back to article Hungover this morning? Thought 'beer before wine and you'll be fine'? Boffins prove old adage just isn't true

Beer before wine and you’ll feel fine; wine before beer and you’ll feel queer, as the old saying goes. Well it isn’t true, it doesn’t matter what order you down your drinks, you’ll be hungover all the same. Ninety human guinea pigs, who were students of course, aged between 19 to 40 years old agreed to discover this the hard …

  1. Starace
    Facepalm

    Well someone's been on a heavy drinking session

    How else do you explain taking days to catch up with all the other coverage of the story?

    Plus as any fule kno it's not the sequence of the drinks that matters, it's what they are and the mixing that causes the real damage, even more so than the quantity. I've done years of testing to confirm this.

    (Icon shows the most common test outcome)

    1. macjules
      Paris Hilton

      Re: Well someone's been on a heavy drinking session

      Also, as any fule kno, it is the ABV strength of each drink that is a factor. Can't have students testing on shandy and lambrusco, or perhaps that was their idea of a heavy night's drinking?

      “Unpleasant as hangovers are, we should remember that they do have one important benefit, at least: they are a protective warning sign that will certainly have aided humans over the ages to change their future behaviour,

      That has failed in so many different ways in this country. Note: next PhD due on whether the "hair of the dog that bit you" actually works for hangovers.

      1. jmch Silver badge

        Re: Well someone's been on a heavy drinking session

        "as any fule kno, it is the ABV strength of each drink that is a factor"

        I got to disagree there. According to my 'research', the major factor besides is the absolute quantity of alcohol, whether it's 10 beers or 10 glasses of wine or 10 tots of whisky is the same.

        Next factor is the quality. The cheapo bottom-shelf whisky has the same alcohol content as a single malt or even a quality blended whisky, but will give a much worse headache / hangover. Lack of other non-alcohol ingredients / impurities means the liver can focus on processing just the alcohol and not other crap (in this respect, generally good fitness / diet also helps). Incidentally, many drinks considered 'nasty' for cheapo-drinking students (eg vodka or tequila) have quality, albeit expensive, equivalents that are the equivalents of single malts in Russia / Poland, Mexico etc

        The other thing that works for me to avoid hangovers is alternate a glass of water in between each alcoholic drink. This both keeps the body hydrated as well as spacing out drinks to reduce the absolute amount of alcohol. Carbonated drinks don't work so well in this respect (liver also needs to process caffeine in colas and other crap in fizzy drinks). Sports drinks might work as well.

        In all cases stay away from anything fluorescent-looking

        1. Dr Dan Holdsworth

          Re: Well someone's been on a heavy drinking session

          To this I would add that if a friend says that he knows how to make some really lovely-tasting cocktails, and these then involve much pineapple juice then avoiding them at all costs would be a very sensible course of action. The memory of the morning after such a night has stayed with me for decades (the night before, not so much).

          Whisky is one beverage to avoid drinking in any amount at all if you wish to avoid a hangover. Ethanol isn't the only thing which contributes to a hangover (although it is the main cause); various other higher alcohols and methanol are also strongly involved in causing hangovers. A gin distiller will, when distilling a batch of fermented wort to make alcohol, discard the low boiling point distillate and also the distillate which comes off at higher temperatures. By contrast, whisky distillers just chuck those back into the pot for another time around, relying on the maturation process to get rid of most of the nasties.

        2. Spamfast
          Meh

          Re: Well someone's been on a heavy drinking session

          keeps the body hydrated

          The idea that drinking alcoholic beverages dehydrates you has been largely debunked in a number of controlled studies.

          Having a mouth like Ghandi's flip-flop in the morning is down to the poisonous effect of alcohol not because you've lost fluids. If drinking lots of water could fix this, I'd never get a hangover from beer which is mostly water after all.

          And remember, back in the middle ages many people's primary source of fluid was beer although much of it may have been at the lower end of the strength scale.

    2. The Oncoming Scorn Silver badge
      Pint

      Re: Well someone's been on a heavy drinking session

      My father & uncle used to go out on Saturday nights drinking, uncle moved away family visits up to see them would at least see one protracted pub visit.......

