drinking for the first time

linconpark

so this friday me and 4 mates[we're all 18] are going drinking for the first time.
just wondering what alcohol is best for first timers and how much to drink so that you're a little drunk but not completely.

coolcat63

If it's the first time you've tried alcohol you'll be very surprised by a/ how wonderful you feel on the night and b/ how dreadful you feel the next day (or days!). Try to alternate soft drinks (or water) with alcoholic ones, stick to beer rather than wine or spirits and as soon as you start to feel slightly woozy, stop drinking...if you don't you will be sick. Fact.

Reesy

+1 to that advice. You might ensure you eat well before you go out - I also often drink a pint of milk before I go out, to help slow the effects of alcohol.

Oh, and would you think of trying a drink or two alone, earlier this week, to get the feel of it?

DanTheMan91

I would advise you to eat before you head out, for every 2 pints you have, drink one pint of water. I too would suggest you have a few drinks at home first just to see how you react. Also, take your time, do not try to impress or keep up with your friends, know your own limit.

L.Jenkins

I don't want to advertise, but check out drinkaware.ie for some good advice. I wouldn't consider it a good idea that you give into peer pressure and go all out nuts for your first session. So keep it kosher and enjoy a few without going out to find your limit.

ziedth

It's very easy to drink 3 drinks feel great and loose the run of yourself. Stick to pints and take your time. No more then two in an hour.

Stay well away from shots and shorts.

Noo

Beer tastes so nasty if you've never had it before, can take some getting used to, that's why i think the beer idea is a good one you're less likely to start knocking them back.

For something a little nicer on the taste buds i suggest alcopops, ok not the most manly of options and maybe not what a table of lads in a pub would usually drink but they're good for beginners. If you're not used to drinking a few will get you tipsy but like drinking say bottles of coke or 7up or anything sweet too many will make ya feel kinda nauseous so ya won't really be able to drink enough to get proper drunk.



Its all about self control, knowing that you've reached your limit and have to stop. Easier said then done on your first try but you'll learn, most likely the hard way with your head in the toilet, but if you take it easy it won't come to that. My final bit of advise that i live by is... You'll never regret not having just one more drink.

Hank Scorpio

Doesn't matter how much you drink, its whats you drink and how fast imo.

I'd stick to a few pints of lager and spread each pint out by at least 30 mins, remember to eat a decent meal beforehand and you`ll be grand.

cafecolour

If you've never drank before, you're going to be pretty well along after a pint or two, depending on your size. Honestly, you might want to keep it to about 4-5 pints max for the evening.

And as everyone has said, eat. Alchohol on an empty stomach absolutely destroys you.

KittyeeTrix

Personally, I'd say don't drink pints... Have the bottles instead if your going for a lager or beer. Pints always wreck me but find I'm grand with bottles

seamus

Go down to the off licence this week and buy yourself two cans of Miller. Throw them in the fridge and then drink them both while chilling out in front of the TV after dinner. Take your time, no need to down them, just drink them like you have a pint of tea sitting there.

Two should be enough for you to feel the buzz and Miller is inoffensive enough.

jester77

My first time was Guinness, I found it very bitter and wasn't sure if I liked it. After 2 or 3 nights I started to enjoy it. The lager that's served in pubs from tap in Ireland is generally not nice, you'll soon realise this after you start sampling beers from around the world. Find a pub with a good rep for serving quality beer or get some bottles from the off-license, cans can leave an after taste that spoils the beer. For the first time 3 pints or 4 x 330ml bottles of <5% beer would be more than plenty. Just don't throw the beer back, take it easy and make sure your stomach is not empty before starting.

A0

linconpark wrote: »

so this friday me and 4 mates[we're all 18] are going drinking for the first time.
just wondering what alcohol is best for first timers and how much to drink so that you're a little drunk but not completely.

Why do you want to drink alcohol?
If you really want to drink alcoholic beverages, a glass of wine or a pint of beer will be more than enough. You just want to be tipsy, drinking too much is not good anyway.

pragmatic1

If you're going to drink, stick to beer. 3-5 would be more than enough for your first time drinking.

Firetrap

Be careful what you drink. Don't mix your drinks e.g hopping from beer to vodka to bacardi to God knows what. As mentioned before, stay away from spirits and shots. And cocktails, though I doubt you'll be having those. The danger with alcopops and things like a vodka & coke are that they taste more like your average soft drink and you can fall into the trap of drinking too many of them too quickly. Then, wham! You realise all too late that you've overdone it and then you spend half the night puking your guts up in the toilet.. You'll also see people drinking things like red bull and vodka. Again, not to be recommended.

LegacyUser

Responsible Answer: An example of a "standard drink" - (term used for measuring purposes), is a half pint of beer/cider.
Binge drinking is defined as having six or more "standard" servings in one sitting.
So therefore you should definitely not be having more than 3 pints in one sitting.

