries are very conscientious about moderation since craft beers often have higher ABVs than the mass-produced stuff. Have you ever been to a local brewery and been served an 8 oz goblet of beer instead of the standard 12 oz glass? The brewery isn’t shortchanging you; they’re looking out for your safety by giving you a smaller serving of a higher ABV beer. Most breweries will also display the ABV on their menus so informed customers can monitor how much alcohol they’re consuming. For these brewers, artistry outweighs inebriation, and besides, no one wants to get sued. If you want to drink and be safe about it, there are few safer places than a local brewery’s taproom.

Of course, we can’t heap all the responsibility on the breweries. We’re still responsible for our own actions and choices.

A counselor taught me a great trick a few years ago: don’t just track how much you’re drinking per night; track how much you’re drinking per week. For example, having two drinks in a night doesn’t sound too bad, but having fourteen drinks a week shows a deeper pattern. If your weekly number is higher than you’d like, ask yourself why.
If you drink to relax, what’s stressing you out so much?
If you drink to have fun, has your life felt somehow boring lately?
If you’re not even sure why you drink, it’s time for some deeper introspection, preferably with the help of a counselor.

The culture and creativity surrounding alcohol are a lot of fun, but we still need to approach drinking with caution. For those who choose to drink, moderation is key, and always counting your drinks –per glass, per night, and per week– is a great start.