      Cut to the following morning auntie is surprised to see father is cooking a breakfast, while uncle is wishing he was dead or something.....

      Comes the question "How is it you are bright eyed & bushy tailed, while Louie is suffering greatly\praying to the great god Armitage Shanks\staying under the covers in a heavily darkened room moaning a lot etc".

      Simple says my dad (Described at his funeral eulogy by my eldest son as "The Wisest Man I Was Ever Forced To Listen To") "I drink beer & perhaps try a couple of single malts* & stick to that, Louie is drinking anything behind the bar that's green, blue, yellow or simply looks interesting because of the bottle with his beer.

      *The old coffin dodger loved his whiskey.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Well someone's been on a heavy drinking session

        As I fully mature, I find whiskey to be more and more tasty, taken straight. Only, my sense of smell died years ago so I can't tell a good whiskey from a bad one. It does save a WHOLE lot of money tho.... :-/

        1. phuzz Silver badge
          Pint

          Re: Well someone's been on a heavy drinking session

          Some people seem to leave their nice booze until the end of the evening, which is totally the wrong way around.

          Drink the nice stuff first, while you're still sober enough to enjoy it. After a few drinks you can move to progressive cheaper stuff, because you won't be able to tell the difference anyway.

          1. Tom 38

            Re: Well someone's been on a heavy drinking session

            Some people seem to leave their nice booze until the end of the evening, which is totally the wrong way around.

            Its to do with drinking booze all night, until the bell rings at 11. If you start on the strong stuff immediately, you could drink too much too soon, and then you won't make 11. If you start with the beer and only switch to the strong stuff from 10:30 onwards, good chance you will see 11 (and then maybe pass out in the street instead, or drop your kebab, or many other long standing British traditions).

            This also explains our national drink related problems, get as much beer in until you're very drunk, then slam as many strong drinks until the bell rings, and then wander out of the pub at the same time as everyone else and compete for taxis, buses and takeaways. The town I grew up in had 7000 people, 27 pubs, no night buses, 1 taxi firm and 2 takeaways. 11:15pm on a Friday was a jungle.

  2. bryces666

    got to love the thought processes...

    How can we get free drinks? I know, let's run a study on the effects of alcohol, now what hasn't been looked at yet.... and voila, some big free parties lined up in the name of science. (I miss those student days).

  3. MonkeyCee

    Drinking advice

    The suggestion I have is to maintain a 2:1 ratio of alcoholic to non-alcoholic beverages. It prolongs the happy drunk buzz and helps with the hangover.

    For the Reg hacks it's probably a normal Thursday.

    1. Korev Silver badge
      Pint

      Re: Drinking advice

      ...morning...

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Useful Drinking advice

      Get your vomiting done while you're still drunk, it will hurt a lot more later if you dont.

      1. To Mars in Man Bras!
        Windows

        Re: Useful Drinking advice

        That's always worked for me. In my experience, there are two types of boozer:

        TYPE A –will throw up there and then, once the stage of having drunk too much is reached. As this often involves puking in pubs, clubs or over other people's carpets, parents or pets, the TYPE A boozer, as s/he ages and matures, learns to avoid such public embarrassments by usually managing to stop drinking just before the room begins to spin and vomiting becomes inevitable.

        The TYPE B boozer on the other hand, never throws up on the actual night. So s/he can drink and drink until barely able to stand and still want more. However, the TYPE B boozer will then spend most of the next day throwing their ring up and generally feeling like death.

        In our house, I am a TYPE A and the missus is a TYPE B. So it makes for some interesting boozing sessions. At the first hint of a room spin, I'll think "Uh-oh! I'll puke if I have any more" and will switch to fizzy water. Whereas the missus has no inner cut-off switch at all and will drink for as long as someone puts a fresh glass in front of her.

        Next day usually involves me bustling round the house feeling completely fine, while she lies on the sofa cocooned under a duvet, only emerging briefly every half hour or so to throw up in a basin.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Drinking advice

      So we should drink 66% booze all night and we'll be fine?

