noun
pouring one's own drinks; drinking alone
Refers to the act of pouring sake for oneself and drinking alone, often with a nuance of solitary or self-indulgent drinking. Related to 手酌 (self-pouring).
See also: 手酌
今夜は手酌酒で静かに過ごしたい。
Tonight I want to spend a quiet evening drinking alone, pouring my own sake.
彼はいつも手酌酒をしながらテレビを見ている。
He always watches TV while drinking alone, pouring his own drinks.
独酌 is a more formal or literary term for drinking alone, without the explicit nuance of self-pouring.
Compound of 手酌 (self-pouring) and 酒 (sake). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term straightforwardly describes the act of pouring one's own sake.