right number of days to finish a bottle of vodka
voices ca**y
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: St. Paul Minnesota
Posts: 4,359
If you want to be sure to stay out of trouble you might want to consider not only how much but how often. Drinking every day even if it is only two is a recipe for disaster. It becomes a habit and then your tolerance slowly starts to build and that is how I ended up with a huge problem.
Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 651
Originally Posted by MelindaFlowers 
Well, there's about 26 ounces in a fifth I think so that's about 17 standard drinks. So a fifth should last you 8.5 days if you're drinking a "normal" two drinks a night.
I drank about 20-22 ounces of vodka a night so all that math is meaningless to me!
I don't drink at all now. Even thinking about it gives me a headache!
Most people I know a fifth would last a month? I know people who would take a year to finish it. They are not alcoholics, obviously. It sits in their cupboard like nutmeg, only used on special occasions.
I was so sick of always doing the math and then forgetting to count after the first four or five drinks.
Any and all plans to moderate failed every time.
I drank about 20-22 ounces of vodka a night so all that math is meaningless to me!
I don't drink at all now. Even thinking about it gives me a headache!
Most people I know a fifth would last a month? I know people who would take a year to finish it. They are not alcoholics, obviously. It sits in their cupboard like nutmeg, only used on special occasions.
I was so sick of always doing the math and then forgetting to count after the first four or five drinks.
Any and all plans to moderate failed every time.
~sb
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: MD
Posts: 15,967
"Binge Drinking:
NIAAA defines binge drinking as a pattern of drinking that brings blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels to 0.08 g/dL. This typically occurs after 4 drinks for women and 5 drinks for men—in about 2 hours.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), which conducts the annual National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), defines binge drinking as drinking 5 or more alcoholic drinks on the same occasion on at least 1 day in the past 30 days.
Low Risk for Developing an Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD):
As defined by NIAAA, for women, low-risk drinking is no more than 3 drinks on any single day and no more than 7 drinks per week. For men, it is defined as no more than 4 drinks on any single day and no more than 14 drinks per week. NIAAA research shows that only about 2 in 100 people who drink within these limits have an AUD. Even within these limits, you can have problems if you drink too quickly or have other health issues."
Read more here: Drinking Levels Defined | National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
NIAAA defines binge drinking as a pattern of drinking that brings blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels to 0.08 g/dL. This typically occurs after 4 drinks for women and 5 drinks for men—in about 2 hours.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), which conducts the annual National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), defines binge drinking as drinking 5 or more alcoholic drinks on the same occasion on at least 1 day in the past 30 days.
Low Risk for Developing an Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD):
As defined by NIAAA, for women, low-risk drinking is no more than 3 drinks on any single day and no more than 7 drinks per week. For men, it is defined as no more than 4 drinks on any single day and no more than 14 drinks per week. NIAAA research shows that only about 2 in 100 people who drink within these limits have an AUD. Even within these limits, you can have problems if you drink too quickly or have other health issues."
Read more here: Drinking Levels Defined | National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: New England
Posts: 1,926
Originally Posted by reprimand
I already felt your concern but was just worried whether I am awkward being here. And your heartfelt reply assured me it is not the case at all 
. By the way, is there anything like two drinks per day with some rest days for life? Or does it have to be either be an occasional drinker or end up being a heavy drinker or quit forever? If the latter are the only options, then the right choice would be to stop buying them. But I doubt that it is the case.
. By the way, is there anything like two drinks per day with some rest days for life? Or does it have to be either be an occasional drinker or end up being a heavy drinker or quit forever? If the latter are the only options, then the right choice would be to stop buying them. But I doubt that it is the case.One pint of 80 proof vodka lasted my grandfather around 2 weeks.
Their bodies were different. My grandpa had an "off switch" I'm his body. My grandma didn't.
I don't have an "off switch". When I start drinking and get that warm comfortable feeling I don't want to stop and I DON'T. It sucked!!! You'll figure it out...
Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: New England
Posts: 1,926
One more thing....I think I did my math wrong in my earlier post.
1 pint is 473 milliliters (16 ounces) So my grandfather would measure out 2 ounces of vodka for 1 martini then add a bunch olives. Then he would often have a second martini with 2 ounces and MORE olives. He NEVER had more than 2 drinks five evenings per week. Sometimes he drank much less than 5 drinks per week.