  4. Tom 7

    Beer before wine works for me

    but then I find beer preferable to wine so it rarely moves on to wine. An all round beer beer for me!

  5. chivo243 Silver badge
    Windows

    I can offer dissenting evidence

    Searching my mind back to New Year's Eve. I was rolling along, glass of wine at dinner, beer flowing but not chugging, and midnight came along, and the bottles of Bubbly started popping, and the alarm bells go off in my head, screaming "DON"T DO IT!' But alas, I did. BIG MISTAKE! And I paid a big price, with a very big head the next day.

    Moral of this story is: Champers is for the beginning of the evening not the end! My better half is French, and also confirms that Champers should really start the evening...

    Tramp because it fits how I felt New Year's day...

    1. Mark 85

      Re: I can offer dissenting evidence

      Exactly. My rule is start the evening with the "good" stuff which is usually more expensive and then go the other stuff.

      1. Dr Dan Holdsworth
        Boffin

        Re: I can offer dissenting evidence

        If you are using a drinking session to cozy up to the boss, always stand the first round. Sober memories are remembered when sober, drunk ones when drunk so this way, you will feature in said worthy's memories as that nice chap who was really generous with the first or second round.

        Leave it to your less Machiavellian colleagues to be remembered as "That silly tit who can't take his beer and gets hopelessly piddled and acts like a drunken twerp at the slightest".

    2. Charlie Clark Silver badge
      Pint

      Re: I can offer dissenting evidence

      I seem to remember reading somewhere, and anecdotal evidence backs this up, that men and women have different reactions to fizz. But definitely more research required. I need a grant!

  6. Arthur the cat Silver badge

    white wine and lager beer

    Wimps! They should have tried a robust red and Special Brew

    1. Spamfast

      Re: white wine and lager beer

      Should be Buckfast with SB, surely?

      1. A Nonny Moose

        Re: white wine and lager beer

        I think the Ethics committee might have something to say about deliberately trying to see off your volunteers

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Water might help to hydrate, but it will also wash out electrolytes that alcohol has already depleted. Far better to go for sports drinks.

    1. Charlie Clark Silver badge

      Or just a fizzy mineral tablet.

      1. Spamfast

        Or just a fizzy mineral tablet.

        Certainly more environmentally friendly and a lot cheaper.

        I seem to remember a study that compared various sports drinks against more run-of-the-mill ones. It turned out that the most effective generally available drink to take after exercise to restore your electrolytes quickly is cows milk. All the trendy sports drinks tested were no better than supermarket fruit squash or tap water.

  8. Grease Monkey Silver badge

    Never had a hangover. Even after a two gallon session. I think you're all making it up.

    1. JLV

      i wish :(

    2. Spamfast

      Shadenfreude isn't pretty, you lucky bar-steward. ;-)

      I was like you until I was twenty - pub crawl down Gloucester Road every night followed by a kebab & still made it to morning lectures. My first hangover was a bit of a doozy. Had to spend the day in the darkest corner of the Stanhope Arms nursing tomato juice laced with tabasco (and the odd vokda).

      *sigh* Nostalgia's not what it used to be.

    3. Charlie Clark Silver badge

      The way that the body processes and breaks down alcohol is fascinating. It's well-known that, for example, many Japanese people can hardly do it at all and so get very drunk, very quickly. But, and I can't find the citation for this, lots of people with celtic ancestry are missing a key enzyme in a later stage which is why they tend to get worse hangovers. Certainly the case for me in contrast to my more Germanic frends: if I have more than my "limit" the next day is likely to be a complete washout, whereas they often sleep it off*.

      * Actually it's known that alcohol disrupts sleep, but differently for different people.

    4. Colemanisor

      Been experimenting for years and I still don't know what a hangover is

    5. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Never had a hangover

      I used to share a flat with a friend who never got hangovers ever.

      However, he was awfully unlucky with food - quite often after a few drinks, he would get a dodgy burger or kebab that left him feeling unwell the next day...

    6. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Same here, although I used to get hangovers in my early 20's. Two gallon session's aren't anything to be scared of now.

  9. Manolo
    Pint

    It's proverbial.

