If you are a bourbon enthusiast or someone new to the bourbon-drinking club, it is essential to learn how to drink whiskey while staying healthy at the same time.
Experiencing bourbons or other whiskeys is enjoyable, but it is alcohol, so there are inherent dangers in drinking too much and not preparing your body for the alcohol intake. Thus, what are some tips for healthy whiskey drinking, and what are some things you can do to promote good health if you are an avid bourbon lover?
Enjoy the Bourbon Tasting Experience
Whiskey comes in many delicious forms, from single malt, scotch, bourbon, rye, and many other types of whiskey. Taking time to enjoy the whiskey-tasting experience helps you moderate your drinking habits.
Pour one finger of whiskey at a time, the equivalent of about 1 ounce, and savor that pour. Attempt to pick out the different aromatic notes of the whiskey. Please do the same thing as you taste it. Take your time to pick out the flavors. Toggle back and forth between nosing and drinking the whiskey.
Enjoying the bourbon-tasting experience is a leisurely process, but you will find that you enjoy whiskey more when unhurried and relaxed. When you take this approach, you drink less whiskey than you otherwise would.
Anything you can do to moderate your drinking habits will be worthwhile. Long-term consumption of large amounts of alcohol can lead to different types of cancers, alcoholic hepatitis, cirrhosis of the liver, pancreatitis, low blood sugar in diabetics, stroke, or heart failure. These are just a few consequences—good health to you.
Drink Lots of Water Before and After Drinking Alcohol
If you know you will drink bourbon at a particular time, let's say in the evening, make sure you drink water during the day. After you've had your bourbon for the night, drink a full glass of water before bed.
Not drinking enough water can increase the adverse effects of whiskey.
Drinking lots of water is vital because alcohol causes dehydration which can shrink brain tissue, creating headaches in the short term and memory loss over time. Additionally, the dehydration associated with drinking too much whiskey can cause slow bowel function, fatigue or low energy levels, weight gain, mental fog, and skin problems. So, prepare your body by drinking a sufficient amount of water.
Moderation and Listening to Your Body
When it comes to the impact of alcohol on an individual, everyone is different, and everybody responds differently to alcohol consumption. With this in mind, listen to your body. It will often tell you when to take a break from alcohol consumption. Some people will take off one week a month as part of their routine. Others will have a "dry" month when the need arises.
Follow a healthy habit that works for you and allows you to maintain a good perspective on bourbon drinking. If you already have health problems, you must factor that into your habits.
What Is Moderate Drinking?
As mentioned, everyone is different; however, the United States government has set some moderation-related dietary guidelines.
- Moderation For Women: No more than 1.5 ounces of whiskey daily.
- Moderation For Men: No more than 3.0 ounces of whiskey daily.
Some of My Habits
I have yet to find a need to take more than a few days off from drinking, but I try to maintain a moderate weekly schedule since I enjoy the bourbon and rye tasting experience. My routine:
- Limit my drinking to 3 or 4 days a week
- Drink one finger at a time (1 ounce) and typically never more than 4 ounces when drinking something I love.
- I focus on the tasting experience (aromas, flavors, etc.); as a result, I drink less
- I drink water before drinking whiskey that evening
- I drink a full glass of water before I go to bed after drinking (yeah, I may have to get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, but that's a small price to pay)
Good Health to You
Being a bourbon enthusiast or even an occasional bourbon drinker can be fun. However, maintaining our health is even more critical while enjoying these tasty spirits. Additionally, if you are an individual who cannot keep their drinking moderate, please seek professional help—good health to you.