Wine Enthusiast Magazine
Subscribe
Do different forms of alcoholic beverages give different forms of intoxicating effects? Can it be valid for people to generalize that “beer makes me stupid” and “wine makes me witty” and “Scotch makes me want to punch something” and “rum makes me want to love someone…a lot”?
Most articles that begin with questions will supply answers by the end, but this isn’t one of those. All I’ve got is a belief (you can hardly call it a theory): yes, the nature of the effects can be slightly different, but it varies with the individual and the way that individual metabolizes the various compounds that form the alcohol delivery system. My evidence? Bupkis. In fact, I’ve asked a number of physicians and friends in the scientific community about this and their answer has been: alcohol is alcohol; any perceived differences are purely emotional, psychological, situational.
It’s possible that brain chemistry will eventually yield some kind of answer. A writer who has deep knowledge of wine and food as well as a keen interest in science confirmed what I suspected: neuroscientists are starting to identify how different compounds (like resveratrol, which is a component of wine) affect the proteins in the brain when accompanying ethanol. I’d be interested if any of you know of any such research. For now, all I have are my own experiences and the convictions of my friends and acquaintances; as one has repeatedly told me: “the martini is my enemy.”
Do you believe science or emotion determines your own reaction to different alcoholic beverages? We are emphatically not interested in stories of wild abandon; this is not a celebration of drinking to excess. But fill in the blanks for me: ________ makes me ________. Or: I always get ___________when I drink even a little___________.
Filed under: Health & Diet, Opinions and Commentary, Spirits
2 Comments
July 22nd, 2009 at 2:26:41 PM
People seem to always take firm positions on various types of alcohol and I always find it funny. Friends often ask me: “How do you drink wine at bars? Doesn’t it make you tired?” or “How do you drink beer, doesn’t it make you feel full?” I think it all depends on the situation. If you’re at a long, seated dinner with a lot of food and big reds then of course you’ll feel tired afterward. But I can definitely order a glass of Pinot at a bar at midnight and feel great! They can keep their vodka sodas, I think a lot of these beliefs are a myth.
July 18th, 2012 at 4:59:40 AM
[...] The Science of Buzz (winemag.com) [...]