    What the saying really means is that is it easier to start life off poor (the poor drank beer) and then to become rich (and be able to afford wine), than the other way round.

    1. Flocke Kroes Silver badge

      Re: Rich to poor

      The traditional method involving fast ladies and slow ponies was quite effective.

  10. Dr_N

    Pint of water before bed. Can of Coke in the morning. Sorted. (Kinda.)

    1. JLV

      water + aspirin

      don’t Tylenol - the active ingredient reacts badly with alcohol present and harms your liver, something pharma resisted warning about for years.

      1. Dr_N

        ....Pint of Alka Seltza ASAP in the morning if you forget the water at night.

      2. Spamfast

        don’t Tylenol

        Totally agree.

        Actually, I avoid paracetemol (as it's called on this side of the pond) under all circumstances.

        If it were brought out today it would never get approval by the FDA/MHRA for over-the-counter use because it's way too easy to overdose and destroy your renal system and it has some pretty dire synergistic effects for people taking a whole range of other common medicines.

        Aspirin is much safer for headaches, despite it being a bit hard on the stomach if you overdo it. Ibuprofen's okay but I find that better for muscular pain. YMMV of course.

        1. Charles 9

          So what do doctors prescribe for pain to a severe hepatic with a bad peptic ulcer?

          1. Spamfast

            So what do doctors prescribe for pain to a severe hepatic with a bad peptic ulcer?

            Read my post. I said over the counter.

            If a doctor prescribes paracetemol - after checking what else the patient is taking - then that's fine.

            Allowing people to buy it from supermarkets/pharmacists and take uncontrolled doses without a doctor checking is iffy.

            1. Charles 9

              And read MINE. There are basically two types of pain relievers, prescription or otherwise: NSAIDs and acetaminophen/paracetamol. The former (which include aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen) is bad if you have a peptic ulcer as it can aggravate it and cause internal bleeding; the latter is bad if you have liver trouble because it makes a bad situation worse.

              So what if you have BOTH problems AND a lot of pain? IOW, this was an honest question.

      3. Chz

        Tylenol/Paracetamol is bad for many reasons, but the interaction with alcohol malarkey was disproven years ago. Seems to only be on the American side of the Pond that the rumour persists, for some reason. Most "proofs" of this are people who've severely overdosed on the stuff, which is easy with that particular drug and why I'd avoid it irregardless of alcohol consumption.

        See here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10759684

        1. JLV

          > malarkey

          https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paracetamol_poisoning

          https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322813.php

          https://www.healthline.com/health/pain-relief/acetaminophen-alcohol

          they all say: little alcohol and tylenol => no problemo.

          given the subject being discussed here, what do you think we’re talking quantity-wise, genius? i'm pretty sure alcohol warnings are currently on tylenol-only meds here in Canada.

          Tylenol’s not my choice in general, no. I won’t avoid it if prescribed. But I also won’t use it as a boozing relief given this potential risk.

          1. JLV

            Edit: on a Canadian Tylenol bottle warning says “may cause liver damage if: you take more than 3 or more alcoholic drinks every day”.

            So... whatever on the “malarkey”, I really wouldn’t chance it. Keep in mind, the new warnings were resisted by its manufacturer and I assume they had studies justifying their resistance. You might be quoting one. Still got applied.

          2. Chz

            JLV, from your own WIkipedia link:

            "For chronic alcohol users, acute alcohol ingestion at the time of a paracetamol overdose may have a protective effect."

            Paracetamol is dangerous. I'm not questioning that. However there is *no clinical proof* that alcohol worsens the effect, and as noted above the *opposite* can in fact be true. The only worrying effect is that drunken idiots may exceed the recommended dosage; and since the recommended dose to dangerous dose ratio is so low it creates a good chance of an overdose.

            What it says on Canadian bottles of Tylenol is of no consequence whatsoever.

    2. The Oncoming Scorn Silver badge
      Pint

      I'm an advocaat* of tea in the morning to help put me straight, especially if there's a English breakfast with lots of toast, but yes I have found that a can of coke will help straighten me out further or even during the night (Especially if I had the foresight to put one in a hotel mini bar).

