Avoid Getting Drunk And Try To Limit Your Alcohol Consumption

Many people start misbehaving and pick up fight after drinking. This not only ruins their personal image but also creates nuisance for others. Also, this can have an adverse effect on your health. If you are one of those people who exercise self-control in the pub, here are 10 tips you can follow to stay sober and not let those drinks get onto your head and nerves. This can help you avoid you from those obnoxious hangovers, preventing you from becoming a “Stu, Alan, Phil or Doug”.　

Don’t drink anything mixed with pop, the carbonation does something and speeds up the alcohol absorption. Instead mix with juice.

The best way to avoid getting drunk is to try to limit your alcohol consumption. Now, not all of us are good with self-restraint. In this case, make sure that you always drink in the company of some friends and ask one of them to stop you after you've drowned a certain number of friends.

Try and drink a glass of water in between your cocktails.

Try to avoid shots! It’s just straight liquor going right into your system! Good Luck and have fun!

Stick to drinks with a weaker percentage of alcohol.

Drink at home first its the best way by far.

Eat somthing nice a fatty before you start drinking. The fat in the hummus coated my stomach and greatly slowed the rate the alcohol got into my blood stream.

The Pauper Theory: You cannot spend much. You will beg, borrow and steal. You will ask hobos and vagrants where they got that Thunderbird. Because you are on a budget my friend. Oh, maybe at the bar you can pretend to be hip drinking PBR, but you will know the truth. Natty Light $5 12-packs at home hoping to catch some boon on Univision? You bet – and the squirts as a bonus! Mmm is that wine fortified? Wow, I thought they made malt liquor illegal after all those people died. Is that a flask in your pocket or are you just happy to see me grandpa? Prepare for outcasting, ridicule and obloquy. Unless your friends are also poor. Then they will think you are cool. You are welcome.

Ultimatum Theory: It’s this or that kids – you want sex or booze? You want chocolate or beer? You want to have that burrito or just the tequila? Despite being seriously unbalanced, you are trying to walk the tight rope anyhow. Oh you can drink – but then you miss out on that other thing. Destroy what you love!

Do You Know How To Handle A Hangover

Hangovers are caused by a number of chemical and biological reactions to alcohol. Understanding these reactions can help you avoid that nasty feeling after a night of drinking. Following are a number of causes of hangovers, followed by steps you can take to prevent them from occurring.

Every year in the US alone, a number of drunk students die or get in a car crash as a result of alcohol. Because people assume that passing out, vomiting, and being really drunk will be slept off, resulting in a simple hangover next morning.Unfortunately, thinking this could endanger an inebriated person's life.

When someone at a party near you gets so drunk that they can't take care of themselves, they're at risk of harming themselves, and if they've drunk too much altogether, they may even have alcohol poisoning and needimmediate attention. Being able to spot alcohol poisoning in a drunk person could mean that you save his or her life; knowing what to do to take care of a drunk person is therefore an essential skill for all party-lovers.

Now you've done it and it's official, you have a hangover. Now what? No matter what you do sleep and water or juice should be included. There are many folk cures that are supposed to help cure a hangover. Many of them will help you cope by replenishing the vitamins and liquid you lost over night, while some like avoiding caffeine are very important to a quicker recovery. There is no one size fits all cure, find what works for you but the list below is a good place to start. There are also a few suggestions from readers who found their own way to cope.

The amount of care your drunk friend or acquaintance will need will depend on how much he or she has had to drink. Each individual's situation will need to be evaluated according to context and circumstances, but the main point is to be prepared to care for them until they're out of danger.

Step in to discourage further drinking. Try distracting the intoxicated person from having any more alcohol. Get them away from the alcohol – take them to the front yard for a breath of fresh air, suggest that it's time to call it a night and phone a taxi, or simply sit with them away from the drinking area and talk. Find somewhere quiet and not too bright.

If they want drinks, take responsibility for delivering drinks that won't harm them. Try water, or try very watered down versions of their drink. Often you can get away with giving someone who is very drunk soft drinks; simply hand them a coke and claim that it contains vodka. Chances are they won't even notice, especially if you're distracting them in other ways such as talking or watching TV together.

If someone tends to overdrink, but has not yet drunk too much, suggest less-strong drinks such as beer, and drinks which may be less appealing to drink in quantity (having less "drinkability") such as full-flavored (bitter) foreign beer, instead of mixed drinks and liquor. This can make the level of intoxication easier for the drinker and friends to monitor, and less likely to continue to increase after one has stopped drinking, but is not a substitute for eventually stopping drinking.