So he drank a total of 4 ounces of vodka five times or less per week. That's 20 ounces or less per week or 591 ML. I'm not really sure how long 1 pint lasted him. You can do the math. I suck at math! Haha
Anyway...ONE drink only has 2 ounces of alcohol in it.
I used to say I only had 2 drinks but my drinks were HUGE! Haha. I have a friend who had a HUGE wine glass that held more than half a bottle of wine. She would drink 2 of those and tell everyone she was only drinking the "standard 2 drinks per day". She is now a sober member of AA.
Just keep and eye on it. Alcohol can pull you in and turn on you pretty quick of your not careful.
1 pint is 473 milliliters (16 ounces) So my grandfather would measure out 2 ounces of vodka for 1 martini then add a bunch olives. Then he would often have a second martini with 2 ounces and MORE olives. He NEVER had more than 2 drinks five evenings per week. Sometimes he drank much less than 5 drinks per week.
So he drank a total of 4 ounces of vodka five times or less per week. That's 20 ounces or less per week or 591 ML. I'm not really sure how long 1 pint lasted him. You can do the math. I suck at math! Haha
Anyway...ONE drink only has 2 ounces of alcohol in it.
I used to say I only had 2 drinks but my drinks were HUGE! Haha. I have a friend who had a HUGE wine glass that held more than half a bottle of wine. She would drink 2 of those and tell everyone she was only drinking the "standard 2 drinks per day". She is now a sober member of AA.
Just keep and eye on it. Alcohol can pull you in and turn on you pretty quick of your not careful.
Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: New England
Posts: 1,926
Originally Posted by MelindaFlowers
All my friends are normies. They may drink three times a week, sometimes one night a week. Heck, they may not drink at all one week because it never crosses their mind. Mostly, they go to happy hours and have two beers and don't keep any at home. They buy beer when they have company over and they will bring a six pack to a party to SHARE with others. Random story but I went to a Halloween party after I stopped drinking and there were 12 beers in the house for six people. Are you sitting down? There were two or three, unopened, on the counter when everyone said their goodbyes. I felt like I was in a twilight zone episode. Who were these people?!?! I have a sixth sense for counting/sensing how much alcohol is at a party. Like the secret service checking out a hotel room before the president stays there, I always took inventory of how much booze there was at any given party. Thank god cars have trunks or else I would have had to bring my fifth of cheap vodka into the party and set it on the counter rather than going out to my car to "get something" throughout the evening. I wonder if anyone ever thought it was weird that I forgot my phone charger in the car six times in one evening? I still can't wrap my mind around how people would have one drink, genuinely enjoy it, and go on with their evening happy as a clam. Truly baffling.
Member
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Perth, Western Australia
Posts: 418
Let's see here... The right number of days to finish a bottle of vodka... I know my AlcoMath 101 has the formula somewhere...
Ah yes! Here it is... Given that Alco A has slept until 3pm after previously downing 1.5 litres of bourbon mixed with coke, and the trip to the toilet to vomit takes 12 seconds if you don't smash into walls or fall over while you're running there, then... Let's see.. Carry the one, twelve, fifteen... Buy some more.. Yep! The time it should take you to finish a bottle of vodka ... Is... Zzzzzzzzz.
Sorry. Blacked out there. What was the question? Oh yeah. Need more vodka to answer it...
Ah yes! Here it is... Given that Alco A has slept until 3pm after previously downing 1.5 litres of bourbon mixed with coke, and the trip to the toilet to vomit takes 12 seconds if you don't smash into walls or fall over while you're running there, then... Let's see.. Carry the one, twelve, fifteen... Buy some more.. Yep! The time it should take you to finish a bottle of vodka ... Is... Zzzzzzzzz.
Sorry. Blacked out there. What was the question? Oh yeah. Need more vodka to answer it...
love is the answer
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: UK
Posts: 1,352
Here in the UK we have 'units'.
It's very easy to underestimate a 'unit'.
I never believed my drinking was at 'harmful' levels until my doctor reminded me I was drinking 3 or 4 times above the UK recommended safe levels.
And I have to tell you, even that didn't stop me. I celebrated a 60 day sober stretch with a 'one wont hurt' mentality which quickly escalated into a bender.
Others have said counting drinks and so on is a red flag for them, and it is for me too.
It's very easy to underestimate a 'unit'.
