Do Different Types of Alcohol Cause you to Act Differently?

[invinotheresverde]

In a recent thread, linguafood mentioned that gin makes her melodramatic. Is this in her head or is there a legit, physiological reason this could happen? I've never noticed it personally, so I'm interested.

[MGZ]

As someone who thinks booze is booze and is comfortable drinking any incarnation with consistent results, I thought the following article was on point:

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/a...

[scubadoo97]

Thanks. I too believe ethanol is ethanol. Congeners may have some effect on how you feel or more often how you feel the next day but it's the route of ingestion and BAC per min. that make the difference

Those that get wicked on tequila may find a different buzz if they sipped a reposado slowly over an evening and may even drink more but feel it less or in a different way.

[MGZ]

I have a quirky calculus I will employ to figure out how much I have had to drink. It was basically borne out of the growth of higher alcohol, craft beers and the bigger American wines that seem to have proliferated. Since I commonly change drinks over the course of the meal, it helps to comprehend the amount of intoxicant consumed.

Fundamentally, one just takes the percentage of alcohol and multiplies it by the ounces in each drink. Thus, a shot of tequila is 40 x 1.5 for 60 booze points. A bottle of Flying Dog's Raging Bitch beer is 12 x 8.5 for 102 points. A big pour of a punchy Zinfandel might be over 130. It's easy to see that from a "gettin' drunk" perspective, a drink is not always just a drink - even if ethanol is always ethanol.

One simple note, if you can no longer do the math in your head, you shouldn't drive.

[scubadoo97]

The proof is in the proof

[legsdiamond12]

In my experience, aging has a lot to do with how alcohol effects me. In my 20's, I drank "boilermakers"--- a 6-pack of Colt 45 and a bottle of Jim Beam (the Jim Beam I split with a friend, who had his own 6-pack). Great buzz, a little fuzzy in the morning, but nothing I couldn't handle. I was a pleasant, happy drunk. When I did do stupid things, however, it was usually because I changed over to Vodka. Vodka could turn me from a happy-go-lucky lush into a belligerent jerk. So I didn't drink it all that much.

Later on in life, I switched to red wine. Nice mellow buzz, but a wicked hangover when I drank too much of it. I'm a lifelong sufferer of migraines, so sometimes it was like playing Russian Roulette-- sometimes I could indulge with no problems; other times, I'd get brutal headaches.

Recently, a friend told me one of the reasons he was a long term alchoholic was because he drank Vodka, which didn't give him hangovers. I tried it again recently, and was rewarded with a brutal headache. I've also given up red wine--- it's no longer like playing Russian Roulette...I get a brutal headache every time I drink it, even if that drinking consists of one glass.

Basically, I don't drink at all anymore. Sometimes I miss it, but sometimes I think it's a left-handed gift of aging too.

[MGZ]

Not specifically directed at you, legs, but I think hangover problems for a lot of folks stem from the fact that when they drink "hotter" booze, they don't drink a substantial enough amount of water (think about how many "booze points" are in a "dry", eight ounce, vodka martini (8x40=320, that's 5 times the "concept" of a single drink)). People use the "glass of water and aspirin" thing before bed as a way to stave off a headache in the morning, but the simple idea of accompanying every drink or so with a small glass of water or seltzer means one can drink with abandon. Fundamentally, I think this is why beer (especially those light offerings that so dominated the American marketplace until very recently) has caused a lot fewer "bad" mornings.

Now, lets keep in mind that the basic cause of what we think of as a hangover is really the dehydration brought on from over consumption of ethanol. When we down five drinks as one, quite easily when we walk into a bar thirsty, it "quenches" our immediate thirst, but in the long run, it really f*cks us up (literally and metaphorically). Thus, ordering a pint of seltzer when you order that four to one Junipiero Martini or that second glass of wine, not only is unlikely to cost you anything, but it will prevent a hangover in two ways. First, it will make you feel fuller and thus drink less alcohol. Second, it will prevent too much dehydration and therefore reduce the likelihood of needing a "Bloody Mary Morning."

Not that I like to drink or anything . . . .

[legsdiamond12]

Well, I agree about the issue of hydration, but it just seems to me, speaking personally, that I have less tolerance than i used to. Takes much more alcohol to get the effect I used to get when I was in my 20's, and the hangover lasts much longer. Part of it, of course, may have to due with my proclivity under the best of circumstances to get headaches (I remember the first time I got drunk at 17-- I had a terrible migraine the next day, and thought, "Well, at least I know I'll never become an alcoholic.."; that conviction didn't last long!). But hydration is essential to lessening the pain of the morning after.

[monfrancisco]

Veering into Home Cooking territory, here, but-- did anyone else drink Artillery Punch from an old(er) Joy of Cooking when young & dumb? It would be impossible to tell which alcohol made you act how. Ingredients include bitters, sugar, lemon, claret, sherry, rye and brandy. As I remember (!) it was delicious.

And I'm firmly in the tequila-is-evil camp. Love it, won't drink it (as a favor to my companions).