However it is also considered an increased risk to drink more than 4 standard drinks in one sitting if male, and more than 3 standard drinks in one sitting if female which would equate to roughly 2 pints for a male and 1 - 1and a half for a female.


Other standard drinks servings include: small glass of wine
single measure of spirits (shot)
An alcopop drink is approx 1 and a half standard drinks.

You can drink a little more shots of some liquers than spirits and still stay in the safe/non binging category.
Liqueurs such as Peach Schnaps, Mickey Finns, Baileys, Malibu etc.

For example if you are female 4 (50ml) servings equates to only 2.7 "standard drinks", which is below the recommended 3 standard drinks for women.

A male could drink 5 of these servings of Baileys and still be just at 4.08 standard servings, which is just over the upper limit of recommended max of 4 standard servings for males.

Neither of these would fall into the 6 or more standard drinks binging definition either.

Here is a very useful calculator, just click your gender, then the drink and quantity. Don't forget to scroll to the right volume of alcohol in the list eg. glass, or pint, or can. Also don't forget to clear your calculator selection if you want to test another alcohol type.
http://www.drinkaware.ie/index.php?sid=11&pid=418


I personally much prefer the taste of cider over beer. You can get berry, and pear flavoured ciders, although my favourite is just the original plain apple ciders. Bulmers and Koppaberg are nice.

Malibu and Coke, or Peach Schnaps and Orange Juice are sweet but tasty and not very strong because they are liquers, but would still give you a nice little buzz.

I personally love Bacardi & coke, and also Hennessy and coke, but these might be a little strong for your first time drinking.

Don't do what I did, and drink a whole naggin of vodka for yr first time drinking, and NEVER mix beer and wine! The pukey results will not be pleasant........:o

Lots of people (myself included) don't always follow the standard drinks rules but I thought I should post them all the same, because I thought it would be the healthiest and safest advice to give you. I'm only early 20's but I drink very rarely myself these days, got a bit bored of it all, but it can still be a good laugh when used occasionally and not every single weekend.

Take extra care for your personal safety when under the influence.
Don't walk home alone, and stay in well lit areas, use a reputable taxi.
Do not get into fights.
Keep your drink with you at all times incase of spiking.
If you're not looking for drunk sex keep your friends close to you, if you are looking for a bit of action make sure that whilst sober you take some condoms with you. Actually just take condoms with you either way, because I think we've all heard the stories of people getting stds or an unplanned pregnancy by things happening in "the heat of the moment" whilst tipsy.

I think it's good that you waited to be a bit older.
Oh yeah, and last bit of advice is to have fun!:)

LegacyUser

OP, do also bear in mind, you do not HAVE TO have a drink. You can have fun without alcohol.

I don't drink, I abhor the damage it does and have seen so many people dragged along with their peers thinking it's the thing to do.

If you do take a drink, try to be sensible. It's easier to go with the crowd than to be yourself, sometimes. Alcohol, unfortunately, is one of those substances where sense doesn't be long taking a back seat.

ziedth

Also, leave a big glass of water beside your bed as when your going to bed. Trust me it will save your life.

LegacyUser

Top tip: Learn when to stop!

The best way to enjoy drinking is try stay merry all night, its very hard but better than getting plastered.
Listen to me when i say this is the best skill a drinker can have.

Beruthiel

takeiteasy& you'll be fine wrote: »

You can drink a little more shots of some liquers than spirits and still stay in the safe/non binging category.
Liqueurs such as Peach Schnaps, Mickey Finns, Baileys, Malibu etc.

IMO a first time drinker should stay well clear of shots. A novice has no judgement on how many they can manage until it's too late.

OP
Beer should be your first type of drink to take. It is lower on alcohol than most other drinks.
Drink water between drinks.

Understand that it can take a little while for it to go to your head, so pace yourself.

Also, learn the line that shouldn't be crossed, ie - know your limit and when to stop.

LegacyUser

Beruthiel wrote: »

IMO a first time drinker should stay well clear of shots. A novice has no judgement on how many they can manage until it's too late.

OP
Beer should be your first type of drink to take. It is lower on alcohol than most other drinks.
Drink water between drinks.

Understand that it can take a little while for it to go to your head, so pace yourself.

Also, learn the line that shouldn't be crossed, ie - know your limit and when to stop.

Sorry I didn't mean taking them as raw shots, I meant using mixers with them making them full drinks for example a full glass of peach schnapps and orange juice,(containing 1 shot of peach schnapps).

According to the drink aware calculator a man could drink 9 of these and it would only equate to 5. 85 standard drinks which is under the limit of binge drinking. (Although it would be even healthier to just drink 6 of them to remain below a limit of 4 standard drink measures)

Only 3 pints of Bud and you would be hitting bang on 6 standard drinks which is classified as binge drinking. (A male could only drink 2 pints of bud to remain in the very healthy limit of 4 standard drink servings)

I just think that it could be more difficult for a young first time drinker to restrain himself/herself to sipping on just about 2 alcoholic drinks for the entire night, when a lot of people around them will be guzzling down pints. Even pacing with a water between each you would only have had 4 drinks (2 beer, 2 water) and you would have hit the the healthiest limit, with possibly still hours and hours left of the night to go.
I know it can be done if you sip very slowly, don't mind yr beer going a bit flat, or are just a very slow drinker, but I just think that even though liqueurs have a higher percentage of alcohol than beer, they are still lower than spirits, and get served in such small quantity, but that with mixers involved, you could spread them out much better over a longer period of time for the whole night and still remain in the safe limit of alcohol drinking.