I never believed my drinking was at 'harmful' levels until my doctor reminded me I was drinking 3 or 4 times above the UK recommended safe levels.
And I have to tell you, even that didn't stop me. I celebrated a 60 day sober stretch with a 'one wont hurt' mentality which quickly escalated into a bender.
Others have said counting drinks and so on is a red flag for them, and it is for me too.
Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 10,912
I was wondering similar things many years ago when I was drinking much less and less frequently. For me, it progressed into full blown alcoholism where a bottle of vodka would never last longer than 2 days, but often less.
I agree with others that we don't tend to worry about excess if we have no desire for excess at all.
I agree with others that we don't tend to worry about excess if we have no desire for excess at all.
p***enger
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: NYC
Posts: 19,042
I agree with a lot of what's been said -- if you're trying to control your drinking by looking for a target "ok" amount to drink, you might already have a problem.
I used to keep a spreadsheet on my liquor purchases -- not consumption because it didn't count freebies which I learned to cadge a lot of. I thought I was "spending too much" on liquor.
I was drinking a fifth of gin every 5 days, then 4, then 1 or 2 -- but by then I'd given up the spreadsheet.
There's no doubt it's progressive, the only question is, when are you ready to stop the progression?
I used to keep a spreadsheet on my liquor purchases -- not consumption because it didn't count freebies which I learned to cadge a lot of. I thought I was "spending too much" on liquor.
I was drinking a fifth of gin every 5 days, then 4, then 1 or 2 -- but by then I'd given up the spreadsheet.
There's no doubt it's progressive, the only question is, when are you ready to stop the progression?
Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Midwest
Posts: 9,029
My parents recently had need to remove ink from a ballpoint pen from an armchair. Rubbing alcohol does the trick and they didn't have any so they had to scrounge around, lighting on a long buried bottle of vodka, which did the trick. A bottle will last as long you want it to. If you're a normal drinker, that could mean dusting off a bottle found behind a bunch of canned goods on top of the refrigerator.
If you are concerned, why not ask your doctor about it?
If you are concerned, why not ask your doctor about it?
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 11
I'm not sure the op is buying and drinking 750ml vodka *every day*. I read the post as them buying 750ml bottles and wanting to know how long the bottle *should* last if having two drinks a day.
Please correct me if I'm wrong.
Please correct me if I'm wrong.
The thing is the last bottle lasted four days. The previous one lasted 6. There was probably two previous consecutive bottles that lasted 4-5. And beyond that it was always either 7 or more.
Never heard counting stuffs is not normal. My colleagues count almost everything. One big aspect of this new era of smart devices is about measuring every aspect of life including number of steps, amount of sleep and calories. I can't imagine that a person who will not measure herself could be called normal in this coming era.
Many healthy persons do count her calories. If they are eating more, that is a problem. But simply the fact that someone is counting their calories or worrying whether she is eating more cannot be a red flag for eating disorder by itself. Alcohol consumption could be viewed in a similar manner. At least that approach would make more sense to me.I have never regretted drinking. Never had a hangover (or maybe I don't know what that is). But after reading some of the replies, it feels like my enjoyment of drinking will not be as much as before. I am not sure such a fabricated guilt is a good idea.
Member
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: South
Posts: 226
Originally Posted by Dee74
The 2 drinks a day thing ideally includes rest days with no drinking at all as well...
D
D
Member
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: South
Posts: 226
Reprimand - you are talking to alcoholics, of course we are going to take a certain position or at the very least be tainted by the lenses of our own experience. If you feel like it's not a problem, then rock on. We are not judges, or even counsellors, just a few folks sharing our story. I applaud you for keeping tabs, and certainly a healthy level of vigilance might prevent future problems - so good on you for raising the flag.
You are of course welcome to stay and chat with us, or move on. If you decide to stay, there are lots of good stories, personal tales and life long lessons. You might find it useful / worthy of your downtime.
You are of course welcome to stay and chat with us, or move on. If you decide to stay, there are lots of good stories, personal tales and life long lessons. You might find it useful / worthy of your downtime.
Canine Welfare Advocate
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Norfolk, VA
Posts: 10,962
Originally Posted by reprimand
Never heard counting stuffs is not normal. My colleagues count almost everything. One big aspect of this new era of smart devices is about measuring every aspect of life including number of steps, amount of sleep and calories. I can't imagine that a person who will not measure herself could be called normal in this coming era.
