[euge]

Beer before liquor- never sicker
Liquor before beer- you're in the clear

True? I've had bad experiences but as a general rule of thumb? Not sure. How about you guys?

[dmtaylor]

The general rule of thumb is to quit drinking when you are sloshed.  Doesn't matter what I drink, if it's shots or wine or beer.  At the hour I find myself drunk off my ass, if I stop drinking immediately, I'm "in the clear".

[beerocd]

Beer before liquor- never sicker
Liquor before beer- you're in the clear

True? I've had bad experiences but as a general rule of thumb? Not sure. How about you guys?

So, the general wisdom of that is, so long as you finish off your night with beer everything is going to be alright. To a point I'll agree - homebrew seems to help avert hangovers so I'll have one when I get home after a party. Only problem is you can substitute anything for liquor - and you're in the clear?  

[capozzoli]

Beer or liquor, pick one never mix the two. Drink lots of water. If you wish to drink liquor to the point of intoxication drink something clear. Ten you may be in the clear.

[majorvices]

There's no truth to it, at least not for me. I like to drink bourbon but I almost always "prime the pump", as it were, with a few beers first. I think the best rule is to drink plenty of water and don't drink to excess. I'll admit that I often neglect that advice, however.

[akr71]

The Mythbusters did some expirements to try and prove/disprove this.  They busted it --> the subjects were more hungover when they just drank beer and less hungover when they mixed.  They rated their dehydration, headache, sensitivity to light, sensitvity to loud noise and dizzyness (spun them around in a chair until they asked for mercy of puked) and made them memorize a bunch of stuff.

The little rhyme they test was different though:
Stick to beer, you're in the clear
Beer then liquor, never sicker.

[tumarkin]

hey, it's all alcohol. drink enough & it'll sneak up on you. the best thing is to know your own limits & respect them. though I certainly test/push those limits from time to time.

ditto on the water. the more alcohol you drink, the more important it is to hydrate. someone once told me that if you're doing heavy drinking, to try to alternate a glass of water between each drink. I never manage (or want) to do that, but I always try to drink water throughout the evening. it definitely helps.

[1vertical]

Beer or liquor, pick one never mix the two. Drink lots of water. If you wish to drink liquor to the point of intoxication drink something clear. Ten you may be in the clear.

+1

[bluesman]

I generally will have a few pints and sometimes a shot or two to follow but never more than that or else...a hangover to follow the next day.

I like to sip on some good bourbon now and then...Bookers or Knob Creek 

[MrNate]

My rule of thumb is that if I'm switching either way I'll be hurting the next day.

If I'm switching from beer to liquor, it means I'm looking to get drunk and that ain't easy to do on beer.
If I'm switching from liquor to beer, it means I'm already drunk.

Hangover Rules:

- At least 2 pints of water before bed, orange gatorade and motrin in the morning.

- Medical "Professionals" (and by that I mean the professional drinkers who happened to be nurses or corpsmen I've known over the years) swear by draining a bag of saline in the morning.

- I swear the Romans had vomitoriums because they drank red wine.

- Remember that for every year you feel younger tonight, you'll feel two years older in the morning. Never get so drunk that you crap your pants. You'll probably wake up dead.

[majorvices]

Never get so drunk that you crap your pants.

Normally I don't follow "rules" but this is a good one.

[bluesman]

Never get so drunk that you crap your pants.

Normally I don't follow "rules" but this is a good one.

Seek professional help when this condition is present. 

[capozzoli]

My rule of thumb is that if I'm switching either way I'll be hurting the next day.

If I'm switching from beer to liquor, it means I'm looking to get drunk and that ain't easy to do on beer.
If I'm switching from liquor to beer, it means I'm already drunk.

Hangover Rules:

- At least 2 pints of water before bed, orange gatorade and motrin in the morning.

- Medical "Professionals" (and by that I mean the professional drinkers who happened to be nurses or corpsmen I've known over the years) swear by draining a bag of saline in the morning.

- I swear the Romans had vomitoriums because they drank red wine.

- Remember that for every year you feel younger tonight, you'll feel two years older in the morning. Never get so drunk that you crap your pants. You'll probably wake up dead.

You can get so drunk  that you crap your pants and survive though. At least when you are 13 and you have raided your parents liquor for the first time you can.

[majorvices]

The only other rule I try and follow is "beer before breakfast .... as often as possible..."

[Hokerer]

The only other rule I try and follow is "beer before breakfast .... as often as possible..."

And the corrolary... "avoid hangovers, never sober up"