[kagemusha49]

Noone has yet addressed the elephant in the room - alcoholic concentration. Low proof drinks like beer alctually give you a buzz faster that wine and (most definitely) spirits. Why? Because high proof drinks are somewhat damaging to the lining of your stomach and your body responds osmotically by pumping water into your stomach. This counter-current flow impedes the absorption of alcohol into your system and slows the rate at which you start to feel drunk. It also is partially responsible for the dehydration that you can get with getting drunk. (I think greater water vapor loss from the skin caused by blood vessel dilation also contributes to dehydration.)

So the main effect of drink proof is that low proof drinks get you drunk in real time and you can slow down or stop before you get too drunk. With spirits you can certainly ingest a lethal dose of alcohol before you even start to feel drunk - any novice to spirit drinking needs to be aware of this.

Beyond proof, there are all kinds of impurities in alcoholic drinks, some are there to impart distinctive flavors. The impurities (or ingredients) give us the taste and can certainly intensify a hangover. Given the vast range of herbs and other stuff that get used, behavior can also be affected. I'd always heard that Scotch tends to make people more agressive. Best advice, when indulging heavily in a from of booze that is new to you - progress warily.

Given the impact of dehydration, my almost universal hangover cure has two principal ingredients. Water and sleep. Try to remember to drink more than a pint of water before you go to bed. (Better to fight the dehydration preemptively if you can remember to do it) Then try to get a decent amount of sleep. Hardly ever have needed to take an aspirin.

[sunshine842]

and sugar -- recent information also points to the possibility that low blood sugar can also contribute to the headache and upset stomach.

A sports-hydration drink like Gatorade or Powerade can deal a pretty good blow to a hangover -- lots of electrolytes and fluids to repair the dehydration brought on by the alcohol. (Orange juice will work, too -- but not too many people can stomach it on a full hangover!)

[linguafood]

Gatorade is da shizzle when I'm nursing a hangover. Surprisingly, it's been quite a while since I had to employ it.

Lucky me!

[kagemusha49]

I'm less convinced about the need for sugar for most people. Once absorbed, alcohol is a reasonable substitute for sugar as far as most of the body's needs are concerned. So, unless you overproduce insulin, sugar shouldn't be a problem. As far as hangovers are concerned, the active ingredient in Gatorade is water. (And for athletes, the electrolyte content is probably more important than the sugar.)

[linguafood]

I drink a boatload of water when I drink booze -- which is likely why I haven't had to deal with hangovers of any kind in recent times -- and I thankfully haven't felt the need/urge to quench with anything but more water the following day.

I do think electrolytes are important... that's not the same as sugar, is it?

[kagemusha49]

Nope - it's stuff like salt (aka sodium chloride)

[linguafood]

That's what I thought -- but that's what's in gatorade, no?

[kagemusha49]

Yes - that's why I mentioned electrolytes for athletes when discussing Gatorade.

[linguafood]

And electrolytes for athletic drinking. We agree buddy.

[sunshine842]

Yep - sodium, potassium, and sugar (and artificial flavor, but you have to do something to make it potable!)

The potassium goes to work on the nausea in pretty short order...then the sodium and the water kick in to bring the hydration back. The sodium also continues to trigger thirst...so you keep drinking.

B vitamins are sworn to work -- I never saw a difference, but B vitamins are given to counteract fatigue and stress...so I suppose it could help.

My personal favorite was a huge glass of milk and a couple of pain relievers (NOT Advil, by the way -- alcohol and ibuprofen are a toxic mix for your liver) -- before I went to bed, and as soon as I could stagger to the kitchen the next day. This nauseates most people by the way -- I had one girlfriend who couldn't even watch me drink the milk -- YMMV.

Nowadays, my favorite hangover cure is avoidance.

[ncyankee101]

Actually alcohol and ibuprofen can cause GI bleeding, alcohol and acetaminophen are the deadly duo for the liver.

[sunshine842]

Gah. My mistake.

[sunshine842]

and for those flirting with dehydration.

Doctors now recommend Gatorade over water for quicker recovery from stomach bugs, too. Try it -- it's a huge difference.

It's more than just water.

[kagemusha49]

That's because stomach bugs cause you to lose electrolytes along with water. I think clean linen, disinfectant and Gatorade can cure you of cholera - something that is otherwise very lethal.

[sunshine842]

so does drinking too much -- you're losing fluids from any of several orifices...plus you likely haven't eaten in quite a while...thus the low blood sugar (which is sports drinks, by the way)

[zin1953]

>>> Noone has yet addressed the elephant in the room - alcoholic concentration. Low proof drinks like beer alctually give you a buzz faster that wine and (most definitely) spirits. Why? Because high proof drinks are somewhat damaging to the lining of your stomach and your body responds osmotically by pumping water into your stomach. <<<

Can you cite any scientific studies for this?

I'm not saying you are wrong -- I have no idea -- but I *do* know that carbonated beverages (such as beer or Champagne) will get you more drunk faster as the CO2 carries (helps to carry) the alcohol into your blood stream faster than would, for example, still wine.

[kagemusha49]

Can I cite specific studies? No. But this is most certainly true and is one of those things that I would consider a well-known fact (as opposed to a myth). It is also consistent with reaction kinetics. Now the carbonated beverages that you mention may also have an impact - I'm less clear what would be the driving mechanism there - perhaps the bubbling is rather like stirring the liquid you have imbibed - or perhaps because the CO2 creates some pressure that acts to counter the reverse osmotic pressure caused by the alcohol.

