Green’s Dictionary of Slang

nudge n.²

SE in slang uses

In phrases

give it a (bit of) a nudge (v.)

(Aus.) to drink (to excess).

1953		Tribune (Sydney) 7 Jan. 8/1: ‘George and you got on it last night, did you?’ ‘We gave it a bit of a nudge’.
1954		Morn. Bulletin (Rockhampton, Qld) 24 Dec. 4/5: They say there's plenty of beer, and more where that came from. There’d better be from the nudge it’s getting thus far.
1961		R.S. Close With Hooves of Brass 48: It was clear they had been giving the grog a nudge.
1966		Baker Aus. Lang. (2nd edn) 178: [N]udge it, to drink alcoholic liquor.
1978		R. Macklin Newsfront 51: Gave it a bit of a nudge last night, did you? [AND].
1985		R.G. Barrett You Wouldn’t Be Dead for Quids (1989) 103: Stavros was giving the beer a bit of a nudge.
1991		Canberra Times (ACT) 12 Feb. 9: [of fuel consumption] [advert] You'd probably expect a big luxury saloon like Statesman to give the bowser a bit of a nudge. But it’s multi-point fuel injected 5.0 litre V8 actually returns an amazing 3.0mpg.
1999		R.G. Barrett Wind & Monkey (2013) [ebook] Chinaski started giving the white wine an awful nudge.