There is a saying, Beer before liquor, never been sicker’ revolving among people for ages. Some people had this notion, that drinking beer before any other drink does not get you a hangover and other worse conditions accompanying it, but this claim is total crap. 

The hangover comes from binge drinking, smoking, and drinking ethics. Here in this guide, scientific claims regarding frequency, hangover, and factors contributing to it are listed. 

Is ‘Beer Before Liquor’ A Myth? 

Yes, the order of liquor is a mere myth that has always been a concern regarding alcohol’s impact on the human body. A scientific study has been carried out in 2019, revealed that there is no particular link between the hangover and order of beer and other types of wines in multiple orders.

You can drink either vodka before the beer or beer before the vodka. The liquor toxicity and the hangover are influenced by the amount of ethanol present in either of the liquor’s compositions. In the comparison of beer and vodka, vodka causes more hangover, as it contains approx. 40% ABV (Alcohol By Volume) while beer contains just 5% (ABV).

Although, the study did not determine the comparison between different alcoholic beverages, as the amount of consumption and the hangover matters more than the drinking pattern. Before scientific studies, people used to believe in this saying, like beer could warm you up to drinking perspective but there is nothing like that. 

Origin of The Adage ‘Beer Before Liquor’

The concept of this saying ‘Beer before liquor, Never been sicker’ is most probably identified since it has been claimed that drinking carbonated alcoholic drinks quicken the absorption within the body.

Beer can and its related liquors are fizzy and carbonated (i.e., containing carbon dioxide), enhancing alcoholic absorption and getting you buzzed. Nonetheless, beer contains more carbohydrates than other alcoholic drinks which have somewhat similar alcoholic percentages to beer, and this present if carbs make you less intoxicated. 

Therefore, alcohol intoxication is greatly influenced by the carbonation and amount of carbohydrates present within liquors which ultimately affect alcohol absorption and gave rise to this adage. 

Scientific Claims Behind The Saying ‘Beer Before Liquor’

There are several explanations to defend this saying, but no scientific study backs this concept of drinking pattern that how it could make you less intoxicated and make the burning sensation more bearable for more drinks by drinking one type of alcohol before than any other.

In 2019, research was published in the ‘American Journal of Clinical Nutrition’, which stated that you can’t simply get rid of a hangover if you drink beer before wine or drink it after the wine, as the hangovers are independent of your particular drink choice, and the combination of alcoholic drinks. 

A spokesperson, Arevalo has favored the drinking reality saying,

“What matters is the amount of alcohol that you consume,” –  Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

The statement further clarified that the liver requires time to clear your bloodstream from alcohol after it has been absorbed.

She further added, 

“If we drink too much or too fast, we will feel it because we are not giving our liver enough time to clear the alcohol in our blood,”

About 20% of alcohol can be absorbed by the small intestine, and the rest of that may come out by vomiting, which is your body’s defense mechanism against the toxins present in alcohol. 

The hangover is more likely felt during the morning when blood alcohol levels decrease drastically after a night of drinking. 

One study claims that when you drink a lot of alcohol during the night you will feel, nausea, light sensitivity,  shivering, parched mouth, extreme thirst, tiredness, and mood swings, which may adversely mess up your health.

Influence Of Drinking Pattern On the Human Body

Regardless of some theories backing that drinking pattern matter, in reality, it doesn’t.  Your hangover from drinking is largely dependent upon the amount of alcohol you have consumed. 

Alcohol immediately gets absorbed into the blood right after consumption. So when the alcohol is completely absorbed the hangover symptoms start to become apparent.

If you don’t alter the amount of alcohol you have consumed regardless of the type of alcoholic beverage, your hangover effects will not be influenced. 

However, if you think that beer contains less alcoholic percentage than any other drink, you are safe to drink it in excess. Then, you are sorely wrong about it as its not the case. The amount of consumption matters not the type of drink. 

Factors Influencing The Hangover After Drinking

A hangover and alcohol intoxication are not just affected by drinking pattern, alcohol volume, and genetics but many other aspects contributing to it, including, 

Frequency of Consumption: If you start heavy drinking with no alternate breaks for the liver to detoxify it leads you to have quickly comping on the point of maximum blood alcohol concentration which leads to alcohol toxicity. Frequent drinkers are more likely to constantly remain in buzzed conditions. 

Smoking: If you smoke then, there is a high chance you will get the worst hangovers.

Full/ Empty Stomach: Having a drink when your empty stomach is adverse for your health, as it gets absorbed and metabolized by your body and you quickly start to get a hangover. 

Consumption: The amount of alcohol volume you drink cause a huge influence on the intoxication state. The more you drink, the worst the hangover.

You should keep close track of the amount of alcohol you are gulping down your throat, as an excess of everything is bad. 

Bottom-line 

The volume of alcohol matters rather than the type or brand. If you are consuming alcohol in any form in moderation, be smart about drinking by consuming food along with the drink, and hydrating yourself to prevent the hangover the next day.

Beer before liquor is just a saying, there is no truth behind it, however, beer does contain less alcohol volume than other drinks, so it makes you less buzzed but that does not guarantee that you won’t get a hangover if you binge drink.

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FAQs

Is it good to mix beer and liquor? 

No, negating the belief that drinking beer, gin, and tonic does not cause a hangover, but it does mixing beverages harms you as much as drinking these types separately. 

Can you drink whiskey after beer? 

There is another drinking adage, ‘Whisky before beer, Never fear’ which claims that if you drink Whisky before then you will less likely get a hangover, but researchers do not claim that. 

What should you not mix with alcohol? 

If you are on medication, you should avoid combining it with alcohol. 

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