[zin1953]

I wouldn't consider it as "a well-known fact," only because in the 35+ years I spent in the alcoholic beverage industry, I have never heard this before. OTOH, the carbonation (allegedly) carries the alcohol into your bloodstream faster -- i.e.: it is absorbed faster, and therefore has a stronger (albeit shorter) impact.

[ncyankee101]

I'm with you Zin, and I have read up quite a bit on this in the past, I have never heard of this reaction.

[coll]

The way I heard it (from my beverage teacher in college) carbonated alchohol gets absorbed in your mouth as opposed to your stomach (or whatever internal organs absorb alchohol). I know that my mother can drink champagne while she is allergic to most wine.

[eclecticsynergy]

I believe it's a very individual systemic thing, mostly. I have known several people who reacted VERY differently to certain types of alcohol. One gal who could drink mixed drinks all night long and still dance her ass off in very high heels would become staggering drunk after a single beer. One or two guys who couldn't handle gin. One fellow who became a mean sonofabitch whenever he'd drink vodka. And refused to believe it. One guy who could really only drink rum.

And then there are tendencies which seem to be somewhat broader- I've seen quite a few gals who like wine become especially happy, even chirpy, on champagne. I guess one could say they became... wait for it... Bubbly?

And that tequila effect, yep. For some it seems to have the effect of lowering inhibitions more radically than other drinks, for good or ill. Certain guys become way more belligerent, certain women become way more amorous, other folks experience an almost hallucinogenic result.

I count myself in that last group.

This is going back to my wilder, much younger years, in the 70s, but tequila gave me my only alcohol-fueled episode of lost time. I lived in New Jersey then. Began drinking tequila on a Friday night. Woke up Sunday morning on a couch in the common room of a girl's college dorm. In Boston. With no memory of how I'd wound up there. It was one of the few times in my entire life that I actually asked someone, "Where am I?" And, I think, the only time I've ever asked, "What day is this?" when I wasn't lying in a hospital bed. And definitely the only time that when somebody told me, I thought at first that they must be pulling my leg!

[eclecticsynergy]

"Burgundy makes you think of silly things, Bordeaux makes you talk of them, Champagne makes you do them!!" ~Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

[hambone]

When I was a young man I bounced/ran security at several large NY establishments. One of my early and consistent observations was that guys doing shots of tequila would soon get violent. Correlation vs cause... Who is to say.

[mkatieq]

I love this thread.

[KSlink]

Yep, they sure do. Jack Daniels makes me argumentative, and I'm a pretty easy going, non-confrontational type of person. Haven't touched it in years....

Beer makes me sleepy, but I don't much care for it anyway, so it's no big loss.

Wine seems to make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, and happy to see almost anyone, even people I don't much like. Ditto for brandy, which is only a wintertime drink.

Vodka is my go to poison of choice, I feel clear headed, relaxed, and somewhat energized....

Rum was for my twenties, glad that's over!

Gin and Scotch--can't stand the smell, let alone the taste. OMG.....shudder......

[curseofleisure]

Tequila doesn't make me crazy, but it does make me mean. A night of drinking tequila almost always ends with me saying something that pisses off someone (usually my wife). Beer makes me feel content but tired and slow. Wine sometimes makes me sneeze (especially white wine) but seems to effect me the least of any alcohol. Other than that, I think any other distinguishing effects of different libations are the result of cultural associations and environment.

I have never blacked out from drinking (even in my college years) until recently, when I bought a bottle of New Amsterdam gin (a purchase I strongly regret). This stuff consistently causes me to have blackouts and feel awful. And it's a horrible gin. Anyone want a free half-full bottle?

[Veggo]

Whenever I sip reposado tequila or anejo rum in the evening I wake up the next morning to a " note from moderator " e-mail.

[pikawicca]

Gotta watch that, veg.

[scubadoo97]

Too funny

[zin1953]

LOL

[zippypinhead]

I love Hendrick's Gin. But it gives me weird dreams..... That for the life of me I cannot remember any part of the dream. I just wake up knowing it was weird.
Nothing else affects me that way, Strange eh?

[KSangel180]

Vodka is a creeper for me. I drink feel nothing, then drink more feel nothing, 2 scenarios can play out at this point I give up and get a headache or I keep drinking and then all the sudden it hits me I'm smashed totally sick drunk!
Wine is more undefined for me as some wines work well for me and others leave me wasted before I've had my fun. I'm drinking post familie white zin right now and I'm not a huge fan. it seems to have a delaying effect but then hit me all too hard.
Whiskey I usually throw up when it touches my lips so I can't really say there.
Tequila has never been a big issue. Perhaps it's a mood thing.
LSD has very different consequinces on the mind when it is taken in different scenarios and I would imagine how we feel about the different types we chose to indulge in would effect it.
I can never remember if it's effect or affect... well not when I've been drinking.
I have met many who say vodka creeps up on them and that tequila makes them crazy. I oddly enough don't have to much experience with tequila even though I had some today. Though the setting was being around my mother-in-law so I doubt taking off my clothes sounds that good. I almost drank the bottle so I decided to turn to the wine my husband got me.
Now that I think about it though I really love rum when it's mixed with pineapple juice I get fun and talkative but then again I usually drink that when I'm at a party or soiree.
I would think it's all setting and our own feelings but the fact vodka always seems to have a delayed kick makes me wonder... Why are scientists studying the reason people wear clothing in cold weather than figuring something like this out?
Sorry for any or all misspellings and down right horrible writing. The author of this post is kind of inebriated at the moment so hence the deluge into this topic. roflmao

[zzDan]

That is one heck of a first post. I'm sure you will be a valued member of the chow hound community, such as it is. Where did you say you live?

