Nine Sips Rule
Cap tasting at nine sips so variety does not become unlimited drinking
- Difficulty
- Starter
- Time to result
- ~days to results
- Steps
- 4
- Confidence
- 96%
The Nine Sips Rule replaces the vague unit of one glass with a countable tasting allowance. Decide that the occasion includes nine sips total, then spend them on one drink or divide them across several options. Taste deliberately and stop allocating sips to anything that is not delicious. The mechanism makes invisible refills and variable glass sizes visible while preserving the satisfaction of participating and sampling variety. Nine is a practical game rule from Koff's own party experiment, not a physiological safety threshold. It can apply to wine, mocktails, coffee drinks, or other beverages, but it does not override alcohol-safety limits, abstinence, medication guidance, transport plans, or individual health needs.
Origin
Ashley Koff created the rule while attending parties with several excellent wines; she found that nine total sips let her taste the options and still feel satisfied.
Core principles
- 01A concrete unit beats an ambiguous glass
- 02Small tastes can deliver satisfaction
- 03Variety does not require full servings
- 04Skip more of what is not delicious
How to run it
- 1
Set the allowance
Before drinking, choose nine total sips as the boundary for the tasting occasion.
Pro tip Decide before the first pour.
Watch out Nine sips is not a universal alcohol-safety measure.
- 2
Allocate the sips
Use all nine on one beverage or divide them among several drinks you want to sample.
Pro tip Start with smaller pours when sampling variety.
Watch out A refill into the same glass still counts.
- 3
Taste and score
Pay attention to each option and stop using the allowance on drinks that are not delicious.
Pro tip Pair the rule with the Better Be Delicious Test.
Watch out Do not finish a poor drink merely because it was poured.
- 4
Stop at nine
End the tasting when the ninth sip is complete, regardless of what remains in the glass.
Pro tip Switch to an appropriate non-counted plan only if it does not undermine the boundary.
Watch out For alcohol, arrange transport and follow lower personal or medical limits.
In the wild
At a party with several wines, a guest takes a few sips from three options, declines more of the ones that score poorly, and finishes the nine-sip allowance with the favorite.
→ The guest samples the selection without turning each taste into a full glass.
Common mistakes
Counting glasses instead of sips
Glass size and continuous refilling make one glass an unreliable boundary.
Treating nine as a safety guarantee
Sip size, alcohol strength, health, and context vary; stricter limits still apply.
Spending sips on poor drinks
Continuing something unsatisfying defeats the rule's satisfaction mechanism.
Is it for you?
Best for
Adults who want to taste wine, mocktails, or specialty drinks at parties without consuming full servings of each.
Not ideal for
People avoiding alcohol entirely, managing addiction, driving, pregnant, taking conflicting medication, or following stricter medical guidance.
From the transcript
“I realized it's a about nine sips well I had nine different sips I sipped on you all of them and I got to taste…”
“nine sips is a good amount to say I get to enjoy something”
“I've got to give us like ground rules that actually work”
From the episode
Episode 303: Ashley Koff: Personalized Nutrition Expert on Diet, Nutrition, and Supplements
Ashley Koff