How are average-sized and above-average-sized people sometimes able to develop huge tolerances to alcohol and not immediately die?

Question

I’m sure we’ve all heard and read endless anecdotes about the guy who got pulled over and blew a .46, or someone that can drink entire bottle of vodka. Or Ric Flair, for example, who told a story in a documentary about a time when he drank a six-pack of beer before arriving at an airport, drank 10 double tequila, cranberry and sodas before the flight at the airport bar, had eight bloody Mary’s on the flight, and drank another six-pack of beer upon landing. Like, how does that not kill someone?

In: 876

Answer 1

If a person tells you they drank ___ # of drinks, and that total seems like they would have been rendered unconscious as a result (as in the Flair story), they are probably lying about it to make a “good story”.

I have a few “heavy drinking” stories in my past and, for NONE of them, could I give such an exact recounting of what I drank. Best I can do is generalities.