- Order Flights: If you're like me and want to sample a variety of fare, you can't do that with pints and still remain able to function in any coherent way (unless you're a 2 ton grizzly bear; you have other problems if you're drinking with one of those). Some craft breweries, such as my locals Bosque Brewing and Spotted Dog, generally have 10 or more beers on tap. That's WAY TOO MANY pints to stay sober unless you're there all day. Hmm...
- Know Your Limit: Drink no more than one pint an hour. Of course, that number could vary slightly depending on your body weight and the ABV of the beers in question but in general, it's a good rule of thumb to abide by. Besides, craft beer is for savoring, not slugging. If you just want to get drunk, I'm sure there's some Bud Light blog out there somewhere (shuddering at the thought). And that's why I like flights so much: most breweries have flights of four, 4-5 ounce pours per flight, which works out to trying four different beers an hour.
- Eat Some Food: A little compatible food goes a long way to absorbing some of the alcohol in your system; in fact, scientists recommend eating before you even have the first pint as you will absorb the alcohol in your system that much slower. That doesn't mean you can gorge yourself on pizza and therefore allow yourself substantially more alcohol in your system but it does mitigate the effects. Absorption Rate Factors are discussed in more detail through this excellent link.
Thanks for tuning in. I'm going to enjoy a collaborative Saison now, courtesy of DogFishHead, Victory, and Stone Brewing Companies. Cheers!