Avoid saying anything that could provoke or anger the intoxicated person. Remain calm and reassuring at all times.

Read How to keep your friend from driving drunk for information on stopping a determined drunk from driving.

Lack of coordination will make walking very difficult, so don't suggest this as a way of "sobering up".

If the intoxicated person needs to visit the bathroom, accompany them and wait in the bathroom. It's all too easy for an uncoordinated drunk person to slip and bang a head and get knocked out on the hard surfaces in bathrooms.

Soju Is Generally Around 20% Alcohol Content, And Clear

Soju is the Korean equivalent of the Japanese sake. That said, Jinro is known to be the largest manufacturer of soju which recorded a sale of 70 million cases in 2004. And during that year, more than 3 billion bottles were consumed alone in South Korea!

Because of its ready availability and its low price relative to other alcoholic beverages, soju has become one of the most popular alcoholic beverages in both Korea and Asian restaurants & bars offseas. Flavored sojus such as lemon, watermelon and apple are known to be popular. In addition, other alcoholic beverages that are popular from Korea are its mekjus(beers); OB, Hite, and Cass.

These policies set up the ideal environment for Korea’s peculiar business culture to flourish. There aren’t too many places in the world where having a hollow leg is a preferred job qualification. In Korea, however, the ability to drink large quantities is seen as beneficial to group cohesion since a fair amount of binge-drinking occurs with co-workers at company-sponsored outings, known as hoesik. Typically, the night starts off with dinner and soju. The second round (icha) usually takes place at a bar or nightclub where whiskey is served. The third round (samcha) typically involves singing karaoke at anoraebang, accompanied by plenty of soju bomb-shots (called poktanju). Fourth round (sacha) can involve more eating and (wait for it…) more drinking.

According to Surnggie Cho, KARC’s dean of research, modern drinking etiquette traces its roots back to ancient Korea. Citing historical evidence from the Three Kingdoms period (57 B.C. to 676), Cho states, “Ancient Koreans spent three to four days and nights drinking and dancing continuously.”

The traditions of sujak (pouring a drink and sharing the cup) and guneum (group drinking) are unique to Korea and stem from the country’s agrarian heritage where the short planting and harvest seasons required collaborative farming. What better way to enlist your neighbors’ help than by plying them with drink? Yet, traditions that were once limited to certain times of the year have become a regular and entrenched part of corporate life.

Unfortunately, binge-drinking is not relegated to office workers. In fact, according to a KARC study, it increased from 53.5 percent in 2000 to 68.1 percent in 2006. In addition, according to Korea’s Ministry of Health and Welfare, the percentage of women aged 20 to 59 who report being current drinkers rose from 23 percent in 1989 to 40.8 percent in 2005. The amount women are drinking have soared, too. The percentage of women aged 19 and up who report consuming five glasses of soju (roughly three cans of beer) in one sitting has increased nearly 10-fold.

And the soju I am talking about is not the classy stuff. It is definitely not the premium Japanese stuff known as shochu produced in a sensitive fashion akin to Western wine. It is the chemically prepared mass produced hangover inducing dross that costs KRW 1,000 a bottle. For those of you unfamiliar with the exchange rate that is about USD 1. So for USD 1 you can get a bottle of roughly 20% rocket fuel which tastes like alcohol with a slightly sweet tinge at the end. The most popular variety is one made by Jinro and every morning you will see thousands of them empty outside restaurants.

The concept of going drinking with your employer may seem like an odd concept to Americans. In American society, there are certain boundaries carved out between one’s personal life and work life. In Korean society, these boundaries are less distinct. If you’re someone who likes to drink, you’ll do fine in Korea. If you’re not a particularly tolerant drinker like me and you refuse to drink often, you may offend some of your co-workers. Just to be polite, I would suggest that you take at least a sip and perhaps apologize with a jesonghapnida which means I’m sorry in Korean. You may also want to add, surul chal mot heyo which literally means “I don’t really do alcohol well” with the intended meaning being that you aren’t an avid drinker.