[Jonishkc]

Tequila makes me hot. Seriously. I sweat. Funny song but yes I want to take my clothes off. Gin? No go. It makes me The Smartest person in the room. Haven't drank in 7 years. I am new to bourbon but I love it and seem to do well.

[thelittlemiller]

Red wine has the tendency to put me to sleep and/or make me cry, depending on the quantity and state of mind at consumption. More so than any other type of alcohol.

Aside from tequila. Tequila makes me cray-zee. Like take any emotion and heighten it x 1000. Generally tequila either makes me really awesome or really angry. It's kind of always a toss up.

Everything else is pretty standard. Vodka is my go-to because I generally stay pretty clear headed with it. Same with rum. I don't drink a lot of beer, but when I do I feel like beer nights are often the haziest. No idea why. White wine makes me kind of loopy.

I find it really interesting that so many people feel similar effects of tequila... is there some property of the liquor that makes it so provocative?

[ncyankee101]

My theory with tequila is that most people down shots of Cuervo gold quickly and get drunk faster, because they can't stand the taste. Maybe they get irritable because of licking all that salt and sucking on all those limes.

I drink all types of different liquors neat - Scotch, rum, Tequila, Bourbon - though I don't generally get anywhere near being intoxicated because I don't drink crap , I sip and savor. I can't say I notice any difference in how different liquors affect me.

[scubadoo97]

Same here

[zzDan]

I prefer neat myself and don't get hangovers the next morning or feel otherwise messed up. My theory is that when you start mixing liquor with sugar you are asking for trouble. Sugary mixers work counter to hard alcohol with sugar being a stimulant and alcohol being the opposite

[murphlaw152]

As a general rule, whiskey and anything like it makes me angry and I avoid it at all costs. I somehow get extremely irritable and like to pick fights, big or small, with whoever I'm with. Anything that has been bottled up inside of me will come out - it makes for an excellent time for all.

From gin to tequila to wine...I seem fine with everything else.

Explanation? No idea.

[sweetlips]

I can drink red wine fine, but if I do switch to say a white wine (not a spirit). My head feels it in the morning.
I just wanted to give honest feedback to question.
All alcohol relaxes me and gets rid of my up-tightness and stops me totally focusing about work, kids and my life.
I do not consider myself an alcoholic as I do not drink or have the need for it everyday.
I enjoy it only in a safe environment, and have a total confidence that everyone else is safe too.
I am 44 female and drink only when it is appropriate to do so.

I just wanted to add this, because there are a lot of kids out there just at drinking age that could do harm to themselves with alcohol.

[sweetlips]

As I wrote before I can switch from wine to beer or beer to wine. I can do vodka to scotch to vodka or snaps or anything. Its when I have to switch only from bourbon to rum my system goes nuts. For example went out to dinner with my husband I had a bourbon and coke and then just water during a hot curry meal, then I asked for another bourbon and coke and they ran out and offered rum and coke for free. I said yes and the $300 meal ended up on me, the table and my husband, after only one sip.
I can drink both rum and bourbon fine on their own. Bourbon I can switch with scotch and vodka, beer and wine, no problem. Rum is the same way. But I have noticed if I drink bourbon first then rum - my stomach breaks loose, but if I do rum first the bourbon I am ok.
By the way I do not drink to get drunk, I drink during a meal usually.
I just hope this helps with your research.

[sunshine842]

That's weird...but really interesting.

(and sorry about your nice dinner)

[charles_sills]

i say absolutely yes, different alcohols can make you have a different drunk. of course this isnt due to the alcohol, more to do with our percieved notions of the type of people that drink certain drinks, and also what we think these alcohols affect people.

for example, when im drinking jack, i get rowdy.
when i drink macrobeers, i get and (try to be) funny.
when i drink good cocktails, i (feel) suave and debonair.
when i drink anything while im performing on stage (im a musician) i become a rock star haha.

[sweetlips]

I can tolerate most types of alcohol but what get me is switching from a bourbon to a rum. I spontaneously vomit. In my mind they are very similar but not to my digestive system. If I do rum to bourbon I am ok, but visa versa OMG.

[CarrieWas218]

I lived with an alcoholic and whenever he drank Scotch, we had the most horrific fights...

I would get to a point where I would BEG him to not drink Scotch because I knew it would end up in a really, really bad evening of screaming and irrational arguments.

[YAYME]

I think it depends on the enviroment. I got nicely sloshed last night with my S.O.... usually alcohol doesn't have much effect as I nurse a drink through the night. My poison lately of choice is gin.

[Candy]

1 martini, 2 martini, 3 martini, floor ! That is my story and I'm sticking to it. My DH says after the 3rd I have many conversations and phone calls to complete unknowns, and I am not using my phone or mobile. Weird.

[zin1953]

Is that what AT&T meant when they used to say, "Reach out. Reach out and touch someone"???

