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AIBU?

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Original poster

Is one bottle of wine and some whiskey a lot?

76 replies

ChooChooCho · 26/01/2021 09:13

Over 2 nights? Not a drinker myself but a carer for a family member who has always enjoyed one glass a night. Visiting this morning and they've definitely drank a whole bottle of wine and a third of a 1 liter bottle of whiskey, Over the the past two nights.
Over reacting to alert their main health professional, who has previously offered alcohol support if needed?

Yabu - not a huge amount, it's okay.
Yanbu - can't hurt to mention it.

OP posts:
MasterBeth · 26/01/2021 09:58

A double whisky in a pub is 50ml, so that’s three double whiskies and half a bottle of wine in one night - 11 units. That is not at all unusual for a man in U.K. drinking culture, but it’s definitely not “good for you”.

NHS guidance says:

To keep your risk of alcohol-related harm low:

men and women are advised not to drink more than 14 units of alcohol a week on a regular basis
if you drink as much as 14 units a week, it's best to spread this evenly over 3 or more days
if you're trying to reduce the amount of alcohol you drink, it's a good idea to have several alcohol-free days each week
if you're pregnant or trying to become pregnant, the safest approach is to not drink alcohol at all to keep risks to your baby to a minimum
Regular or frequent drinking means drinking alcohol most days and weeks.

The risk to your health is increased by drinking any amount of alcohol on a regular basis.

tinselearedcow · 26/01/2021 10:03

150ml of whisky is not really any different to having a gin and tonic. (Mixing it the proper way 1:1 and using a 150ml can of tonic.) It's just whisky seems like a "harder" drink when really it's not

A G&T with 150ml of gin?! I like a drink, but that would floor me. 25ml is more usual isn't it?

Ikora · 26/01/2021 10:16

The fact that they have had issues with alcohol before to the point of having an intervention is next level plus coupled with having an existing medical condition. As much as this will ruffle peoples feathers I also think drinking alone is really not a goodnight idea.

Original poster
ChooChooCho · 26/01/2021 10:21

Apologies I wouldn't really say they've had issues before. When I say they've been offered support by their health professional, I mean they had a conversation like -

Hp: Do you drink?

One glass a night.

Hp: Would you like to change that?

No

Hp: Okay well let me know if you change your mind, support is out there that I can put you in contact with.

OP posts:
BarbaraofSeville · 26/01/2021 10:23

150ml of whisky is not really any different to having a gin and tonic. (Mixing it the proper way 1:1 and using a 150ml can of tonic

Bloody hell, I like my G&Ts strong but that is not the 'proper' way.

I measured mine when I thought I was getting through a bottle of gin too quickly and was horrified to realise that my standard at home G&T had about 90 ml of gin and 200 ml tonic. No wonder I can't taste the gin in a pub G&T.

But yes, that's a lot. Both the wine and the whisky is nearly a week's maximum limit of alcohol in one go.

luxxlisbon · 26/01/2021 10:24

It would be a lot of it was every day, but over two days and not a regular occurrence is fine.

SchrodingersImmigrant · 26/01/2021 10:26

@ChooChooCho

Apologies I wouldn't really say they've had issues before. When I say they've been offered support by their health professional, I mean they had a conversation like -

Hp: Do you drink?

One glass a night.

Hp: Would you like to change that?

No

Hp: Okay well let me know if you change your mind, support is out there that I can put you in contact with.

Yeah, that's different than to how it sounded before.

I take it it has something to do with their condition? I am not sure 1 glass a night would otherwise warrant offers of "support" like that.

HerMammy · 26/01/2021 10:29

A bottle of wine over two nights and you’re shocked? That’s 2 glasses per night & two whiskys.
Tbh is it any of your business? I doubt they were offered support for one glass a night.
MN is the only place I have encountered these virtuous ‘I’d be steaming drunk on a glass of wine’ ppl

BarbaraofSeville · 26/01/2021 10:30

Well it depends what's in the glass doesn't it?

My fairly normal wine glasses hold 45% of a bottle (2 glasses from a bottle and there's only a tiny bit left).

I've already said my G&Ts were 90 ml of gin, that's almost a bottle a week if I was having one a day.

Doctors probably know that most problem drinkers minimise the amount they drink when asked.

Honeybobbin · 26/01/2021 10:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Bluntness100 · 26/01/2021 10:32

No it’s fine.

A glass of wine a night is within the safe limits and totally fine. Once in a while drinking more is also fine.

I tend to only drink at weekends, I may go through stages of drinking a glass of wine or having a beer nightly but it’s very, very rare indeed. When i socialise with my friends, currently virtually and once a weekend, I can drink a bottle of wine or more over the course of the evening. I’m not an alcoholic who needs help for it.

Bluntness100 · 26/01/2021 10:33

@BarbaraofSeville

Well it depends what's in the glass doesn't it?

My fairly normal wine glasses hold 45% of a bottle (2 glasses from a bottle and there's only a tiny bit left).

I've already said my G&Ts were 90 ml of gin, that's almost a bottle a week if I was having one a day.

Doctors probably know that most problem drinkers minimise the amount they drink when asked.

