How To Stay Sober?

Short of not drinking that is. Seattle International Beer Fest is coming up pretty quick and I was looking at ther beers that are going to be on hand and there are quite a few big boys I want to try. Problem is I don't have the constitution I used to. Getting old I guess. I'm also hoping to avoid a hangover. So I plan to drink lots of water to keep hydrated and try to pace myself. Anyone have any tricks they use to not get plowed at these kinds of events and to help avoid a hangover?

Eat before and while you drink.

Sobriety is for wussies Seriously, samples are usually about 7ozs at these type of events aren't they? Pace yourself, eat and plenty of H2O and you should be fine. Enjoy

I second the plenty of water and pacing yourself.

My "Theory of avoiding hangovers and drunkeness" is this: grease. Whenever I'm on the verge of having had too much, I RUN for the greasiest french fries imaginable. My experience tells me that this really helps. Maybe it's the amount of calories, or something in a very fatty food, but this works! Also, plenty of water to stay hydrated and avoid caffeine (which is dehydrating).

This is the only time my husband and I eat fatty foods- we usually eat very healthy.

Never underestimate what a former boss of mine describes as "The Wake". A lot of people don't realize that it takes a drink about an hour to fully hit your system, so you can drink 3 beers in 20 minutes and feel fine for the next 40 minutes, but then realize you're drunk. That's the problem with drunk drivers - often they are sober enough to start driving, but on the ride home get drunk from the remaining alcohol in their system.

Pacing is the key. Water helps prevent hangovers but if you down samples one after the other you are not going to be tasting them any more.
I was recently at the Pennsylvania Microbrew Fest in Pittsburgh. I found it help to pace yourself by taking breaks. This was an out door event but the breweries were packed into a parking deck and tent. I would work my way into the area and get a sample or two then work my way back to fresh air to enjoy the sample and get some fresh air. If I had stayed near the tables I would have kept sampling and soon would have been wasted (too much good beer)

Enjoy

Craig

Yooper Chick said:

My "Theory of avoiding hangovers and drunkeness" is this: grease.

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I've also experienced this. I can DEFINITLY drink a lot more after eating a butter sandwich... like 3TBsp of butter or more.

My system has three parts: walking, water, food. Eat before the fest, drink as much water as beer and walk all the way around the fest while deciding what to sample next. The latter works best for outdoor fests.

Yooper Chick said:

My "Theory of avoiding hangovers and drunkeness" is this: grease. Whenever I'm on the verge of having had too much, I RUN for the greasiest french fries imaginable. My experience tells me that this really helps. Maybe it's the amount of calories, or something in a very fatty food, but this works! Also, plenty of water to stay hydrated and avoid caffeine (which is dehydrating).

This is the only time my husband and I eat fatty foods- we usually eat very healthy.

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This makes sense. As soon as all that fat hits your stomach, everything slows down as to make sure things are getting digested properly. The fats (and alcohol) will stay in you stomach longer and move into the intestines at a slower rate. Alcohol can be absorbed through the lining of the stomach but at a much slower rate than in the intestines.

I think that eating something high in protein would also do this. So a greasy hamburger may be your best bet.

Drink a glass of milk before you start drinking... lines the stomach or something... supposed to make you not get as drunk. Might be worth a shot.

And also... If ya find yourself getting a little two drunk... Go for the PowerSpu. Works wonders. Just make sure your near the toilets or a garden when you try this one...

There's a lot of good advice especially drinking at least as much water as beer if not more.

But I'm writing not to repeat what's alreasy been said but to offer some additional advise.

1. You can taste as much beer as you like. Simply do what someone at a wine tasting or beer judging contest would do. Taste it, then spit it out. You are under no obligation to shallow it. If someone is offended just tell them you want to sample many beers but don't want to get drunk, sick or both. Or that you are a beer judge and don't want to dull your sense of taste by becoming intoxicated.

2. This is kind of gross but it works like a charm. Drink some Pepto Bismol it coats your stomach and slows the absortion of alcohol into your system. It's a darn site more healthy than scarfing down a bunch of greasy food.

3. Also it's the carbohydrates in the french fries rather than the grease that absorbs the alcohol. So any food high in carbohydrates will help. foods such as Pasta, breads, rice, potatoes and corn will all help.
Although I suppose it's possible for the grease to act as some kind of inhibitor to digestion as it is hard to digest. But greasy food along with too much alcohol tends to make me sick.

abracadabra said:

1. You can taste as much beer as you like. Simply do what someone at a wine tasting or beer judging contest would do. Taste it, then spit it out. You are under no obligation to shallow it. If someone is offended just tell them you want to sample many beers but don't want to get drunk, sick or both. Or that you are a beer judge and don't want to dull your sense of taste by becoming intoxicated.

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Gotta dissagree with that one.

The bitter taste buds are at the back of the toung. and sseing as beer tends to ahve a kinda bitter taste to it, the only way to get the full flavour from the beer is to swallow it...

Chrus said:

Gotta dissagree with that one.

The bitter taste buds are at the back of the toung. and sseing as beer tends to ahve a kinda bitter taste to it, the only way to get the full flavour from the beer is to swallow it...

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LOL ............................

Drink 1 beer followed by 1 water.

I'm in the Navy so I asked a few of the chiefs and officers what to do early on in my career. The overwhelming answer was to eat CARBS and drink water. 1 water for every beer and eat carbs and starches.

staying sober??? what is this guy talking about?? How do you stay sober when you're never sober??

I fully agree with the "drink the same amount of water as you do beer" advice; never gotten hung over when I've hydrated myself like that.

sirsloop said:

I've also experienced this. I can DEFINITLY drink a lot more after eating a butter sandwich... like 3TBsp of butter or more.

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Nothin' smoother than a mouth full of butta. :cross:

I stick by the greasy food as a hangover cure. First thing I do upon waking up with a hangover is get a steak bagel from McD. Then I chow down on pickles and water until it passes. (a bit of excederine helps too)

Chrus said:

Drink a glass of milk before you start drinking... lines the stomach or something... supposed to make you not get as drunk. Might be worth a shot.

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Yeup. 1 pint of full fat milk (there's the fat again). Down it in one. Jump up and down for ten minutes to ensure that your stomach is fully lined and then get the beers in.

the_bird said:

I fully agree with the "drink the same amount of water as you do beer" advice; never gotten hung over when I've hydrated myself like that.

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WHAT! 9 pints of water!

Eat pickles while you're drinking. Lots of em. Makes you retain water. Actually anything salty. Take it from the russians. Only problem is it works best when you stick to vodka. Beer as well though. Dehydration...

http://howgoodisthis.wordpress.com/2006/02/20/how-to-drink-vodka-and-stay-sober/

And don't forget to set your alarm for your 5a beer

Well for Wine tasting they have spit buckets

But we dont want to be wasting beer now do we.

For tasting a critiquing all you need is a mouthful and not a pitcher.

Wow have fun at that. I wish we had events like that here. or maybe I just dont know about them.

DesertBrew said:

Eat pickles while you're drinking. Lots of em. Makes you retain water. Actually anything salty. Take it from the russians. Only problem is it works best when you stick to vodka. Beer as well though. Dehydration...

http://howgoodisthis.wordpress.com/2006/02/20/how-to-drink-vodka-and-stay-sober/

And don't forget to set your alarm for your 5a beer

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Well I like this advice. I love pickles and potato chips. Maybe I'll bring a bag of DIll Pickle Lays.