Member
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Nutmegger
Posts: 1,799
reprimand…here is my progression. In my 20's I would drink when I went out on weekends, I don't remember even having alcohol in my apartment. It just wasn't on my radar.
In my 30's I began to overdo it occasionally at social events. I didn't have children yet and often worked late hours. Sometimes I would get home have dinner with a glass of wine and go to bed. I moved about 30 full bottles of vodka, gin, whiskey twice in 10 years because they were left over from parties I had hosted. They looked pretty on the shelves and I remember thinking it was a chore to dust them. We had a fully stocked wine cellar but I kept a couple of bottles in the kitchen and every now and then I would replace them.
Early 40's I started drinking more often and beginning to really focus on alcohol's availability regarding events: gardening, golfing, skiing, watching movies, boating,funerals, weddings, etc. I started drinking wine every evening and my quantities gradually increased. I always had a "dressing drink" and a roadie on the way to events. I never drove drunk but I expended a lot of energy protecting my ability to consume freely without that hindrance.
One night at 2am after a lot of wine I couldn't sleep. I sat there and realized that there were all these bottles of liquor that I had never even thought about. I tried a shot of scotch (I threw out a bottle of 30 year old stuff cuz I uncorked it and thought it had gone bad.). A year later every bottle had been finished and replaced to avoid detection. Many were watered down. I discovered vodka and thus began my rapid descent.
For me the progression sped up quickly at the end. What stands out most in retrospect is not the amount of space alcohol took up in my bloodstream but how much space alcohol began to take up in my head. I became fixated.
I can see it now in retrospect. It was creepy to feel so dependent on a an inanimate substance. I think the darkest hours were that very private inner struggle knowing that it wasn't healthy but afraid to look at it because once I admitted it the relationship would change.
I can tell you that it is immensely freeing to now know that I am in control….because I chose to walk away. There are some relationships in our lives we have to leave to preserve ourselves….my relationship with alcohol was like being with an abusive partner, it was damaging me and changing me. The alcohol was always going to be there so I had to step up and say "no more". It is incredibly empowering to take the reins back.
It sounds like you are wise to be examining this. Because of the progressive nature of alcohol abuse if you have a problem it won't likely go away. Educating yourself in any regard is taking ownership so that if it is becoming a problem you can deal with it.
In my 30's I began to overdo it occasionally at social events. I didn't have children yet and often worked late hours. Sometimes I would get home have dinner with a glass of wine and go to bed. I moved about 30 full bottles of vodka, gin, whiskey twice in 10 years because they were left over from parties I had hosted. They looked pretty on the shelves and I remember thinking it was a chore to dust them. We had a fully stocked wine cellar but I kept a couple of bottles in the kitchen and every now and then I would replace them.
Early 40's I started drinking more often and beginning to really focus on alcohol's availability regarding events: gardening, golfing, skiing, watching movies, boating,funerals, weddings, etc. I started drinking wine every evening and my quantities gradually increased. I always had a "dressing drink" and a roadie on the way to events. I never drove drunk but I expended a lot of energy protecting my ability to consume freely without that hindrance.
One night at 2am after a lot of wine I couldn't sleep. I sat there and realized that there were all these bottles of liquor that I had never even thought about. I tried a shot of scotch (I threw out a bottle of 30 year old stuff cuz I uncorked it and thought it had gone bad.). A year later every bottle had been finished and replaced to avoid detection. Many were watered down. I discovered vodka and thus began my rapid descent.
For me the progression sped up quickly at the end. What stands out most in retrospect is not the amount of space alcohol took up in my bloodstream but how much space alcohol began to take up in my head. I became fixated.
I can see it now in retrospect. It was creepy to feel so dependent on a an inanimate substance. I think the darkest hours were that very private inner struggle knowing that it wasn't healthy but afraid to look at it because once I admitted it the relationship would change.
I can tell you that it is immensely freeing to now know that I am in control….because I chose to walk away. There are some relationships in our lives we have to leave to preserve ourselves….my relationship with alcohol was like being with an abusive partner, it was damaging me and changing me. The alcohol was always going to be there so I had to step up and say "no more". It is incredibly empowering to take the reins back.
It sounds like you are wise to be examining this. Because of the progressive nature of alcohol abuse if you have a problem it won't likely go away. Educating yourself in any regard is taking ownership so that if it is becoming a problem you can deal with it.
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