Responsible whisky drinking and pacing

A peg holds more alcohol than it looks

Indian bars and homes pour whisky in pegs: a small peg of 30 ml or a large peg of 60 ml. Much Indian whisky is bottled at 42.8% ABV. So a 30 ml small peg contains about 12.8 ml of pure alcohol. A 60 ml large peg contains about 25.7 ml.

Compare that with beer. A 330 ml bottle of 5% lager has about 16.5 ml of alcohol. A 650 ml bottle of 8% strong beer, common in India, has about 52 ml. Two large pegs hold about as much alcohol as that whole 650 ml bottle. The working is simple: volume in ml multiplied by ABV gives ml of pure alcohol. Do it once for your own usual drink and the numbers stay with you.

Why whisky catches people out

Three things make whisky easy to overdo. It is strong, so a small volume carries a lot of alcohol. It is often poured by eye at home, where a generous hand turns a small peg into a large one. And mixed with soda or cola over ice, it goes down like a soft drink.

Spirits also arrive in the bloodstream faster than you might expect when you drink them quickly on an empty stomach. The body then clears alcohol at a slow, steady rate. Coffee, a cold shower or a glass of water do not speed that up. Only time does.

Pace yourself with simple habits

Pacing is not about willpower. It is about a few habits that make it the default:

• Measure. Use a jigger or a peg measure at home rather than pouring by eye.
• Water between drinks. A full glass of water alongside every whisky slows you down and keeps you hydrated.
• Eat first. Food in the stomach slows how fast alcohol is absorbed. A whisky with dinner behaves very differently from one before it.
• Set a number. Decide how many before the evening starts, not halfway through.
• Sip it. A good whisky rewards slow drinking. One measure nosed and sipped over twenty minutes tells you more than three gulped.

Check the strength on the label

Not every whisky is 42.8%. Many single malts are bottled at 46%. Cask strength whiskies often sit between 55 and 62%. The same 30 ml pour of a 60% cask strength whisky holds 18 ml of alcohol, about 40% more than the same pour of a standard Indian blend.

So read the ABV before you pour. Pour less of the strong stuff. Adding water to a cask strength whisky in the glass does not reduce the alcohol you drink. It only spreads it across a bigger volume, which at least slows you down.

The same logic applies to mixed drinks. A highball made with a heavy hand can hold a large peg or more. Measure the whisky, then add the soda.

Tasting is the opposite of drinking a lot

At a proper tasting the pours are small, often 15 to 20 ml. Much of it is nosed rather than drunk. Professional tasters spit, because judging the sixth sample with a fogged palate is pointless. Our guide to hosting a whisky tasting at home shows how to keep measures small and pace a flight.

This is the quiet secret of whisky appreciation: the more attention you pay to each sip, the less you need. A trained nose finds more in 15 ml than an untrained one finds in a bottle. That is a skill you build on purpose. It changes how you drink.

Never drink and drive

There is no clever way round this. Alcohol slows reaction time and blurs judgement well before you feel drunk. Indian law sets a low legal limit for drivers and police carry breath testers. The only safe amount before driving is none.

Plan the ride home before the first pour. Book a cab, name a driver who is not drinking or stay over. If you are the host, keep soft drinks and good non-alcoholic options on the table and make sure no guest drives after drinking.

Look after the people around you

Never pour for anyone under the legal drinking age, which varies by state in India. Do not top up someone's glass without asking. Do not press drinks on anyone who has said no, for whatever reason. A good host makes it easy to stop.

If someone has had far too much, stay with them, keep them sitting up and get medical help if they cannot be woken, are vomiting while drowsy or are breathing oddly. That is not an overreaction. It is the right call.

Your first step

Next time you pour at home, use a measure and work out the ml of pure alcohol in your glass with the volume times ABV sum above. Pour a glass of water beside it. Then nose the whisky properly before you sip, following our guide to nosing whisky properly. You will find the drink lasts twice as long.

Common questions

How much alcohol is in a peg of whisky?

A 30 ml small peg at 42.8% ABV holds about 12.8 ml of pure alcohol. A 60 ml large peg holds about 25.7 ml.

Does water or coffee sober you up?

No. The body clears alcohol at a steady rate and only time reduces it. Water helps you pace and stay hydrated but does not speed that up.

How much whisky is safe before driving?

None. Alcohol affects reaction time before you feel it, so plan a cab, a sober driver or a place to stay before you start.