to not want heavy drinking friends to drink us dry.

[ROUS]

We're hosting a day time party for a large group of friends. We're generous hosts but last year one couple used the opportunity to drink a lot more then everyone else.

From a few recent comments I know that booze dominates their lives: not-drinking nights, hiding drink, last minute supermarket runs, the 'horror' of accidentally buying low alcohol wine, etc

How can I 'contain' their consumption whilst not denying the larger group or am I being an unreasonable host and I should just see it as the price of their company?

id put less drink out only have X many bottles on show keep some back for the more social of your group maybe say BYOB on the invite?

It's the price of their company, I think. Seriously, what else can you do except keep topping them along with everyone else?

you cant really stop them drinking do they knock it back quite quick what do they drink ?

It is not your responsibility to curb their drinking.

Do they become aggressive or do you just begrudge them drinking your booze?

Second making it a BYOB night. Or just buy loads of cheap high alcohol content plonk. If you like them then I guess it's just something you have to put up with. Kindof like me 'that' friend who eats like a horse when food is offered.

I really don't think you can do anything about it

The only way you can get round this one is by not asking them.

You can't monitor someones booze intake at a party.

Or have a 100% dry party & only serve juice

make punch and when its gone its gone or wine cocktails or 'something'

Sounds like they have a proper problem. But I don't think a party's the right time to tackle it.

Lots of nibbles, don't put all booze out, wander round with a bottle topping up glasses? Offer water as well?

Do they have a preference for any particular tipple? If they're white wine drinkers, then buy cheap white wine and have something else for other people.

If it's sort of an open serve-yourself-bar setup, then maybe you can stagger the bottles being brought out throughout the night, bringing out more as you see what other people are drinking and making sure they get topped up, first.

But, if these people are determined to guzzle everything as quickly as they can, there's little you can do about it.

Tricky, this.

I would say don't expect any alcohol to be left at the end of the party, so don't spend more than you can afford. Ask people to bring a bottle. Maybe stick to beer + wine rather than spirits.

Not much you can do about moderating their intake at a party. If they're that bad, don't invite them next time.

How on earth, if you were busy being such good hosts at a party, did you even notice that one couple drank more than their fair share unless you were deliberately keeping tabs on them? Your attitude sounds very 'tight'. Do you drink?

either have no alcohol, or some way of dispensing it so everyone only gets one glass etc - or don't invite them. they sound really rude.

It's daytime so we'll start mid morning & I'll do tea, coffee & Hot chocolate.

Last year it was such a nice day that everyone hung around and I brought out a box of beers, this was greeted by the couple with thanks but a bit 'about time too' attitude. But some of the ladies don't drink beer so out came a white and a red for those that don 't like white, then requests for more. 'Helpfully' they take charge of the drinks so it's hard to monitor/control but everyone else was driving.

What's sparked this off is a recent lunch saw them polish off 1.5 bottles before we'd arrived, then 3 bottles with a meal plus 2 bottles of beer each. DH was driving and I suffered half a bottle of their cheap, cheap red - we cannot match them.

Red, white, fizzy, spirits, beer or lager they'll tackle the lot.

Sorry a bit drip feeding- they are good company but maybe I'll just make it teetotal, they'll be a lot of kids around.

myhead, a good sign of someone who's drunk more than everyone else is that they're drunk at the end of the evening when everyone else is sober. You tend to notice that even when you're hosting, especially if they're lying on the floor in the bathroom.

Tell everyone to bring their own. Provide mixers and snacks

So excluding the half-bottle you drank, they had two bottles of wine and two bottles of beer each over lunch. That's going it some.
I would just make it teetotal tbh if it is a daytime do with kids anyway.

They do sound fun though! I like people who drink more than me as it makes me look sensible.

We would n't normally count but it was rather obvious.

I'm in the 'boring' camp of finding drunks horrendous company, so I wouldn't invite them myself. If you do, you just have to accept their drinking I'm afraid

Sounds like you may be friends with my bil and his girlfriend.

They have been to ours numerous times for various parties and bbqs and drink everything in site.

Funnily enough they never reciprocate the invitation and always turn up empty handed.

We won't be inviting them at all this year as we are now on a tight budget and tbh, just can't afford it.

Sight not site

Bloody hell!

From OP I was going to say YABU.

However, I like a drink but just wouldn't drink full stop at a daytime event that pretty much nobody else was drinking at.

I just wouldnt be offering more tbh they sound like they enjoy a skinful makes me look teetotal