If you do decide to go out drinking with your boss, here are some alcohol etiquette rules you should follow. When you pour a drink for your boss, make sure both hands touch the bottle. If both hands don’t touch the bottle, at least place your left hand on your right arm with your right hand pouring the drink. Using both hands is a sign of respect so remember to do that. Also, remember that it’s a bit direct and frank to drink with your face toward your boss. When you bring the glass to your lips, make sure you turn your head away from your boss at least 45 degrees away from your boss. Think of this way: since Koreans have a tendency to sit close together, drinking with the your face toward the other person would allow the person to see and hear you gulp down your drink, and that is just not an attractive sight!

Soju is generally around 20% alcohol content, and clear. It comes in those green bottles you see in the picture above, generally. It is the primary alcoholic drink of Korea... because it's available about anywhere, and ridiculously cheap (a dollar for a bottle or so).

For first timers, it smells like rubbing alcohol, and tastes like... uh, rubbing alcohol. Yes, you'll get used to it after a few shots, but in most cases I've seen, first timers with Soju never ended up well.

The exact process of how soju is made and other details will be discussed in another entry, since there's a lot to it.

Sake Has Easily Proven Itself To Be Worthy Of Appreciation On The Same Level As Fine Wine

Sake or saké is a Japanese alcoholic beverage made from rice. This beverage is called sake in English, but in Japanese, sake or o-sake refers to alcoholic drinks in general. The Japanese term for this specific beverage is Nihonshu, meaning "Japanese sake". Sake is also referred to in English as rice wine. However, unlike true wine, in which alcohol is produced by fermenting the sugar naturally present in fruit, sake is made through a brewing process more like that of beer. To make beer or sake, the sugar needed to produce alcohol must first be converted from starch. But the brewing process for sake differs from beer brewing as well, notably in that for beer, the conversion of starch to sugar and sugar to alcohol occurs in two discrete steps, but with sake they occur simultaneously. Additionally, alcohol content also differs between sake, wine, and beer.
　　
Interestingly, though, traditionally in Japan sake and food have not been paired as precisely as wine and food in the west. Sure, they have always enjoyed sake with food in Japan. But sake was used to support the food, taking a supporting role. “Ryori ni jama shinai,” they say. “Sake that does not interfere with the food.” Sure; this is changing. But historically, and often today as well, this was the thinking.
　　
So what do you look for? What do you latch on to when pairing? Lots of things. Sweetness or dryness, fruity aromas or earthy ones, flavors that can run from rice-like to herbal or nutty. Structure, volume, acidity, texture, and length of finish are valid too.
　　
In Japan drinking sake has always been accompanied by eating, and there are some traditional and classic combinations, such as sake with sashimi. (Although sake is also served with sushi (vinegared rice) some traditionalists maintain that, once rice is brought to table the sake should go, as it’s considered that rice with rice is too much of a good thing.)
　　
Philip Harper says that sake is the preferred partner for raw fish, because fishy odours can be amplified by beer and some wines. Lighter sakes are best here – a DaiGinjo (Chikuha is a good one) a fruity Ginjo, or even a crisp dry Honjozo – served chilled at 5-10°C.
　　
Later on in the meal when grilled or fried dishes appear, an umami-rich sake with high acidity, such as ayamahai or junmai, is what you want to help oily dishes such as tempura or grilled eel, or rich spicy meat dishes, such as Korean barbecue.
　　
Sake is especially good with fermented foods – and this includes a great number of the staples of Japanese cuisine – soy sauce and miso in particular. Indeed sake itself is an important part of Japanese cooking – it reduces odour and lessens bitterness, so it’s commonly used to poach fish. So any dish with miso or soy sauce is enhanced by sake.
　　
Sake is also good with traditional pickled foods, as the pickling process (using salt, rice bran or sake kasu – the lees or solids left when sake is pressed) increases the amino acid content.
　　
The presence of koji mould in sake means that sake can marry surprisingly well with cheeses, especially creamy, aromatic and mild types. (The Kyodogakusha Shintoku Co-operative in Hokkaido have developed a cheese whose rind is washed in sake – a particularly good pairing).
　　
One more biggie with sake and food is umami – that elusive savoriness that some call a fifth flavor element. Without it, sake is too simple. Too much umami and it’s cloying. But matching umami in sake and food is a great pairing principle.

