This is a post I've been meaning to make for ages. It involves boozing, and amateur systems analysis, which anyone who knows me knows are two of my favourite things.

In the UK, among other countries, the culture when buying drinks is to buy a round for everyone in the group who wants a drink. Simple, but not without its drawbacks for larger groups: Rounds vary wildy in size, sometimes making people reluctant to step up to the plate, often you have to order too much to carry, and worst of all, it rewards fast drinking, because quick drinkers get to join more rounds.

So, what to do? Enter rounds of three, and it's so simple, even a rabid drunk can manage it. In one sentence:

Buy rounds for whoever wants a drink at the given time exactly as usual, except limit the round to three drinks.

This means you can carry them, noone gets stung for a big round, and people drink at their own pace - safe in the knowledge they won't get left behind.

Now I admit the truth is it's hard to persuade a group to alter learnt behaviour - however the times I've tried it with friends it's worked nicely, and given a nice rest evening to the livers of those who wanted one...