Zane LampreyZane Lamprey is a professional drinker. Some of you may claim to share the title, but Lamprey actually gets paid for his efforts.

Lamprey, a comedian by trade, describes himself as an accidental expert on alcohol. For the past few years, Lamprey has hosted a television show called "Three Sheets," which has taken him to 50 countries around the world to engage in foreign drinking customs. Basically, Lamprey has the dream job he never knew existed.

Three Sheets, formerly on the Fine Living Network, will premiere on the Travel Channel tonight at 11 p.m. EST. We caught up with Lamprey, who is back on the road for a 50-stop comedy tour following the release of his book of the same title, to get his top five suggestions for drinking in foreign locales.

5. Learn a country through its people
"I've learned that you can go to a country and spend lots of money and discover the place through a tour of its historical district," says Lamprey, "or you can go to a bar, spend $100, buy people some drinks, and learn about the country from its inhabitants. You'll make some friends in the process, too. Be generous and be social."

4. Go out early
"If you go to a place early on when people are usually sober, you can drink with them and get inebriated," says Lamprey. "But if you go into a bar at 11 or 11:30, and you're not there to make friends while you're sober, no matter what, you'll be riding a fine line of not belonging. The people may be less accepting and it can lead to dicey situations. If you talk to the wrong girl -- even if she's interested -- she's the wrong girl."

"Get there early and remember that you're a visitor," he says. "It's clichéd, but buy a drink for the scariest looking guy there."

3. Have the right supplies
"Make sure you have bottled water and diarrhea pills," he says. "Don't drink the water -- wherever you go. If you're going to European countries, the water is generally safe, but it only takes one fruit or vegetable washed in bad water and you're in trouble. Watch out for ice in any drink and in blended drinks too.

"I was in Bangkok once and I got food from a street vendor who assured me it was clean. Later on I ate something with parsley sprinkled on top of noodles, and that did me in. I got amoebic food poisoning and lost about 10 lbs. -- which was great -- but otherwise it was a bad experience. I needed two bags of saline solution. Oh, and the diarrhea pills bind you so you don't have to run to a bathroom constantly."

2. Find a local who can steer you to the right places
"Be careful of the concierge and maybe cab drivers," he says. "There's a lot of kickbacks that go on, and if a bar or club is giving kickbacks for bringing people there, that's not somewhere you want to go.

"You want a place that's tried and true and doesn't need to gather more people. In Europe, that's often a reputation built for centuries. Ask your bellhop, a friend you've made, or a local. And when you get there, ask the bartender for drink recommendations -- that's what they do. Respect what they're doing and they'll probably enjoy showing you what they've got, as long as it's not too busy."

1. Never drink on an empty stomach
"Going out and drinking on an empty stomach is always a bad idea, and an even worse idea in a foreign country," he says. "Find local food and enjoy it. Local bars I'm sometimes wary of, but a place full of locals is usually reliable."

Get more of Lamprey's drinking advice on "Three Sheets," which premieres on Travel Channel on Wednesday, April 14 at 11 p.m. EST.