I know most of us have our nights where we have one too many.
My question is: On average, the nights that you do drink, how many?
You can take this to mean Beer, wine or whiskey. (Etc.)
And for those of you who mix it up from day to day; just answer with the drink you go with most often.
Poll to follow.
Three beers (22-ounce drafts) or two martinis. I don’t count when I’m drinking wine, and I rarely drink more than a half-pint of whiskey in an evening.
I don’t drink anymore, but when you factor in equivalency it’s easy to see why. Based on the standard 1 oz. shot equals one drink I can honestly say Only 12?
Honestly when I drink I would say I have at least ten pints of beer (and almost always I only drink beer) but I am drinking less and less now, especially since I have just had my liver measured at 14.5 inches when apparently the normal max level is 10.
I’m at the 2 to 3 per night level. But it’s practically every night, so that should be worth some extra points.
Totally depends on how long the “night” is. Dinner? Then one, usually. Cast party after a successful run? I’d guess roughly 1 drink an hour, drinking one-to-one with water.
So if the cast party lasts til 2 or 3am, we’re probably looking at 4-5 drinks.
I typically make a point of pacing myself, because I’m a lightweight under the best of circumstances, and drinking too fast ends up making me queasy. The water means I’m never hung over though, so I call that a fair exchange.
What’s a normal night of drinking? To be completely honest I’ll have 5 or 6 drinks most nights, over the course of 4 or 5 hours. Hardly enough to get intoxicated, but certainly not a normal amount for most people, I’ll admit.
If it truly is a “night of drinking” like a party, or something, and I’m not driving (which is very rare) then I can easily tie into the over 12 category.
If I am at a party or out at a club, about 3. Or if I want a glass of wine one, maybe 2 ounces.
Pretty much what Leaffan said. Most nights after I come home from work and do whatever needs to be done (usually around 8), I pour a drink and I keep them coming until I go to bed. That’s generally between two and six drinks and while there’s never anything remotely like “drunk” or even “tipsy” happening,* I understand that many here would consider me a raging alcoholic. 
Ironically, I haven’t had a drink yet tonight, even though I stopped at the liquor store to pick up rum (for hot buttered) and cinnamon whiskey (just because).
When I’m “out drinking,” that’s a whole different ballgame and easily goes to 12+.
*The exception to this is wine. I’ll only drink wine on non-work nights now, because if there is a bottle of wine, I will drink a *bottle *of wine, which for some reason hits me way harder than half a dozen fairly stiff drinks.
I don’t care about normal. I care about me.
I used to be able to drink anybody under the table. I come about it honest—family of bootleggers and alcoholics. Now I drink just enough to keep a grip on the table leg.
I drink almost every night and think my posts brilliant. In reality, I think the entire SDMB has me on ignore.
How many drinks a night isn’t the quotient. It’s how do they affect me? Different every time.
What was the question?
Normal night, as in I am watching the game or having a nice dinner (or both) and I have to work the next day, the answer is two, and that’s what I voted. Note that that’s often two very stiff drinks: martini, good sized glass of whiskey, 7.5% IPA, etc. Never over two if I have to be up at 6am for work, though.
On a Friday or Saturday party night? I’m not 22 anymore so I’ll probably regret it, but I still can (and often do) hit or clear the upper reaches of the poll choices.
… Now I want a drink.
When I was in college I managed to drink consistently throughout the night and stay drunk without dissolving into a puddle (well, most of the time anyway). Nowadays one drink is enough to bring on the Asian flush. Whenever we’re out I probably drink one drink to everyone else’s 2-3 drinks. For some reason I find it more difficult nowadays to find that happy place between sober and shitfaced, so I tend to err on the side of caution.
I can’t answer the poll as it was written, because the beers I drink do not have a uniform alcoholic content, or even a uniform volume (when I’m out partying and/or playing Cards Against Humanity I usually drink beer). I usually drink the equivalent of two or three 22 oz. bombers of 7-10% ABV craft/home brew. If I drink 12 oz. bottles of ~4% ABV macro-brew lagers (like Bud or Sam Adams or Corona) I don’t keep track of how many I have, and I usually have too many to make a good estimate the next day. Usually it’s homies/crafts.
On the rare occasion that I get blitzed off liquor… I usually drink either straight from the bottle or non standard amounts poured into tumblers. I honestly have no idea how many drinks that would translate into.
So, I would say two or three, but they’re bigger and stronger than a normal bottle of beer.
I probably average 1-2 drinks per hour.
Most of the time, if I’m just catching a quick dinner out with a friend, this amounts to 1 drink. If it’s a more extended dinner with a bunch of people, probably 2 drinks, occasionally 3.
If I’ve gone out with a bunch of people for the express purpose of “drinking”, I’ll keep up that pace for a few hours, and stop once I start to see double. But it’s rare that I do that.
Maybe once a month, if I’m home alone and want to relax, I’ll have a bottle of wine between dinner and bed.
As has been said, it completely depends on what the night consists of. If I’m at home by myself on a normal weeknight, I don’t drink at all. If it’s a weeknight and I’m out to dinner with friends (like tonight) 1-3 beers. If I go out on the weekend 3-8 drinks is probably pretty normal. If I’m at a party from 6pm-3am or some other special occasion, it can get into the 10-12 range. But then sometimes not. It depends on how I feel, the atmosphere, who’s around, what I have planned the next day, etc. I guess I don’t really have a consistent, “normal” number of drinks.
I’m a single guy in my 20s living in Chicago and consider myself a social drinker. Most of my friends consumption habits are pretty similar to mine. At my last physical my blood work was normal, and I’m in good general health. The only trouble I have to deal with as a result of over-imbibing is sometimes a headache the next day. If the need or desire arose, I don’t see myself having issues dialing my consumption back.
edit: I voted 4-6 for the poll (std dev. of 6)
Kid, I like where your head’s at. When you move to the Blue Line, let’s talk.
A standard, just having a few and bullshitting evening is maybe 5 or 6. Some days run long or I’m not messing around, and easily go over 10. Last time I went to the bar, I had 4 drinks. Friday night, my friend and I killed a bottle of gin in a few hours. Depends on my mood, how full the moon is, how long I plan to be up, and where I have to be in the morning.
If you’re asking for the mode of the number of drinks I have when I do drink, the answer is 1. I have 1 drink more often than any other number of drinks. Average is probably closer to 1.5. I am a wild man.
I usually have only 1 or 2 drinks these days. Occasionally I’ll have many more. I drink Vodka. Preferrably Stolys.
– Arrested Development
Typically 3 drinks a night, but I only really drink* on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. I try to be good during the week.
*Christmas/holiday party season is the exclusion. I’ve already been to three mid-week Christmas parties this month, with more to come.