[sunshine842]

ROFL -- touch someone...we don't know who or how, but just reach out there....

[sanglier]

Fill me full of gin and I wanna kiss every woman in the place. Without gin, I want to but don't. With it, pucker up!

[osho]

Scotch - this is my favorite spirit. Mostly uplifting.

IPA beer - love the hoppy taste but I feel really tired and sleepy and listless

Ale or Lager - scant effects. I suppose my body is used to them.

Vodka - dont really like it - I avoid it because I can never detect the tipping point. Blackouts etc :-)

Tequila - just does not ever, ever Agree with me. I call it poison.

[Elispappy]

Let's see...
Beer: love some tripels and IPAs, but the quick bloat precludes a reportable buzz.
Wine: with a meal, nothing better; as a "drink", nothing worse.
Vodka: clean buzz if blended with a decent mixer.
Rum: Barbados products have never bothered me.
Whisky: even single-barrel Bourbons can give a headache the next day, because of the sugar content.
Tequila: no thanks.
Cordials: avoid.
Aperitifs: avoid.

[ncyankee101]

No distilled alcohol cotains any sugar.

Also single-barrel bourbon should be no different from other bourbons in terms of effect on you, it is not more or less pure, it just gets taken from one barrel rather than being blended from several.

[zin1953]

>>> No distilled alcohol cotains any sugar. <<<

Let's be careful here. Every distillate is first fermented. That fermentation converts sugars into alcohol. That fermentation (left unabated) will continue until virtually all the sugar is consumed by the yeast and converted into alcohol, unless . . . the fermentation is deliberately stopped before its natural completion; the fermentation is "stuck," and doesn't finish; or the fermentation generates so much alcohol that the yeast die off before finishing the task at hand.

Distillation, in effect, concentrates that alcohol.

But there are LOTS of distilled spirits that contain sugars. Liqueurs? Cordials? Even some rums, brandies, and other spirits . . .

Cheers,
Jason

[davis_sq_pro]

With regard to barrel-aged spirits, and leaving out the fact that many (other than bourbon) are dosed with caramel: Does the wood not contribute anything in terms of sugars? Wood does contain have some natural sugar; it's generated as part of photosynthesis. It would make sense to assume that some of it will leech into the spirit and contribute to the sweet flavor that barrel aging creates. Not a huge amount, of course, but enough that you could no longer call the spirit free of sugar.

By the way, it seems to me that saying that a liqueur gives you a headache because of sugar content is the same as saying that a chocolate chip cookie gives you a headache. Ridiculous in either case (allergies to wheat and/or chocolate are of course not included in this particular statement <g>).

[ncyankee101]

Sugar doesn't evaporate, so does not get past the distillation - but davis_sq_pro may be correct that some sugars could leach from the barrel - but I doubt it's a nutritionally meaningful amount, because I see zero carbs listed for distilled spirits on nutritional sites, such as diabetes sites.

I wasn't including cordials or liqueurs because sugars are added post-distillation,

[davis_sq_pro]

I can't imagine that a glass of Ron Zacapa -- a sticky sweet rum -- has zero grams net carbs -- unless they're dosing it with stevia or something? I seriously doubt it... Given the lack of labeling requirements it seems like liquor must be a real mine field for diabetics.

[ncyankee101]

Taking into consideration how much sweetness a teaspoon of sugar adds to an Old-fashioned, it's possible to make something pretty sweet without a significant amount - that is one teaspoon to two ounces of whiskey, so 15 cals sugar to ~195 calories alcohol.

Where's JMF when we need him?

[zin1953]

I'm confused. I never said sugars evaporate.

Sugars are FERMENTED into alcohol PRIOR to distillation. Since alcohols evaporate at a temperature lower than water, the alcohols evaporate and are condensed and concentrated through distillation.

I was merely quoting you when you said "No distilled alcohol cotains any sugar."

[davis_sq_pro]

ncyankee101 said "Sugar doesn't evaporate, so does not get past the distillation." Point being that even if there is some residual sugar left in the wine after fermentation, it's not going to make it into the distilled spirit. So I think you agree on that point. Whether or not that spirit picks up sugar after the distillation phase, by any number of means, is an entirely different question.

[ncyankee101]

Yes, that was my point exactly. In his prior post Zin sounded as though he was saying the residual sugars were still present in distilled liquor.

[zin1953]

That is a serious MIS-reading of my post.

Fermentation creates the alcohol; distillation concentrates that alcohol.

In fermentation, yeast consumes the sugars present and converts them to alcohol, and will continue to do so until virtually no sugars are left* (unless something goes wrong**). The result will be anything from, say, 5-15 percent, depending upon how much sugar is present in the unfermented liquid to begin with.

Distillation takes it up to ________ percent, depending upon the type of spirit being produced.

All I said was "LOTS of distilled spirits [that one can purchase] that contain sugars. Liqueurs? Cordials? Even some rums, brandies, and other spirits . . ."

Cheers,
Jason

* Scientifically, it's impossible to get to 0.000 percent residual sugar, but in layman's terms, there is none left.

