Booze and first dates — recipe for disaster or something to savour?

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Depending on how much pressure you put on yourself, first dates can be fun or stressful.

Many singles turn to alcohol to cope with anxiety, boost confidence or maybe ensure an enjoyable time — but is that a bad idea?

Not necessarily.

A new study looked at how drinking can affect first dates — whether the alcoholic beverages were drained before, during and/or after a date.

Conducted by the dating app Flirtini, the survey of 2,000 adults found a drink will not mess with your dating prospects — as long as you know your limit.

A whopping 90% of respondents admitted to experiencing first-date jitters ahead of meeting someone for the first time.

Nearly two-thirds (64%) admitted to occasionally downing a glass of wine or taking a shot (or two) to help calm the nerves and bring out their self-assured side.

Another 28% admitted they continued to drink after their date arrived, while 34% said it depends on the situation.

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“It can be difficult to show our true selves on a first date — anxiety often gets the best of us,” Anastasii Pochotna, dating expert and growth marketing specialist at Flirtini, told The Toronto Sun.

“However, it’s important to understand that feeling nervous before a date is perfectly normal.”

For 65% of those that choose to drink during a date, they admitted consuming alcohol to feel less anxious and more confident — not for the enjoyment of it.

On the flipside, there are those who avoid drinking booze while on a date, with 58% saying they feared saying or doing something embarrassing when their inhibitions go out the window.

In some cases, 28% of people admitted they suffered a faux pas after too much alcohol – including forgetting their date’s name.

For those who overdo it, a second date probably isn’t likely. While the survey found more than half (58%) are willing to make exceptions for the right person, 24% said they would cut off someone who got drunk on the first date.

Notably, 67% of women and 60% of men believe that partners need to share similar attitudes toward alcohol for a relationship to be successful.

And 39% consider alcohol to be an important topic that should be discussed on the first date.

Pochotna added: “There’s no harm in having a drink to ease your nerves, but if one drink turns into 10, that can become a problem.”