By Liz Kim
Sometimes, you just need a little liquid courage to go over and talk to the blue-eyed Adonis you’ve been staring at all night. A bar is a convenient place where single people can let loose and have some fun. But while bars attract singles like moths to a flame, if you’re looking for a long-term relationship, your local watering hole may not be the best place to find Mr. or Mrs. Right. U.S. dating site PlentyOfFish conducted a comprehensive research study and found that the drinking habits of single people are very much correlated to whether or not they are looking for true love or a casual fling.
Related Link:Â What Does Your Date’s Drink Say About Him?
The dating profiles of 11 million U.S. singles between the ages of 21 to 50 were examined, and the study revealed what most of us probably already knew but didn’t want to admit was true: The more alcohol a single person drinks, the less likely they are to be in a serious relationship. In fact, men who want to marry are 82 percent more likely to be non-drinkers and women are 73 percent more likely. Men looking for a casual relationship are 55 percent more likely to drink often, and women are 80 percent more likely.
The study also examined how much singles tend to drink on a first date. Even before they go out, 36.4 percent of singles admitted to having a drink to calm their nerves. During the first date, nearly 50 percent said they had 2 or 3 drinks. These were the beer-with-a-burger, glass-of-wine-with-dinner type of people who knew their limits and didn’t overdo it. But sometimes, your best judgement decides to stay home; you find that the night is young, and the pitchers miraculously keep filling up. The survey found 19.1 percent of single men and 16.8 percent of single women have actually gotten drunk on a first date.
So now that we know how much singles are drinking, what does your drink order say about you? Surprisingly, the survey found that what you order can affect how attractive your date thinks you are. And no, we don’t mean beer goggles. According to the survey, over 26 percent of men think that the most attractive drink for their date to order is red wine, while over 23 percent of women think that the most attractive drink for their date to order is a pint of craft beer. These women may not be too happy to find out that male beer drinkers are 55 percent less likely (than the average male user of PlentyOfFish) to be looking for marriage.
On a side note, whiskey lovers can rejoice because male whiskey lovers are 76 percent more likely to want non-serious dating and female whiskey lovers clock in at 74 percent more likely.
Related Link:Â Focus on Friendship for a Peaceful Dating Experience
The education levels and jobs of singles were also strong predictors for how heavily they drank. Women with a high school education are 26 percent more likely to not drink, and men with a high school education are 17 percent more likely to not drink. One statistic that particularly stood out was that women with PhDs are more than twice as likely (111 percent) to drink often, while men came in at only 51 percent.
While there is nothing wrong with letting your hair down and having enjoying a drink or two, anything that impairs your judgement and prevents you from operating heavy machinery isn’t something you want to be relying on when looking for someone to spend your life with. A mere 14.1 percent of singles think that the most attractive drink for their date to order is something without alcohol — and maybe they’re on to something. You might be surprised at how much fun you can have while still remembering what you did last night!
What do your drinking habits say about you? Tell us in the comments below!
