It’s that time of week when we answer the questions you’re too drunk or shy to ask…This question comes from Jenny:

How many drinks can an average person have before a bartender considers them intoxicated?For this one, I’m just going to throw numbers at you to cement some of the vague notions everyone may have about BAC (blood alcohol content), in the hopes that people understand you are rarely “just fine” if a bartender deems you not. Bartenders do the loose math in their heads when they serve you. If you’re a 135-pound woman, you reach the legal limit of 0.08 percent BAC somewhere at or after your second drink. If you’re a 185-pound man, it’s around three drinks. That’s a rough estimate that’s further determined by a person’s percent body fat. A drink is considered as follows:5 ounces of wine (12% abv)12 ounces of beer (5% abv)1.5 ounces of spirit (80 proof)But consider these outside-the-charts curve balls: For wine, consider that many high-octane, New World reds clock in at 15 percent alcohol, and that many restaurant pours are 6 ounces. As for beer, most Belgians clock in at over 6 percent alcohol, as do many microbrews, and most of us drink beer by the pint (which counts as 1.33 drinks, according to the chart). If you like your hard liquor, most highballs have 1.5 ounces of liquor, but most cocktails contain 2 ounces or more of spirits.Your BAC drops approximately 0.01-0.015 percent every hour. (This is a gross average that doesn’t take into account a person’s sex or weight.) Unfortunately, bartenders rely on the behavior of a person to gauge that person’s drunkenness, which makes quiet drunks particularly dangerous while penalizing the already wacky. And remember: Tolerance refers to an individual’s ability to mask the signs and effects of intoxication. It DOES NOT have anything to do with a person’s ability to metabolize alcohol. Reread those last two sentences.Got a question for the bartender? Email me at msavarino@seattleweekly.com.