You should plan to serve 2 drinks per person, for each hour for first 2 hours and 1 drink per person for each hour after that. Our calculator assumes that equal distribution of drink types will be served – if Beer and Wine are selected, the calculator assigns equal number of drinks to Beer and Wine.
The Legal Standard Under Texas Law
Under the Texas Dram Shop Act, it is against the law for bars, restaurants, liquor stores, etc., to serve alcohol to anyone who is obviously intoxicated to the extent that they present a clear danger to themselves and others. If alcohol providers serve someone who is obviously intoxicated, they have broken the law and they assume at least partial responsibility for any injuries that may occur as a result of the drinkers intoxication.
So, the short answer to the question of how much alcohol is too much is any amount of alcohol past the point of obvious intoxication. Consider the following hypotheticals.
- Bob goes to a Chillis restaurant and orders a shot and a beer. He consumes them before ordering his meal, and then orders another shot. When he orders his next drink, the waitress can tell that hes slurring his words. Should the server serve him the third drink / second shot that he ordered? Technically, that would probably be okay. You see, if hes slurring his words, thats a pretty good sign that he is obviously intoxicated. However, Chillis would not be liable for serving him alcohol just because he was obviously intoxicated at the time they served him. Theyd only be liable if they serve him once he reaches the point that he is obviously intoxicated to the point that he is a clear danger to himself and others. If he has one more drink and is slurring his speech, dozing off or appearing glassy-eyed, seems to be having trouble holding his head up, etc., then thats a different story. The for the bar to serve him any additional alcohol would certainly make them liable.
- Steve is drinking at Buffalo Wild Wings. Hes only had one beer, but he started drinking on an empty stomach and he weighs 120 lbs., so his one drink has gotten him pretty drunk. As he walks to the bathroom, his server notices that hes swaying back and forth. When he returns, Steve tells his waitress that he wants one for the road. If she ere to serve him this additional drink shed be in violation of the law, and shed expose Buffalo Wild Wings to tremendous liability.
- Karen has been barhopping. She shows up to Hooters already quite drunk. The Hooters staff can tell that shes drunk, so they decide that theyll only give her watered down beer. How does the law view this? Well, she was obviously intoxicated to the point that she represented… (and so forth), so they have an obligation not to serve her any drinks. Doing so would place them in violation of the law.
- Imagine that Heather goes to an Olive Garden and sits at the bar. She starts drinking at noon and doesnt leave until the restaurant closes at midnight. In that twelve hour period, she consumes 24 shots. Now, 24 shots is a lot of alcohol, but, if she is served just a couple of drinks per hour and had plenty to eat, she could have very well consumed all 24 shots without having ever gotten drunk enough to raise a red flag. In short, its perfectly fine for Olive Garden to serve her 24 shots in that time period.
The point were making here is twofold:
- First, there is no set number of drinks that is too many. It doesnt matter if it takes one drink to get a customer drunk or twenty, once a bar can tell that the drinker is obviously intoxicated to the point that they represent a clear and present danger to themselves and others, the bar is opening themselves up to the wrath of a Texas jury by serving even one single drop of additional alcohol.
- Second, bars cant be sued for “getting someone drunk.” This is an important distinction. Many people learn of dram shop cases and utterly reject the idea of suing bars on the basis that its not fair to sue bars just for serving alcohol. Well, the law and the courts agree with them. Thats patently NOT what dram shop cases are about. Theyre instead based on the idea that bars can serve all the alcohol that they want, so long as they cut the patron off once they become dangerously drunk. To put it another way, bars have to really break the rules to a profound degree to be liable for drunken driving accidents, etc.
Before deciding to drink, you should know the laws in effect where you are. If you are on or near campus, know that that New Jersey law (pdf) and University policy prohibits the purchasing, serving, and consumption of alcohol by and to people under 21.
How Many Drinks Cause a .08 BAC? | Alcoholism
FAQ
How many drinks can you serve in an hour?
How many drinks per hour is normal?
How many drinks can I have per hour?
How many drinks per guest per hour?
How many drinks do people order per hour?
Thus many people order two (2) drinks per hour, even though they only end up drinking about one and a half. This is especially prevalent at events with children who tend to order a drink, have a few sips, then run off with friends. Once they get thirsty again, they have forgotten that they even have a half-full glass and ask for another.
What is the recommended amount of daily drinking?
Although it is best to avoid drinking alcohol completely but one can choose if they want to stop drinking or drink in moderation. Dietary guidelines for Americans recommends drinking 1 to 2 drinks a day for men and one drink a day for women.
How many alcoholic drinks do you need per hour?
The estimate above includes both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. A standard assumption for alcoholic beverages is two (2) drinks the first hour, then one (1) drink per hour per adult. Therefore, at a shorter event, you will need to provide a greater proportion of alcoholic drinks than non-alcoholic drinks.
How many drinks can a guest eat per hour?
You will need to have an accurate estimate of how many beverages your guests will consume. A rule of thumb is that your guests will consume approximately two (2) drinks per hour. I understand that this sounds like an enormous amount of liquids for a person to consume. But be aware that this number can be tough to estimate.