How much to drink on a weeknight

[Pandaghost]

I went out for "a drink" with 4 friends last night. We are all between 35 and 45 and have children (eldest out of all kids is 11, youngest is 1. Most have 2 children).
1 person drove. 4 drank.
1 had one wine and couldn't have anymore because of work tomorrow.
1 had 2 wines.
2 had a bottle of wine each. 1 had this and a further vodka and coke (unsure if single or double).
All said they felt fine today (except the driver who had a headache which is clearly unrelated). All have busy jobs working either full time or 4 days a week and were in work today.
My question is how much would/could you drink on a midweek night knowing you had work and children to sort out and genuinely feel ok? I was the person who had one wine and couldn't handle anymore on a week night!

These days, even just one glass of wine gives me a racing heart and lack of sleep, unfortunately.

I genuinley dont drink on weeknights but I presume everyone has their own levlesl they find ok so I cant say the same for everyone makses sense

I don't ever drink when I've work the next day, so I'd have drove. I've done it once when I was at a concert and I absolutely hated every second of work the next day. I wouldn't judge others who did though, I'm just a total lightweight.

Between half and one bottle of wine or a few g&t’s , I wouldn’t mix though or stay out too late it’s mostly the lack of sleep that gets me going out on a school night.

I have no idea! I don’t remember the last time I had a hangover because I so rarely drink enough to get hungover. We live in a tiny village and it’s no transport links so it’s very rare I’m not driving. I very occasionally might have half a bottle of wine, and am fine in the morning. But it’s not a common occurrence!

Oh no, im not judging! Honestly just curious because I was dubious having one on a work night and there were a few surprised looks (I used to really let my hair down pre kids) but I just dont think I could survive a morning with kids and a day in work after a bottle of wine and a vodka!

Not sure but you certainly wouldn’t be my friend anymore if you were counting the drinks I had on a night out and judging me on mumsnet the next day, that’s for sure!

It would depend on the wine and other factors like my mood and food intake. I might be fine, I might feel terrible. But I’d be able to function okay, perhaps not at my finest. I’d be the friend that had the bottle, with young kids I don’t get out much and if the wine was nice I would limit to one glass if I was enjoying myself.

I can feel the effects the next day after a glass and feel noticeably under par with two. I’d definitely struggle after a bottle.

I used to love drinking but have lost all my tolerance as I’ve got older.

I’d feel okay after a bottle of wine, providing I spaced it out over an evening and had eaten. I’d prefer to ‘start’ a bit earlier though and be in bed by 10 or 11pm.

I can, and do, drink a bottle of wine and then have a glass or two of spirit and mixer but I’d definitely be feeling a bit worse for wear the next day and wouldn’t fancy tending to children or working tbh.

I have friends who are retired and enjoy a wine or two every night, I have friends who don’t drink, I have friends who probably have one or two drinks a week, I have friends who start drinking at wine o’clock (whenever that is). I have friends and family who don’t work Monday-Friday so their weekend is during the week. I have friends who work nightshift and have a drink at 7am. I don’t keep count of how much my friends drink to be honest. I couldn’t imagine sitting in company and watching what others were drinking, I’m too busy talking and socialising to notice. You’ve noted what each person had to drink therefore you must have been watching, I find it really weird to be counting other people’s drinks. Why would friends ask how everyone was feeling after a social night out? I find that odd, it’s not something my friends or I ask each other.

Edited to add you put “a drink” in your OP, did you expect everyone to have “a drink” as in one drink each?

I'd start struggling the next day after three glasses of wine, I'm late forties.

I work shifts so if I’m working I just don’t bother. In fact I don’t drink all that much at all these days maybe 1-2 glasses of wine on a date night with DP when my days off fall on his weekend without his children.
I personally couldn’t do my job hungover and I get terrible hangovers so I just don’t bother. I work with people who can sink a bottle of wine on a Friday night and make it to work for 6.30am fresh as a daisy…everyone is different.

I could have 2 or 3 glasses of wine if making a proper night out out of it. Same as if I was out at the weekend. I'm quite old now so only go out the odd time.

About a bottle and half before I felt it the next day

I’d probably have been the driver, so nothing.

But if I wasn’t driving then no more than half a bottle if I wanted to be fully functional the next day.

Anything more than 2 glasses of wine, and I feel it the next day. If I had to get up early for kids and work, I’d stick to one plus sparkling water.
I’m late 50s and my tolerance has decreased and I find I need more sleep too, so a late night will also impact me.

I don't really understand the point of the thread OP but at least it's good that as a friendship group that you all do your own thing as regards what you drink when you go out together. There often seems to be pressure in friendship groups for everyone to keep up with the heaviest drinkers.

I would assume the 2 friends who drank the bottle of wine, and particularly the one who also had a spirit as well, must be relatively regular fairly heavy drinkers if they could consume that amount and feel no bad effects the next day.

I rarely drink in the week and if I do it’s rarely more than one. I can’t really metabolise it anymore and its not worth the sleep disruption.

A bottle of wine plus midweek on a workday seems really excessive to me tbh. If that person is doing this regularly they are probably in dangerous territory.

I will have a single glass of wine but it will be a struggle at my get up time of 5.45am the next day. Just leaves me much more tired.

Back in the day, a bottle of wine and some chasers would not be a problem midweek, weekend, didn't matter. I would stop drinking around 9 pm and be up for work at 4 am. Kid off to school - all fine.

Edited to add: this would happen once a month, at most, so not a heavy drinker by definition

I’d have a half a bottle of wine. That is my comfortable amount for feeling fine the next day.

I would have one large glass of wine or three single G&Ts.

If I was going out I would have more than one glass.
I don't really understand your post to be honest, your own story shows you people have a range on a week night surely?

Time to bed has a bigger impact on me than any alcohol consumption. If in bed by 11pm, I’d be fine. Having said that I wouldn’t drink more than a bottle of wine on a week night out. Don’t drink at all in the week if at home.