“You can’t take a second drink unless you have taken a first”

“You can’t take a second drink unless you have taken a first” was included in the book A Dictionary of American Proverbs (1991), but the saying has also been included on Internet lists of Albanian proverbs. The saying has been attested too infrequently to draw any conclusions about its origin.
 
 
Google Books
A Dictionary of American Proverbs
Edited by Wolfgang Mieder, Stewart A. Kingsbury and Kelsie B. Harder
New York, NY: Oxford University Press
1991
Pg. 240:
You can’t take a second drink unless you have taken a first. Rec. dist.: Ind.
 
World Wrestling Alliance Forum   
LVE
Posted: Thu Jul 05, 2007 2:14 pm
(...)
“One drink will lead to another. That’s how it starts. You can’t have a second drink, if you don’t have the first. I need to give Dr. O’Dell a call.”
 
Sears
Shopzeus You can’t take a second drink unless you have taken a first. Decorated Mouse Pad
SearsItem#  SPM227848633 | Model#  genpad215244
Added on April 02, 2010
   
Quotations Search
Posted 29th September 2012 by Mathew Brown
Famous Albanian sayings and proverbs.
(...)
25. “You can’t take a second drink unless you have taken a first.”
 
Special Dictionary
You can’t take a second drink unless you have taken a first.
American Proverbs