In the 1700s England, gin was considered a “mother’s ruin” because it was thought to only affect women compared to men. The truth is there should be no difference in what certain types of alcohol can make you feel. It is important to understand that all alcohol is a depressant that can leave you feeling hungover and can succumb you to addiction.
The Factors in Alcohol Reactions
The active ingredient in beer, wine, and spirits is alcohol or ethanol. You may feel like you feel differently depending on which alcoholic beverages you drink. The truth is that you may feel differently depending on the alcohol percentage and how fast you are drinking it. The type should not be a factor. It is all about the alcohol strength, your tolerance, your drinking location, and other health factors.
Hangovers
The common symptoms of a hangover are headaches, dizziness, nausea, stomachache, loss of appetite, fatigue, thirst, and palpitations. Dr. Jöran Köchling says that all alcoholic beverages that you consume heavily will lead to these symptoms. It is not brought about by certain alcohol beverage types. There may be that old myth “beer before wine, you’ll be fine,” but the order of the drinks makes no impact in whether or not you receive a hangover after. Although, there was an earlier study that showed that the occurrence of a hangover can happen in limited amounts the less the alcohol is distilled, meaning bourbon is more likely to lead to a hangover than vodka.
Congeners are another factor in that they are the chemicals produced when alcohol is fermented. They are present in darker drinks like whiskey and wine. Hangovers tend to be more intense for people who have drank large amounts of congeners. The drinking experience is still the same though.
Mixers
There are people who may tolerate beverages better than others based on what beverages are used for mixing. Drinking alcohol with caffeine may produce different effects compared to mixing them with sugary drinks or diluting them. Caffeine mixers can also make you even more intoxicated and masks the depressant effects of alcohol, making you more alert. This can cause you to drink more alcohol and put your life in more danger. Despite all of this, there are no specific emotions attached to a particular drink. Alcohol is alcohol no matter what the appearance or taste is and still carries the same effects.
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