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!

I can and have polished off a bottle of wine over several hours on a Sunday then got up ok for work the next day. However this only works if I stop drinking at a reasonable time / say no later than 8pm.

However it’s rare that I do that. Half a bottle of wine or a double G&T is a more sensible amount and doesn’t leave me feeling like death the next day.

5 drank?

1x 1 glass of wine
1x 2 glasses of wine
2x a bottle
1x a bottle and vodka and coke.

Half a bottle is the maximum I can have and feel normal the next day but I might occasionally drink most of a bottle, and end up working with a bit of a headache.

A whole bottle and more vodka and coke would definitely have a deleterious impact on my productivity the next day!

2 glasses for me. I wouldn’t drink a bottle to myself even on a weekend! I would have in my 20s, but not now.

this.

The most I ever drink is a third of a bottle of wine

I'd be caned after a full bottle

Nothing. Alcohol gives me the shakes the next day no matter if it’s one or 5. A bottle would have me vomiting.

No the 2x bottle remains the same but one of those had an additional vodka. There isn’t a third bottle and vodka.

There were 4 people drinking. I was one of them. The people who had a bottle of wine bought it as a bottle. People made a maximum of 2 trips to the bar.
I dont think its particularly taxing to notice what 3 people discussed twice. If we ate then id probably be able to tell you what the ordered too. I must be really odd.

Went through a rough patch recently and was drinking to manage, I started off only having a bottle on a Friday and Saturday so not work night but then it gradually grew into weeknights too so I was putting a bottle away most nights… I was a bit groggy the next morning but nothing crazy, I didn’t get good sleep quality (no REM) but I was fine at work.

Well, I’m sober so I don’t drink at all anymore.

But back when I was drinking, I drank 3 bottles of wine a night (and sometimes a cider or 2 for good measure 😂) and I still got up and went to work the next day (not driving) and I felt ‘fine’.

The ones drinking a bottle a night or more probably do that more routinely than they would admit and most of them, except for the one who had a glass maybe, probably don’t actually feel fine, but they may not even realise it.

Exactly this. My tolerance has gone through the floor with peri.

This by a million.

I was a heavy drinker for much of a my life so surrounded myself with similar people. We never thought we were particularly hungover if we were functioning ok.

The problems started when I was still a part-time drinker but got very into fitness. Then when I had a few drinks I would really notice the impact the following day and it pissed me off.

I tried to keep a foot in each world for a year or two but then realised it was pointless. I still go out but don't stay late and drink n/a. I don't think anybody notices.

One strange thing - I always find it weird now when I hear people claim they were sober on a night out as they only had a few drinks. The only way to actually be sober is to not drink.

I can't drink a full bottle of wine at the weekend, I'd be bladdered, 2 glasses max. So on the rare occasion that I'd drink midweek, it would have been 1 glass of wine for me. Even though I wfh and can crawl out of bed to work, I'm mid40s and cannot drink like I used to. I don't mind a bit of day drinking at the weekend, I think it's evening drinking that I struggle with.

@PandaghostIts not unusual to notice bottles instead of glasses of wine bekng bought. I would!

All depends on the next day, what the occasion etc.

Younger days would have a night out til 2am, get up and be at work for 9am feeling a bit rough but after an hour there be fine.

Now, occasionally have a few drinks on a school night but start and finish earlier.

All depends on your job and if you're needed to be full on with responsibility or can do the bare minimum wfh.