One Weird Tip For Drinking Moderation

By Lev Novak

When drinking, with friends or family, sometimes the night can get away from you. Hangovers, or regretful text messages can follow, or, in the case of some older readers, inopportune naps after a long, wine-y dinner.

I get it.

That said, stopping the flow of alcohol can be difficult. Not even in a “problem” way, but in the same way it can be hard to have the actual recommended serving size of Pringles. Drinking is fun, and easy, and in an environment that encourages it, slipping a little further than you need to be is very easy.

But, there’s one simple tip that makes drinking slower, easier, and less prone to hangovers. If this sounds like a dramatic boast, get ready, because this tip sounds really stupid and you’re going to hate it.

Ready?

When you finish your second beer, fill it with water, and drink that.

Okay, let me back up. I know that drinking water is a good way to stop hangovers, and the earlier you drink it in the night, the more likely it is to actually help. I also know that filling your hands with something that isn’t alcohol can slow the drinking impulse and your actual drinking ratio, but you absolutely have to put the water in the beer can. Yes, it’s stupid. Yes, it tastes bad. Both of these things will help.

Putting water in an empty beer can does a few things. First, it looks like you’re drinking a beer. This way, there’s no stigma about not drinking, or even an implied judgement. You’re keeping your water secret, and that’s the friendliest way to take it. Second, your brain is going to think this is a beer; it looks like a beer, smells like a beer, and even tastes a little like a beer. You’ll get placebo effects, which will give you, essentially, a free little buzz without the added alcohol.

Lastly, because water-beer is kind of gross, you’ll drink this slower, and give your body more time to metabolize your drink.

There you have it! One simple, sort of silly way to slow down your drinking. You don’t have to use a beer can, either: just clean out the glass of your mixed drink and fill it with water; the remaining bite of the alcohol will work the same as the vague beer taste would in a can.

Lastly, let me recommend the fact that this is a little stupid to do as an added reason to do it. If you want to cut down a tiny bit on your drinking, it can be hard to come up with a ritual to keep it in your head, but this will always make you remember your initial goal. It’s that added step of commitment that makes it harder to get swept along in the mood of the party.

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