BAC Brewery Tour Question

[Gytaryst]

I'm planning a weekend getaway and there are 7 breweries in the area. I want to hit em all. I've never actually taken the time to figure this stuff out. Prior to my introduction to craft beer and home brewing the goal was to get drunk. The beer used to accomplish that was completely irrelevant.

I checked out this BAC Calculator. According to this if I drink 12 oz of 6% abv I will be completely sober in 0.9 hours, (54 minutes).

My question: If I only drink one 12 oz beer every hour will I still be completely sober in 7 hours? Something doesn't seem right there? The breweries open at 11 AM and the majority of them are within walking distance. We will be there for 2 days and I want to visit as many as I can (and sample as many beers as I can). But I'd like to stay as sober or close to sober as I possibly can.

I stopped drinking for awhile back in 2009-2010. I was playing in bands at the time hanging out in clubs and bars and other drinking establishments and pretty much staying drunk more than sober, so I decided to take a break. Unfortunately, hanging out in said drinking establishments with my friends when I was sober and they were still drinking had an unforeseen, profound and, (turns out), lasting affect on me. Seeing all my friends drunk when I was sober basically cured me of ever wanting to be drunk again. I went back to drinking beer, (obviously), but instead of buying the cheapest AAL crap I could get in bulk I started focusing on less volume and higher quality, (hence my introduction into craft beer). Since then, every time I get to the 3rd or 4th beer and start to feel a bit tipsy... I immediately get an image of stumbling, slobbering, word slurring, "I LOVE YOU MAN!" guys bobbing and weaving and spilling Bud Light or PBR all over the place. And just like that - I don't want another beer.

 

[Pappers_]

Can't help you with the biology question, but one of my strategies when visiting tap rooms is to either drink 4 ounce or half pint pours, if they offer them. And if they don't, I don't need to finish the beer I ordered. Drinking less of each beer means I get to try more beers. But I'm also fine with just having one half pint and leaving it at that.

Another strategy is to drink plenty of water. Before, during and after.

 

[Gytaryst]

Can't help you with the biology question, but one of my strategies when visiting tap rooms is to either drink 4 ounce or half pint pours, if they offer them. And if they don't, I don't need to finish the beer I ordered. Drinking less of each beer means I get to try more beers. But I'm also fine with just having one half pint and leaving it at that.

Another strategy is to drink plenty of water. Before, during and after.

Yeah, I'm not sure about the water thing. I hear a lot of people swearing by it - but I'm not sure it makes a difference. If I'm not mistaken time is really the only factor. According to everything I've been reading (and yes I am WAY overthinking this) - for a male my size considered a "frequent drinker" it takes about an hour to metobolize 12 oz of 6.0% abv beer. As near as I can tell that means I'm starting with a clean slate every hour, (roughly). When I drink a 12 oz 6% beer my BAC is 0.016 right then and is back to 0.000 in 54 minutes.

I'll be putting that theory to a more practical test this weekend. My goal is to start at 11 AM when the breweries open and drink three 4 oz tasters in every brewery, then spend an hour or so walking around before hitting the next one. There are 7 breweries in this area so if my hypothesis holds true I should be able to sample 21 beers between 11 AM and 6 PM and be completely 0.000 stone cold sober by 7:00 PM, ready to go out and paint the town with SWMBO, (it is her birthday weekend after all).

I'm planning it so I hit the breweries I'm most interested in first - that way if my theory falls apart and the alcohol starts getting the better of me sooner than expected - at least I hit the important ones I wanted to hit.

But I'm really hoping to hit em all - for the sake of science.

 

[Pappers_]

Yeah, I'm not sure about the water thing. I hear a lot of people swearing by it - but I'm not sure it makes a difference.

For me, when I'm drinking water that means I'm not drinking beer. But, smaller servings of beer is key - whether the brewery serves me a small offering or I just drink a portion of what they serve me.

I think the walking sounds good, too.

 

[BeardedBrews]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00R2X59A4/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Why not just toss one of these in your jacket pocket.

I had a little key-chain one at a party once and you'd be amazed how badly everyone wanted to try it.

 

[bleme]

Water also helps because beer dehydrates.

I don't think the 12oz per hour thing actually works but it is close. I go to a lot of brewfests and usually run right at 12oz per hour (4x3oz pours). If I have a ride, I can do that all 4.5 hours. I'm not falling down drunk, but I'm sure not 0.000 sober. If I am driving myself home, I always have to stop and drink water the last 90 minutes.