drinking buddy
Colloquial term for a friend you regularly drink with; casual and friendly.
On weekends I go to an izakaya with my usual drinking buddy.
He's been my drinking buddy since college.
Standard kanji spelling for this colloquial compound.
Kana-kanji mixed spelling sometimes seen in casual writing.
Compound of 飲み (drinking) and 友 (friend). A straightforward modern colloquial coinage.