** Such as the fermentation is deliberately stopped before its natural completion; the fermentation is "stuck," and doesn't finish; or the fermentation generates so much alcohol that the yeast die off before finishing the task at hand -- all of which can, and do, happen in winemaking. I think you got confused when, in an attempt to be thorough, I added "extra" information that did not directly apply to distillation. Sorry about the confusion.

[ncyankee101]

I don't think I "MIS-read" your post at all - perhaps you wrote it in a very ambiguous confusing manner?

*** "That fermentation (left unabated) will continue until virtually all the sugar is consumed by the yeast and converted into alcohol, unless . . . the fermentation is deliberately stopped before its natural completion; the fermentation is "stuck," and doesn't finish" ***

certainly makes it sound as though you are implying that those residual sugars are still present in distilled spirits, otherwise I don't know why you would even have mentioned that given the context of the discussion.

I've had lots of chemistry courses while studying engineering, I understand fermentation and distillation quite well thanks - don't really need a dissertation with every post.

And as I mentioned afterwards - I don't consider anything added after distillation to be part of the "distilled spirit" so liqueurs and cordials are their own category. The original post was talking about sugar in single-barrel bourbon.

[davis_sq_pro]

Okay, I think we're all on the same page. Let's relax and move on with life, over a nice glass of eau du vie. (Definitely no sugar there. :-))

[tanker64]

No, they all make me act stupid.........

[AnneInMpls]

Beer always makes me incredibly sleepy. Even just one beer makes me feel like I've taken a sleeping pill. I'm still trying to determine if the hoppiness of the beer is related to my level of sleepiness, but I keep dozing off and forgetting what I drank. Bummer, because I really like beer, but can never manage to drink more than two.

Wine makes me relaxed, but not sleepy. Unless I drink most of the bottle...

I haven't noticed any difference in the effects of hard liquor and liqueurs. However, I can't drink Amaretto, much as I love it - I get terrible hangovers from relatively small amounts, like a shot or two (love the stuff neat). So I don't drink it any more. (Instead, I'll have Cointreau or Grand Marnier.)

Anne

[sunshine842]

Grand Marnier (cordon rouge) is poison for me -- any more than one, and I'll have a headache so bad it leaves me curled in a fetal ball praying for mercy (so I tend to not drink it at all). Grand Marnier centenaire (their very well-aged stuff) doesn't bother me, nor does Cointreau.

Incidentally, Grand Marnier has just introduced a vanilla version -- it would be killer AWESOME to cook with, but it's very syrupy and would be high on the potential headache list.

[invinotheresverde]

I find the Navan really artificial tasting. You're not missing anything.

[sunshine842]

I tried it a few weeks ago -- the vanilla flavor was nice, but yeccch. It was so thick and syrupy and overly sweet it was almost nauseating to drink.

[Chowrin]

try a troegenator. it's strong, but not hoppy.

[jackbauer]

For some reason, the only potent potable that makes me act any differently is B&B. It tends to anger up my blood and make me kind of a d-bag. I haven't had it for some time, but I miss it, it's damn tasty. Guess I'd rather keep my friends. : )

[imhungryletseat]

The circumstances obviously have a lot to do with how you act. During college, you drank Tequila with the guys before you went out to get FIRED UP!! But you drank wine with your gf to get mellow, happy and horny!
Beer was dual purpose....cheap beer was used for drinking games and there was a fine line between fired up to fall down whereas better beer was used as a social lubricant

[Beach Chick]

Tequila has made me do things that I cannot put in print...hee hee

[jiminy]

i theory all booze should affect us the same, the reality is far from that.
scotch-good for a couple but ruinious for more, killer hangover other less pleasent side effects
vodka-makes me the funniest person in the room
beer-Well I'm canadian we don't get drunk on that, its more like mothers milk
wine-nice warm heady buzz for red, never like white enought to drink that much
sake-warm fuzzy feeling all over
sambuca-why was it a good idea to do shots of this?
tequila-I think I fell over but can't really tell from down here
Gin is nice, pleasent somewhat clearheaded buzz
Maybe I drink to much

[davis_sq_pro]

I don't believe that different spirits should result in different types of drunkenness, assuming that they're cleanly produced (real moonshine, made in someone's backyard, may not be in the same category as a bottle of industrial vodka). The bottom line is that ethanol is ethanol. And belief is a powerful intoxicant. I think most of the perceived differences in intoxication are due to mindset and setting.

Tequila is supposed to make you crazy, and many people shoot it in settings where they're supposed to get crazy, so people bend in that direction and blame it on the al-al-alcohol (with apologies to Jamie Foxx). Personally, if I drink a Margarita I feel basically the same as when I drink a Pegu Club cocktail or some other sour made with a different spirit. (Perhaps this makes me less fun at parties!) Jager shooter is liquid cocaine? Maybe it's the sugar rush talking. I don't feel hyped up after I sip some Fernet. (Usually because I've just completed a large dinner, but that's another topic.)

Wine and beer might be different. I can say firsthand that wine gives me a tremendous hangover if I overindulge. And beer contains hops, which supposedly have their own minor psychoactive effect. I do feel rather tired after two beers, but after attending a beer fest last year and seriously overindulging I was full of energy, so I can't say there's much consistency there either.

[invinotheresverde]

This was pretty much my take on the matter, too.

[Augie6]

I also agree with mindset and SETTING... Distractions, Music , Converstions, (Ladies ) all play a portion on how everything will turn out...

