Resolutions are about making changes but they don’t have to be limiting or intolerable. This year, we’re resolving to drink better and more thoughtfully. Here are our five resolutions for making 2014 the best year yet in drinking. 

Drink locally. With so many breweries and distilleries in Portland it has never been easier to be a full fledged locavore. Find what you like and support your favorite purveyors, especially if what they’re producing is exceptional. Go straight to the brewery and fill your growler or pick up a bottle at a distillery. This cuts down on the cost of distribution and you get to see where your product was made.

Exercise. Get up and go on a hike, then reward yourself with a beer. Go on a tour of breweries by bike. Check out the Lloyd Athletic Club for some real liquid incentive; the gym has a swanky 1970s-era bar located near the exit.

Fully support the things you love. Love a brewery in town? Excited about a new restaurant or bar? Can’t get enough of a winery’s Pinot Noir? Tell people about it. Tweet about it. Facebook it. Your support — the support that isn’t just monetary — is appreciated more than businesses can ever let us know.  

Try something new, whenever possible. It’s easier to just order what you know you’ll like. If the new year is supposed to be about making changes, resolve to switch out your usual Pilsner for a Kölsch. Give sparkling wine a chance. Embrace nitro tapped beers. Try those liquors (Tequila?) you vowed to never drink again but this time in moderation and from the top shelf. Editor's note: We're breaking the rules when it comes to resolutions. This year we're drinking locally and trying new things. Crazy, huh?

Drink less by drinking better. Spend more dollars, slow down, and really enjoy the difference between a $10 bottle and a $25 bottle.

Photo: Flickr user hakee