I don’t miminimse and although I habe very large wine glasses I can’t imagine pouring half a bottle of wine into a glass and saying I had a glass of wine, that’s minimising. There is nothing to suggest this person is doing this,
Original poster
ChooChooCho · 26/01/2021 10:35

"Is it any of your business?"
Yes because I'm their carer, responsible for making all necessary medical appointments and providing help they need. They don't have the mental capability to do this themselves, so if they needed help I would have to reach out for them. If not, great! That's why I asked, to be told exactly that Smile

OP posts:
SchrodingersImmigrant · 26/01/2021 10:36

@BarbaraofSeville

Well it depends what's in the glass doesn't it?

My fairly normal wine glasses hold 45% of a bottle (2 glasses from a bottle and there's only a tiny bit left).

I've already said my G&Ts were 90 ml of gin, that's almost a bottle a week if I was having one a day.

Doctors probably know that most problem drinkers minimise the amount they drink when asked.

Most places I've ever eat to have 2 wine glasses 175 and 250ml. So if someone gets 3 large glasses of wine woth their dinner (which from my work experience was very common) they drunk bottle. But lot's of people don't realise it because it doesn't look like a bottle. I often offered to bring bottle as it's better value upselling , when 2 people ordered large glass each, but was met with "Oh we could never drink a bottle" They often did by the end of the evening. Each!
tinselearedcow · 26/01/2021 10:37

@HerMammy

A bottle of wine over two nights and you’re shocked? That’s 2 glasses per night & two whiskys. Tbh is it any of your business? I doubt they were offered support for one glass a night. MN is the only place I have encountered these virtuous ‘I’d be steaming drunk on a glass of wine’ ppl
I think the OP is coming from a place of concern. She is a carer for this person and wants to make sure they are OK.
wildraisins · 26/01/2021 10:37

@contrmary

That sounds like a reasonable amount to be drinking. It's quite easy to get through a bottle of wine a night and a little bit of whisky is fine, so if you're saying they have half a bottle of wine and 150ml of whisky per day that's nothing to worry about really.

150ml of whisky is not really any different to having a gin and tonic. (Mixing it the proper way 1:1 and using a 150ml can of tonic.) It's just whisky seems like a "harder" drink when really it's not.

150ml equivalent to three doubles. That's three gin and tonics, not one (or six if you have singles).
BarbaraofSeville · 26/01/2021 10:38

I don’t miminimse and although I habe very large wine glasses I can’t imagine pouring half a bottle of wine into a glass and saying I had a glass of wine, that’s minimising. There is nothing to suggest this person is doing this

Apart from where the OP says the person drunk a bottle of wine and a third of a litre of whiskey in 2 nights?

Pukkatea · 26/01/2021 10:39

Have they been celebrating burns night? I've had a lot more whisky than usual this last couple of days.

It would be a lot to drink every day, not much really for a one off.

wildraisins · 26/01/2021 10:40

OP I think it's quite a lot and personally I would be zonked after that much alcohol. Half a bottle of wine and three double spirits is maybe what I would drink on a night out once in a while.

However, people do have different tolerances. As other people have said it's not all that unusual for someone to drink this amount on a regular basis, but that doesn't mean it's good for you.

It depends how it compares to what the person's previous "normal" level of drinking was. If they are drinking more than usual then I'd say that's possibly a cause for concern - why have they changed their habit? Could be something going on for them that they are struggling with.

Bluntness100 · 26/01/2021 10:41

Apart from where the OP says the person drunk a bottle of wine and a third of a litre of whiskey in 2 nights?

Eh, well clearly because they aren’t saying they only had a glass those nights. Confused

Op, honestly if I was elderly and/or needed a carer, if I fancied a bottle of wine, I’d be fucked if someone was going to stop me.

SchrodingersImmigrant · 26/01/2021 10:45

@Pukkatea

Have they been celebrating burns night? I've had a lot more whisky than usual this last couple of days.

It would be a lot to drink every day, not much really for a one off.

Ph wow. It totally escaped me this year how no restaurant around advertised it this year (obviously)😱
wildraisins · 26/01/2021 10:47

You could just casually mention it like "oh, I noticed you enjoyed a few drinks last night, were you celebrating something?" and see how they respond. Could be that they were just enjoying themselves.

I think as a carer you do have a responsibility/ duty of care here and should ignore people on here who are saying it's none of your business - it is. But you do have to tread lightly because the person should also have autonomy to make their own decisions. It could just be a one off, so just keep an eye on it and see if it becomes a regular thing.

If they are still drinking this heavily in two weeks' time when they only previously used to have one glass a night, then you know there's something going on and can ask about it more directly.

Fi57 · 26/01/2021 10:48

I think maybe just keep an eye on it, I don’t think I’d worry to much about the wine but the whisky seems quite a lot.
You know the old saying...never mix the grape and the grain!

AryaStarkWolf · 26/01/2021 10:50

@Thewiseoneincognito

It screams depression to me. To drink that much alone. Daily drinking is bad enough at one or two glasses, this is clearly a few steps on.
maybe they're just bored? Maybe they just fancied having a few drinks? They're an adult I presume, they are allowed have a few drinks if they fancy it
AryaStarkWolf · 26/01/2021 10:51

@Bluntness100

Apart from where the OP says the person drunk a bottle of wine and a third of a litre of whiskey in 2 nights?

Eh, well clearly because they aren’t saying they only had a glass those nights. Confused

Op, honestly if I was elderly and/or needed a carer, if I fancied a bottle of wine, I’d be fucked if someone was going to stop me.

Yeah that's what I was thinking too, how shitty it must be getting old like that and reverting back to being treated like a child
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