White Wines/Champagne makes me SICK or light headed after 2 glasses
Mostly All Beer -- I can drink most of night and not be in trouble

My kryptonite is long Island Ice Teas they do something scarry to me ...

[MacTAC]

"Wine and beer might be different >snip< And beer contains hops, which supposedly have their own minor psychoactive effect."

I wonder if that's where the phrase "hopped up" comes from. Saw nothing definitive with a quick google search...

[alanbarnes]

"Hops" was 20s slang for opium. "Hophead" = drug addict; "hopped up" = under the influence of drugs.

[scubadoo97]

I suspect the different congeners may have some effect on the way alcohol is taken up and indirectly may have some effect on behavior. Sure adds to the hangover.

Personally I find only a little difference between alcohol beverages in the way I feel. I don't know but for some reason I find I get a bigger buzz on bourbon than rum at the same ABV. Wine and beer will give me a bigger headache.

I think you may also drink at different rates with different drinks. Vodka is like water so it's easy to drink a big rocks glass full in a short period of time. If your shooting shots of tequila then that may contribute to not being able to find your cloths in the morning.

Me I prefer to sip something interesting neat and enjoy the nuances of the craft. I'm a boring drinker.

[Ruth Lafler]

Yup. Congeners or mixers (or lack thereof), sugar content and carbonation can all have an effect. If you mix alcohol with something that makes it go down faster, or you shoot it, you're going to get drunk quickly (before you get sleepy). Carbonation (champagne, soda mixers) also makes you absorb it faster. Sugar will give you a boost of energy, so a drink with sugar (Coke or a fruity mixer) in it is going to make you more hyper, in addition to being more easy to guzzle. Tequila is usually consumed either as shooters, or as drinks that have some sugar added and/or go down easily, which may account for its reputation

You'd think the amount of herbal or other components would be too small to have an effect, but I had to stop drinking gin because it made me wheeze. I wondered about that until I remembered that I'm allergic to juniper pollen. Apparently there's enough of whatever I'm allergic to in juniper in gin to trigger a reaction.

More on congeners: http://science.howstuffworks.com/envi...

[cannedmilkandfruitypebbles]

a shooter with Jager and Goldshlager is literally called, "Liquid Cocaine" FWIW. It was the shooter of choice for a group of us in Montreal more than a few years ago.

[Coconuts]

The bar where I had it used Jager, Rumplemintz and 151 in a Liquid Cocaine.

[GirlyQ]

DING DING DING

People very often get convinced that Tequila makes people crazy, and so, they get crazy on tequila. Or violent on whiskey, or whatever. When really the problem was that they were really drunk, and so, suggestible. That's why we have a whole bunch of people convinced that absinthe makes one hallucinate, when really, it was just super cheap and drunk by the gallon by artists,who then hallucinated because they were insanely drunk on something that'd been cut with paint thinner.

[linguafood]

This may be the case for some people, it is definitely not the case for me.

Interesting theory, tho.

[GirlyQ]

I had this wonderfully long reply about how I feel differently with different alcohols too, so I'm not criticizing the people who say that, the science just shows it's in our head. But then Chow ate it. I hope it was delicious.

But here's the research I referenced!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2006/dec/12/foodanddrink.healthandwellbeing

http://www.sptimes.com/2007/01/07/Flo...

[comestible]

Sometimes my eastern European relatives send me homemade slivovitz. Talk about lethal!

I can't take more than a couple of sips.

[MonMauler]

Oh man is that stuff awesome. The only time I had it was at this Serbian festival a year or so back, we were really slugging it, and it absolutely destroyed me. I still don't know who drove me home, but I do remember waking up naked on a chaise lounge next to the pool at my house in the middle of the night.

[GirlyQ]

Oh man, that stuff'll kill you. It always reminds me of my Bubbe!

[Ruth Lafler]

I first ran across this when I was traveling with a group in Romania. The woman sitting next to me (a nondrinker) drunkenly informed me that the wine tasted better when you drank it out of the little glass.

[hypomyces]

At a little 'Soirée', I was served a shooter (many?) of Jägermeister and Goldschläger. Can you say 'Liquid Cocaine' anyone?

[friskyfilly]

Its an interesting question. I've often heard people say things to the effect of tequila makes them act crazy, wine makes them morose and introverted, vodka makes them hyper, and on and on. But, I suppose I've never really given much thought to my own intoxication characteristics! I will say that beer makes me feel more tipsy/buzzed/woozy or however you want to put it, than ANY liquor ever does. I don't know why, but I think I have quite a high tolerance for tequila or even wine, but with beer, I definitely have to pace myself more. Its seems that the opposite would be true, but I guess there are no rules and everyone is different. I don't drink like a crazy person or anything, but I do enjoy a few cocktails or glasses of wine or beer a few nights a week. Yikes...seeing that in print sounds worse than I perceive my drinking habits to be!

[redfish62]

Tequila for me ... and if I really want to get crazy Mezcal.

[dinnerwithfox]

Red wine - Sick, instant headache. Cant drink it for some reason

All clear spirits - Fun, talkative, lots of energy and usually my drink of choice seeing as though clear spirits never make me sick and I never go to far with them, including tequlia.

