How to Hold Your Liquor

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Managing your drinking means never having to say, "I'm sorry I threw up on your shoes" again.

Step 1: Never drink on empty stomach
Never drink on an empty stomach—unless you like getting the spins. A meal will slow alcohol absorption by lining your stomach.

Tip
Eat two tablespoons of honey or a candy bar before a night of drinking. One study found that ingesting fructose and glucose helped reduce mistakes on a motor skills test.

Step 2: Drink 1 drink per hour
Stick to one alcoholic drink per hour, the most the liver can process.

Step 3: Alternate alcohol w/ water
Alternate alcoholic beverages with glasses of water, because dehydration is what causes most of the unpleasant side effects of drinking, like headaches and nausea.

Tip
Avoid red wine, champagne, and sugary drinks; they cause the worst hangovers.

Step 4: Dilute drinks
Dilute your drinks as the night goes on. Wine drinkers can switch to spritzers; beer lovers can order an English shanty—beer mixed with a lemon-lime soft drink.

Tip
Your weight determines how much alcohol your body can handle, so if you're 100 pounds soaking wet, don't try to match your 200-pound buddies shot for shot.

Step 5: Take a seat
Take a seat. People in bars drink more when they're standing because they are less relaxed.

Did You Know?
College students drink significantly more than they think they do, according to a 2003 medical survey.