Premium sake has easily proven itself to be worthy of appreciation on the same level as fine wine. The fragrances, flavors, complexity and nuances can draw you in and fascinate. And the range of these flavors and fragrances, while admittedly within a more narrow bandwidth than the wine world can hold, are incredibly diverse.
　　
A natural extension of all this is the concept and practice of matching food and sake. With the advent of fine sake in the west, not only does the door open for this bold new world of match-making, but at the same time the sake industry duly inherits a veritable responsibility to educate the interested public on how to go about this.
　　
The matching of sake and food developed much like the matching of wine and food: the local beverage was a natural counterpart to the local cuisine; so much so that no one ever thought much about it.
　　
If you study the flavor profiles of sake from around Japan, you can easily see how well the local sake jibes with the original cuisine of the region. Sake from mountainous regions of Japan, like the Tohoku region in the north, is sturdier and more rice-laden in flavor, complementing well the salt-preserved and fermented flavors common in that region's food. Sake from Shizuoka, Toyama and Miyagi are lighter and more supple, which works perfectly with the abundance of fresh fish found in these areas.
　　
But now, like wine from Europe, sake is being taken out of its original zone of familiarity, and transported to a world bound neither by geographical nor culinary limitations. A bit of imagination and ingenuity - not to mention vision - are called for.
　　
In developing a sense for matching food and sake, a little bit of theory goes a long way. With this, and a healthy dose of confidence and creativity, pairing sake and food becomes a wonderfully fun, if subjective and imprecise, process.
　

Vodka Is One Of The Most Versatile Alcohols For Creating Cocktails

Vodka is a clear liquor manufactured from ethyl alcohol. It lacks color, and normally has very little taste or aroma.

Vodka is the base ingredient for many cocktails, mixed drinks, and alcoholic products today.

It is said to have been originally created from potatoes in Russia for medicinal purposes. Nowadays, Vodka is distilled from barley, wheat or rye.

Adulterated vodkas are now a popular alternative to the original. These will normally contain a mixture of sweeteners, flavourings, colorings and fruit juices. Most flavored vodka contains 30-35% alcohol, whereas clear vodka is normally 40%, with a few brands offering a 50% product on top.

Good Vodka Mixers are key to truly enjoying your Vodka Mixed Drinks and Vodka Cocktails. Everyone has their favorites, but the great Vodka Mixers must accomplish a few things. First, the Vodka Mixermust be able to assimilate well with the vodka. What I mean is, you want the two to compliment each other and one not just mask the taste of the other. When you eat onion dip, you still want to be able to taste the onion and not just overpower it with other flavors!

The Vodka Mixers listed below are what I consider to be the best ones out there and should be tried by everyone. Vodka is an all time favorite at parties, so know what to offer with them that will make everyone at your party happy!

Believe it or not, this soda works really well as both a vodka mixer and vodka chaser. If you haven’t had squirt in a while, it tastes a little like Sprite mixed with some Mountain Dew. It’s unique citrus and carbonated flavors actually work really well in vodka. I’m a bit partial to a little carbonation in my vodka mixers, and so this is a nice change up. I wouldn’t suggest ordering this in the club or at a bar, but if you’re at a house party or get together, why not throw it out there? It won’t give you any points for class, but it’s still a great tasting mixer.

Lemonade vodka mixers work really well because they are both sweet and sour and add different flavor profiles to your vodka. This is similar to the Vodka Collins, except sometimes you don’t have to luxury of making lemonade from scratch. There’s no harm in picking up some Minute Maid Lemonade when you pick up your favorite vodka at the store. There are also some really good sugar free lemonade options that work really well as vodka mixers.

Alright, this one is in here primarily for the purists and those trying to watch their calories for the night. Vodka Mixers are meant to dial down the strong burning of the vodka, but that doesn’t mean it has to be flavored. Soda Water is zero calories and carbonated and I personally am not a fan. BUT, there are a large amount of vodka enthusiasts who swear by vodka soda’s, as well as ladies who don’t want all that sugar in the late hours of the night. Tonic water isn’t low calorie (carbonated sugar water), but it is for those who don’t want to add too much to their favorite vodkas. Neither of these are my favorite vodka mixers, but I am including them because I know there is a strong following behind them.

What’s not to like about this one? When you talk about vodka mixers, you definitely have to include 7-up on that list. Vodka Seven is probably one of my top vodka mixed drinks to order at the club. It’s crisp, clean, and keeps your glass that nice clear color. It’s just one of those drinks that you never look sloppy with. Plus it tastes delicious. Definitely a vodka mixer worth trying.

