1.
heavy drinker; someone who can hold their liquor
A person who can drink large amounts of alcohol without showing signs of intoxication. Carries a tone of admiration or respect for the person's drinking capacity.
父は酒豪で有名だった。
My father was famous for being a heavy drinker.
あの先輩は酒豪で、いくら飲んでも酔わない。
That senior colleague is a real heavyweight drinker — no matter how much they drink, they never get drunk.
忘年会では酒豪たちが朝まで飲み続けた。
At the year-end party, the heavy drinkers kept drinking until morning.
A respectful or admiring term for someone with an impressive capacity for alcohol. The character 豪 suggests boldness and strength.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 酒豪で知られる (to be known as a heavy drinker)
- 酒豪ぶり (one's impressive drinking ability)
- 酒豪が集まる (heavy drinkers gather)
USAGE NOTE:
Unlike 飲んべえ or 大酒飲み, which can carry negative connotations of overindulgence, 酒豪 has a positive or admiring nuance — it emphasizes tolerance and capacity rather than excess.