Dark spirits - Sick mainly haha, yeah my body just does not agree with anything dark.

White wine/champagne - Light headed, dazed, goes straight to my head literally. Then eventually it'll put me straight to sleep, moreso white wine than champagne.

Beer - Doesnt really have any effect on me, not that I drink it much.

[alanbarnes]

I want to travel back in time and mix some (four) martinis for Dorothy Parker.

[zin1953]

Man after my own heart!

[BobB]

What a gracious host! ;-)

[ncyankee101]

I can't really say a difference in the way I act, but I definitely have a difference in the way I feel. Beer makes me lightheaded and dizzy, comes on fast but also fades away quickly - wine makes me feel more energetic - but hard liquor (mainly Scotch) doesn't really make me feel buzzed, until the point I find myself walking into walls and tables.

Not sure if it might have to do with the carbonation in beer vs the sugars in wine vs higher alcohol levels in hard stuff.

[linguafood]

That's the scary thing, I think, about hard liquor. If you are sitting down, playing cards w/friends or just having a conversation, things are swell. And then you get up / encounter a good dose of oxygen. Whoa.

[sunshine842]

first time I ever had a Long Island Iced Tea -- everyone sitting around a table yakking and listening to music. Finished my drink, and started to head to the bathroom...took two steps and went flat on my face -- my legs just gave up trying.

(Oddly, a little buzzed, but not the usual falling-down-drunk level you'd think would be necessary to end up with rubber legs...but the body was having problems...but yes, I made it to the loo, thanks.)

[Ruth Lafler]

LOL! The first time I had Long Island Ice Tea was at a Halloween party with the newspaper staff in college. They were mixing it in huge bowls and serving it up in plastic beer cups (you know, the big red ones). Halfway down the second cup I remember stopping in the middle of the dance floor, where I was twirling around proclaiming "I'm a Maypole" (wearing long ribbons in my hair as part of a gypsy costume), peering down into the cup and saying "WHAT"S IN THIS!!!!?" That party was a total flop, in that everyone got plastered so fast that it was over by around 9 p.m. The cub reporter threw up on the couch, the new editor's husband (who was a Triple AAA first baseman) threw him in the reflecting pool to sober him up, and the staff photographer, who didn't drink, ferried everyone home. And the next day morning we all had to be there to clean up and put out Monday's edition. Everyone who drank with me hated me in those days: I don't get hungover, but I do wake up starving and craving carbs. Trying to convince hungover people to go to breakfast is not a good way to make friends.

[monfrancisco]

...and the next thing I was brushing off my shoulder was the floor.

[zin1953]

Generally speaking -- or rather, at least when it comes to wine -- sparkling wines will get the alcohol into your blood steam *faster* than still wines, so for the same ABV, you feel the effects more rapidly, more strongly, but for a shorter period of time . . . and a more rapid "crash."

[linguafood]

Oh yeah, I totally forgot champagne. That shit is lethal to the max. I have a couple of friends who can drink it all night. Me? I get heartburn, and that's when I'm lucky. I stay far, far away from that stuff, save for the occasional Mimosa.

[alanbarnes]

And life is still worth living? ;-)

[linguafood]

Barely.

[melpy]

This is where I end up batshit crazy. I avoid it now. Will indulge In The occasional prosecco or cava.

[jgg13]

This is similar to what I was going to say. I believe it's based on the actual ABV and how quickly stuff is getting into your system.

[linguafood]

Ahahahaha. I saw that header and just *knew* my reply had inspired this.

While I (obviously) don't have any scientific explanation for my reactions to various kinds of booze, I can honestly say from experience that the effects are different. We're talking drinking here, not sipping. That is, getting a buzz on. If this is shocking to anyone, read something else.

Here's the deal for me:

Beer - dull-headed, low-energy, tired buzz
Wine - similar, maybe less dumb-headed
Vodka - clear-headed, not even feeling drunk, intellectually eloquent, brilliant sense of humor
j/k
Gin - clear-headed until smashed and crying over silly things
Tequila - no way, josé

Who's next?

[invinotheresverde]

Hope you don't mind, doll. ;)

[sunshine842]

Not a huge difference with anything except tequila...I try to be VERY careful with tequila, because impulsive behaviour comes out in force...dancing on tables, everybody's best friend....oy.

(Sadly, I was granted total recall...no matter how incredibly <insert adjective here> my behaviour of the prior night, I'll remember every gory detail before I even manage to lift my pounding head off of the pillow. I thus learned at a very early age to just try to stay toward the sober end of the spectrum whenever possible.)

[linguafood]

I have to admit that I stayed clear of vodka for 5 years after a particularly bad night.

Thankfully, I'm back on (or is that off?) the wagon. Haven't had a hangover in at least a year.

[Quine]

Tequila makes your clothes fall off? Darn funny song.

[sunshine842]

Never went that far down that rocky road, but that stuff makes me do stoopid things.

[hamboney]

Cheap tequilla and Doritos coming out of my muzzle made me a firm believer to stay away from El Diablo's Nectar for good. Rum made me dumb, umm...no it made me stoopid, Jack D put me in a hospital.

I enjoy beer only now. A buddy of mine is a home brewer so quality reigns; except for an occasional quantity of Coors Light...oh, the shame.
Cheers,
Hammy