Cocktail potency?
- Thread starter Why?
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I've been wondering that myself. I know that differently brewed spirits may contain different amounts of some compounds, like vodka compared to whiskey, but I am not sure whether they affect the intoxication. The urban legend at least says that the purer the alcohol, the less risk of a hangover.
What I've also heard is that sipping, for example, vodka through a straw makes you more drunk and the effects arrive faster. I can't really offer a logical answer, although I remember reading something about alcohol entering the bloodstream through your mouth and going straight to the brain, although how much truth is in it I can't tell.
What I've also heard is that sipping, for example, vodka through a straw makes you more drunk and the effects arrive faster. I can't really offer a logical answer, although I remember reading something about alcohol entering the bloodstream through your mouth and going straight to the brain, although how much truth is in it I can't tell.
The other major component of alcoholic beverages in terms of both intoxication and hangover is sugar.
I thought hangovers were caused by dehydration.
Fraggle Rocker
Staff member
Different types of beverage contain different organic compounds. All psychoactive drugs have a slightly different effect on each individual, but the most popular ones such as caffeine, nicotine and alcohol seem to have less variance than many others. LSD and cocaine, for example, send some people on exotic mental journeys, leave others feeling nothing, and turn a few into loonies.
Some of the other organic compounds in alcoholic beverages have minor psychoactive effects--or other effects--or react with the alcohol to alter its effect. The variances of these effects among people has not been studied extensively and is not well understood. In my observation the most common effect of these extra ingredients is discomfort. I've never met anyone who said they got higher or had a better time on rum than an equivalent dose of red wine or vice versa. But I've known quite a few people who said that a particular type of wine or stronger spirit gave them a headache or a worse hangover.
Tea is similar. In addition to caffeine it contains other chemicals that have varying effects on different people. Same goes for chocolate. The theobroma in chocolate is psychoactive for many of us and gives the rush a richer, mellower dimension than pure caffeine.
Some of the other organic compounds in alcoholic beverages have minor psychoactive effects--or other effects--or react with the alcohol to alter its effect. The variances of these effects among people has not been studied extensively and is not well understood. In my observation the most common effect of these extra ingredients is discomfort. I've never met anyone who said they got higher or had a better time on rum than an equivalent dose of red wine or vice versa. But I've known quite a few people who said that a particular type of wine or stronger spirit gave them a headache or a worse hangover.
Tea is similar. In addition to caffeine it contains other chemicals that have varying effects on different people. Same goes for chocolate. The theobroma in chocolate is psychoactive for many of us and gives the rush a richer, mellower dimension than pure caffeine.
Yes, there is.
Back when I was active in lab work, I saw reports where some tests had been run on various liqueurs. There was an amazing number of different compounds found and the actual amounts even varied widely for the same brand and product. That seemed to indicate some variances in their production process - slightly different amount of ingredients (or ingredients from different suppliers) and the timing involved in each step of production.
That was long ago and I'm sorry that I can't recall any of the exact chemicals but the vast majority of them were complex organic compounds (naturally). Oh - there WERE some sulfur-based and iron-based complexes as well. But most were still things like organic acids and a whole plethora of complex (some incomplete) proteins.
Well, it causes your blood sugar to go way up when you drink a lot of it, which then causes an extreme insulin response from your glands, dragging your blood sugar way down. Basically, it plays even more havoc with your blood sugar levels than the alcohol itself would have. For comparison, try drinking only very dry alcoholic beverages one night (vodka, gin, lager beers) and then, a few days later (after having the same dinner) drink a bunch of sugary drinks (bourbon, rich red wines, girl drinks, etc.). I wager you'll feel loopier on the sugary drinks and also get a much worse hangover.