Combine 2 shots tomato juice, 1 shot vodka, about 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce, a squeeze of lemon juice and 2 drops hot sauce. Shake together with five to six ice cubes in a cocktail shaker. Pour over ice and garnish with a celery stalk. This eye-opening cocktail is very popular as a morning-after drink. Put five or six ice cubes in a cocktail shaker. Add 1 shot vodka and 1/2 shot vermouth. Cover and shake, then strain and pour into a classic martini glass. Garnish with olives on a sword or toothpick. This is the drink that James Bond favors in his movies and books--always shaken, never stirred.

Vodka is one of the most versatile alcohols for creating cocktails. Because it lacks any distinctive flavor of its own, you can blend it with any number of mixers to create fruity, creamy or savory concoctions. Vodka drinks aren't restricted to a particular type, as rum or whiskey tend to be, but instead present an almost endless variety of flavors to try.

Merlot Red Wine Is Loved For Its Versatility In Accompanying Dishes

Merlot is one of the most popular red wine varietals in the world. From restaurants tables to wine cellars, Merlot has retained its place as one of the most common wines consumed. It is drank with friends, family, and is commonly used at wine tastings. Although many people love the taste and smoothness of a good Merlot, few know much about it or where it originated from. Fortunately, I have written the following article that will give you the Merlot knowledge needed to impress your friends, family, and your hosts at a wine tasting party.

Merlot is a red wine grape that is commonly used by itself or as a blending grape. Certain researchers believe that Merlot comes from the Cabernet Franc grape. It is believed to have originated in the Bordeaux region in France. The Bordeaux region is where some of the highest quality Merlot red wines are processed. Other countries that cultivate great Merlot wines include Argentina, Chile, Italy, Bulgaria, Croatia, and the United States.

Merlot grapes are bunched quite loosely and are made up of large berries. The skin is much thinner and has fewer tannins than Cabernet Sauvignon. Merlot grapes usually have a lower level of malic acid and less sugar.

Merlot is a very easy wine to pair with food. Its diversity makes it easy to find food to pair with it during a wine tasting. Merlot wines that are similar to or are blended with Cabernet Sauvignon pair well with the same foods that pair well with Cabernet Sauvignon. Grilled meat would be a good choice. A fruitier Merlot will pair better with dishes with lots of mushrooms, greens, or salmon. I recommend that you not pair Merlot with blue cheeses or spicy foods.

The following article should have armed you with the proper knowledge to impress your friends, family, and fellow wine fanatics at the next wine tasting you attend.

Merlot wine originated from the most planted grape of the same name in the famous winemaking region of Bordeaux, France. Today, it is produced by reputable vintners in countries like Italy, Chile, USA and Australia. It flourishes in regions where the temperature is cool and the sun always shines.

It owes its popularity mainly to its soft, velvety taste that complements its fruit flavors, which include red cherries, blackberry, blueberry, boysenberry, mulberry and plum. However, some earthy notes also touch your palate in every sip. Hints of mint, tea-leaf and tobacco may be tasted. Also, chocolate, coffee, vanilla, caramel and other deep notes may be sensed if it has spent some time in oak.

It is sometimes drunk straight as a varietal, which means wine coming from just one grape variety. But Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon are often blended to make up one of the favorite wines served in restaurants.

Merlot usually comes in a Bordeaux, or high-shouldered, bottle. It should be served just below room temperature. Be careful not to let it reach 74 degrees F, as it will, most probably, cause a sharpness that is not exactly a welcome taste in your mouth. One suggestion to have the desired temperature of the wine is to cool its bottle in a refrigerator for approximately 15 to 20 minutes and not any longer.

This wine is also loved for its versatility in accompanying dishes. With a Cabernet Merlot wine blend, you will enjoy having cheese, pate or game. This particular wine blend will give you the sweet fruit characters of Merlot with some acidity and tannin of Cabernet. Meanwhile, the varietal's softer versions are likened to Pinot Noir that they also perfectly complement salmon, mushrooms, radicchio and other light dishes. You will appreciate very well prawns, scallops and other shellfish with the light-bodied type of this wine. You would be surprised that even casual meals of pizzas and burgers would taste good with Merlot.

You might also wonder about what they call the Bordeaux Blend. This is your first class Chateaux blend made up of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Teriyaki beef, filet mignon, roast lamb, ostrich and Gorgonzola cheese are just some of the dishes that this blend pairs well with.

As a varietal or as a wine blend, Merlot is one wine that you can enjoy with almost every dish you can think of. Perhaps, the only menu items to avoid when having this wine are strong cheeses and spicy dishes as they will overwhelm the wine's flavors and may even make the wine taste bitter.