Margyle has been a contributor to The Traveller for many years and after being harassed by me (Hogga) for some time, he finally started his own site MargyleUnbound. He’s kinda funny and much smarter than myself, so check his shit out of you dig the cut of his jib. PS. You can follow him on twitter too.

Remember those days when you were young and invincible? You could go out all night, drink everything put in front of you and still show up for picture day ready to make your grandma proud? If your answer is ‘What do you mean remember – I’m still a champ’, you either have a serious problem and should seek help or are still invincible, in which case I want you to enjoy it. For the rest of you who are shuddering just thinking about your youthful stupidity, follow me to the next paragraph.

You passed the first test – your dain is not too brammaged to follow simple instructions!

Now you may be thinking maybe the answer lies in simply not drinking, but we all know that isn’t really an option. The key doesn’t even necessarily lie in moderation so long as you are smart about it, so without further ado, here are some fun tips to make the most of ingesting spirits and still making it out to that 7 am cathedral tour the next day.

1. Eat
Drinking on an empty stomach is a rookie mistake, but one you can get away with when you’re a rookie. When you’re older you know that food and alcohol work well together because it helps space out the effects of the booze. Eat things that are too heavy and chances are you won’t be able to drink that much… which may be a good thing, but if you’re planning on going out on the town you want to not feel like a bloated piece of gross, so eat something light and then maybe something greasy towards the end.

2. Pace Yourself Accordingly
If your plan is to pound some beers with friends, be forewarned the effects will hit you quicker. No big deal if you’re going right home to pass out and give your body lots of time to recover (and make sure you actually hydrate yourself before passing out). If on the other hand you’re starting at 4pm and going until the sun comes up, maybe don’t chug everything you get your hands on and you’ll get your nice sweet slow buzz.

3. Drink What You Know
First time in a country? Maybe don’t accept a shot for shot challenge with the douche in the corner. Sample it, see what it’s like and then have something reliable like beer – your body may not have gotten the memo about putting the new guy in charge.

4. Listen to Your Body
Some people just can’t handle certain types of drinking. Some nights are better than others. I don’t care if you can normally drink 18 beers without blinking, tonight you’re sloshed at 4. Getting your stomach pumped overseas is not something you want to do and besides, if you’re not feeling so hot there is the chance you were slipped something – not to be captain buzzkill, but it happens. Be aware!