hit the bottle

Idioms and Phrases

Also, hit the booze or sauce . Drink alcoholic beverages, especially a great deal, as in I don't know if it will be a problem, but he hits the bottle every weekend , or She hardly ever hits the booze, but when she does, watch out , or It doesn't show in her work, but she hits the sauce every night . These slangy expressions date from the late 1800s and early 1900s.