The truth is that your decision to have that first drink is the only truly sober one you will make that evening, and perhaps all weekend. That is because of alcohol's ability to block the body's natural instinct to say "No, thank you." Only someone who'd had nine drinks would think that a tenth was a good idea.
Stick to beer
Of course, the best solution is to just drink water—or, if water is too strong for you, you could try Michelob Ultra. Not drinking alcohol is always the best option, but, hey, let's be serious. I suggest you restrict yourself to beer. It has a lower alcohol content than wine or spirits and even has fewer calories per ounce than those other choices. And as an added bonus the diuretic component of beer means you'll be getting regular exercise.
So the next time you go to a party, I suggest you take a case of beer. But before you leave the house, here's what you should do to help you make better decisions throughout the evening.
10 steps to making better decisions at a party
1. Take all twelve bottles out of the case and number the empty slots. At the party, make sure you drink the bottles in numerical order.
2. Get a small bottle of appliance paint and use the tiny brush to print notes at the bottom of some of the bottle slots (make sure the paint is white, even if your appliances are turquoise ones purchased in the late '60s).
3. In the first slot, print have a good time. It's a lighthearted, jovial message that will help put you in the party mood without massive injections of alcohol. Reinsert the beer bottle into the first slot.
Page 1 of 2 – Find Red's other tips for drinking responsibly at a party on page 2.
