I felt extremely out of place and while they congratulated me for "keeping up with the big boys" I was secretly pouring half of every drink out in the bathroom sink. Such a poor waste of great cocktails but I would've been out cold on the couch if I had drank as fast as they were.

I feel like "keeping up with the big boys" is another iteration "man up" which I'm not a fan of. Cutting loose is one thing and yeah, everyone that drinks ends up having one too many sometimes, but I think it's respectable to know and state one's limits in regard to drink. In a culture where refusing to drink is not generally seen as a refusal of hospitality or as disrespect, there is no reason to drink in excess, though the soft pressures might suggest or intimate otherwise.

That said, the last time I was compelled to drink by the pressures of hospitality, I got into was one of icy politeness and quiet victory, followed by vomiting on an expensive car. Drinking is supposed to be about enjoyment and satisfaction. Leave it to people to pollute the simple concepts.