Responsible Drinking

Whisky is an alcoholic drink, and choosing not to drink is always welcome. This page sets out whiskydistillery.co.uk’s approach to responsible drinking, with practical guidance for readers who choose to taste whisky and clear boundaries for the advice we publish.

Our approach

This website is intended for adults of legal drinking age where they live. We do not encourage anyone to start drinking, drink more, finish a serving or choose a whisky because it has a higher alcohol strength.

Our articles explain whisky rather than promote drinking as an achievement. We do not present alcohol as a way to manage stress, improve health, gain confidence or achieve social, sexual, sporting or professional success. Choosing not to drink needs no explanation.

If you choose to taste whisky

Keep any tasting deliberate and measured. These practices are intended to support a considered tasting, not to make drinking risk free:

• Use small, measured servings rather than pouring by eye.
• Have water available, include food and take breaks.
• Spit out samples if you wish. Spitting is normal at tastings, and nobody needs to finish a glass.
• Decline another sample whenever you want, without needing to justify the decision.
• Do not treat a tasting flight or a collection of bottles as something to complete.

When hosting, offer alcohol free drinks with the same care as other refreshments. Ask before pouring, respect a refusal immediately and never refill a glass without agreement. Do not pressure someone to explain why they are not drinking.

When not to drink

Do not drink before driving, operating machinery or taking part in water activities. Do not use a tasting measure, a calculator or how you feel as permission to drive after drinking.

If you are pregnant or trying to conceive, do not drink. If you take medicines that interact with alcohol, have a condition made worse by alcohol or are recovering from alcohol dependence, do not drink.

For advice about your own circumstances, speak to a doctor, pharmacist or midwife as appropriate. We do not diagnose conditions, assess whether a medicine is compatible with alcohol or provide a personal drinking allowance.

If drinking is becoming difficult to manage

If you are concerned about your drinking, speak to a healthcare professional or an alcohol support service. You do not need to wait until the problem feels severe before asking for help.

If you may be dependent on alcohol, seek medical advice before stopping suddenly or making a substantial reduction. Stopping suddenly can be dangerous. For support, see Alcohol Dependence and Where to Get Help.

What our guidance can and cannot do

We do not describe whisky as healthy or suggest that any ingredient or compound in it provides a health benefit. Water, food, breaks and spitting must never be treated as removing the risks associated with drinking.

Alcohol guidance and the definitions of units and standard drinks differ between countries. Use current guidance from the health authority where you live rather than treating a figure from another country as a personal target. Our editorial approach is to identify the country and source whenever we publish such figures, not to offer a universal allowance.

Sources

No verified source sheet or approved external sources were supplied for this draft.

This page was drafted from the supplied editorial requirements; external health guidance has not been independently checked, and publication requires source verification and a named health reviewer.

Last checked: November 2026