Drinking has become a ‘norm’ to many – be it entertainment, relaxation or for socializing. Enjoying a well-mixed drink in a lively atmosphere can greatly boost your mood at the end of the day. Therefore, heading to a rooftop bar, or some place with a lively band might just be what you need.

The following article post originally appeared on https://www.thrillist.com/ and was written by Ben Robinson. 

Despite sharing one of two total words, “Day Drinking” is actually nothing like “Night Drinking” (also referred to by some as “drinking”).

There are many unique considerations not encountered while Night Drinking. Let’s say you’re starting with brunch at 1pm, which means you’ll be pretending to enjoy your first gross mimosa (more like a mi-gross-a, amirite?!?! No, iamnotrite.) by 1:15pm. Now is the time to start thinking about the future. If you put yourself on the proper path to really getting to know a cheesesteak at 8pm or so, you’re looking good.But getting there the right way is critical.

The most important area of focus during your Day Drinking is not, in fact, the drinking; that part’s fairly easy. It’s the eating. Proper eating will be your buoy through the day and ensure you remain the kind of person others aren’t ashamed to be seen with in public, amidst all sorts of boring sober people who will spend their afternoons shopping for infinity scarves at Coldwater Creek. Far more importantly, it will provide the foundation for a (reasonably) hangover-less next morning, allowing you to go to the gym/office/local water park all bright-tailed and bushy-eyed. The second is especially true if you are Sam Waterston.

The Night Before – T-Minus 14 Hours

Once you decide you will be Day Drinking the following day, it’s very important to be at least reasonably intelligent the night before. Drinking to Cope With Hangover Drinking is a drastically different kind of Day Drinking altogether, and a very dangerous one at that. In an attempt to eradicate said hangover, you will almost certainly drink too heavily out of the gate, threatening your stamina. Ultimately, you will only succeed in rolling your hangover over to the following day while adding additional hangover to the initial hangover. The worst part is, at some point you will have to stop drinking to cover up the rolled-over hangover(s). Have foresight and consider your painful future.

With all this in mind, do not stay out Night Drinking until 3am. A reasonable number of beers after work or at dinner is totally fine; you can even throw in a shot or two if it’s early enough and George Thorogood is insisting you do so. Show enough restraint to avoid waking up underneath your futon with your chinos on and you will be rewarded.

Read the full version of the article here.