They are expensive though - as are mixers which cost a bomb.
They are very easy to drink which could make a person drink more of them, but you'd still be doing well to be able to stomach or afford 9 of them for the night, and even with that 9 you'd still be under the binge drinking def. You wouldn't get close to 9 if you had a water between each.

I get what your saying though that as a first time drinker, he/she might get drunk even with much less than the standard safety guideline amounts.
I don't think you should set out to hit the "safe" limits given by health officials op. They are only guidelines for health but you could feel yourself drunk on just one pint, or 3 liqueur mixers ie. much less than what is classified as safe limits.

If it's beer or cider you decide you want to try, you could see if there is any low alcohol (not just low calorie) beers available.
If you don't mind sipping slowly on 2 pints for the night then it might be a good choice. If you drink quite fast or are very thirsty then you could spread out more alcoholic drinks for the night like I mentioned, or you could just pace yourself with 2/3 pints then drink non alcoholic drink for the rest of the night.

I think a lot could hinge on how early you go to the pub/start drinking.
If you arrive very early in the evening you could hit your safe level of alcohol early on, still have a good few hours of the night out left, and be left wondering "should I get some more beer, or just drink water/juice/fizzies for the rest of the night" You might easily make the mistake of thinking "sure I'll just have a few more beers."
If you leave it till a bit later to go out 3 or 4 drinks might be more than adequate for a great night.

Beruthiel is right that you as a novice will have no judgement on how much you can handle. Whatever drink you decide on, take your time, and give a break between each so that you have time to see what affect the alcohol is having on you to that point.
Don't guzzle down any drink that you are trying, just take your time and try to judge how each drink is affecting you.

I'll second the advice of eating a good meal before drinking, and bringing a pint of water to bed with you.!

Firetrap

Shots can catch out non novice drinkers . Don't fall into the trap of thinking you're not buzzed enough yet and lorrying extra drinks or shots into yourself. Trust me, it doesn't end well..

Wompa1

I'm guessing you are in your teens. I'd be torn on what to suggest. I didn't drink until I was 19 and felt like I had missed out a lot by not drinking sooner but so many people I went to school with seemed to develop a dependancy on drink and also it seems to have aged many people I know.

There's been studies which suggest binge drinking as a teen can have adverse affects on your health if you drink as a teenager because you are basically poisoning your body while it is still developing.

If you do drink, I would suggest a few bottles of beer.

As young teenagers (13, 14) my parents said to us that they knew we were going to go drinking with our mates, they asked us not to, but they were realistic and knew we would. So, they made us promise only the drink lagers. Lager will affect you as you drink it, as apposed to a shot, which goes down, and hits you like a tonne of bricks five minutes after. Also, it's very hard to do yourself damage on lager. You will either get sick, or fall asleep, or the first followed by the second.

For this reason I have been a lager drinker solely from 20 upwards - I did all the shots and drink mixing from 17-20 and I don't think I enjoyed it, at all. My parents are right, too much lager and I have a vomming fit, then go home to bed.

If you decide to go the alcopops route, I found WKD to be a lot lighter and easier to drink than Smirnoff Ice or Bacardi Breezers. The others do go down very well, too well, you will end up on the floor without realising what's happened. They are a lot stronger than the taste gives away. I might be wrong about WKD since I only drank it once and I was 27 at the time so a seasoned lager drinker, but my experience is that it's weaker, so safer, than the others.

As everyone has said, alternate drinks with soft drinks or water, eat a good meal before going out, stick with one drink all night, and watch out for your mates and them for you. You sound like an incredibly sensible person, that you would ask for advice like this beforehand! Too many would just go out and get as drunk as possible.

Have a great night OP!

fluffybiscuits

Well the beers I always enjoyed are Hoegaarden and Paulaner, Belgian and German beers respectively. Cant drink the Blue Wkd or any of that guff, like liquid sugar! Hope you enjoy your first drink

AnonoBoy

Pints.

Stick to pints.

STICK TO PINTS!!!

ok?

Liam Byrne

pragmatic1 wrote: »

If you're going to drink, stick to beer. 3-5 would be more than enough for your first time drinking.

3 - 5 is more than enough most nights, first time or otherwise!

Nulty

I agree, first time drinking don't have more than 4 pints. I get quite merry on 4 pints sometimes but not on other times. You could be hammered after 4 and you won't know it until it happens. Drinking in a pub, you will also notice that you don't realise how drunk you are until you go outside, and by then you could be plastered.