      *Not really sorry for the pun

      1. Spamfast

        First of all *groan*. (At the pun. Well done though!)

        I do the same re full English breakfast. But there is apparently some evidence that a banana or other potasium rich nibble helps.

        1. alferdpacker

          This is what my dear old father told me. "Eat a banana and drink a pint of water before you go to sleep if you feel too drunk. Of course, if you remember to do that you aren't too drunk."

          1. defiler

            The best cure I heard of for a hangover was to put a chair on your bed, and put a pint glass of water and a couple of aspirin on it before you go out. That way you can't easily forget when you get back...

  11. Mark 85
    Pint

    Success for the boffins...

    The boffins from 2 unis got a grant and published. So what's next? Run for political office on a temperance platform? Stir up the SJW's? I'll have popcorn because it goes well with a brew or two.

  12. Muscleguy

    Indeed

    I agree on the not learning thing, when our eldest first got rat arsed the next morning, Saturday my wife got the youngest to march up and down the hall outside her bedroom playing the bagpipes (great pipes, all drones unplugged for those in the know) then eldest got dragged into town clothes shopping.

    Didnae work. Eldest is a Sommelier, deep into el vino.

    The old Scotsman's preventative of necking as much water as you can hold just before you flop into bed is good advice though. Moderates the dehydration and gets you up the next day through a very strong need to pee.

    I used to swear by a 9mile run the day after, you reach a point where the effects of the hangover intersect with the normal effects of the run and equalise out. You have to have taken heed of the Scotsman first though and necked or taken some water/dilute sports drink with you. But last I tried it age intervened and I could only manage 6.6 miles.

    Instead I stop drinking before I'm drunk enough for a proper hangover. But if I go for a run next morning anyway I feel any drink I've had the night before.

    Since I value the running and the health and wellbeing it brings very highly this limits my alcoholic intake to healthy levels.

    1. Doctor Syntax Silver badge

      Re: Indeed

      "I agree on the not learning thing"

      Are you sure? He might just have learned to avoid bagpipes after drinking.

      1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

        Re: Indeed

        >He might just have learned to avoid bagpipes after drinking.

        Or before drinking.

        In general, avoidance of bagpipes might be a logical reason to take up drinking.

      2. old_IT_guy

        Re: Indeed

        She - "her bedroom".

        I clearly didn't over-indulge last night

    2. BinkyTheMagicPaperclip Silver badge

      Re: Indeed

      I think you do need to mention that running with a hangover is effective to aid recovering, but horrific, definitely a strong inducement not to drink as much again.

      Do not, under any account, skate with a hangover. As soon as you stop there's a sickening second where the rest of the world catches up.

      1. Robert Helpmann??
        Childcatcher

        Re: Indeed

        The issue with the idea that a hangover is tied to learning not to overindulge, drink a particular thing or whatever is that it is too far removed from a particular behavior. In order to make the connection strong enough to matter, the hangover would have to start very soon after drinking. Obviously, this is not the case on any level. Puking is more likely to cause an individual to learn they've done a very bad thing to their body (via the Garcia effect), but they are much more likely to recall that connection when they are drunk enough that it is too late rather than at the beginning of a potential binge.

  13. Korev Silver badge
    Childcatcher

    Beer?

    Using white wine and lager beer

    Surely "Lager beer" is an oxymoron?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Beer?

      It's a typo - should be 'larger beer'

    2. find users who cut cat tail
      Pint

      Re: Beer?

      No, it isn't. It should be a pleonasm. You can definitely find things sold as lager that are not beer -- they are crime against humanity. But that happens to all kinds of beer...

      1. Spamfast

        Re: Beer?

        You can definitely find things sold as lager that are not beer -- they are crime against humanity.

        Damn straight.

        We went to a camp site in Falsterbo near Malmø, Sweden one summer. On the way to the beach (which was lovely, by the way) we bought a few tins that were labelled as "Danish" lager at a fairly high price but what the hell, we were on holiday.

        First swig my other half took got spat out.

        On closer inspection it turned out the "Danish style" lager was actually 3% ABV Swedish glop. SWMBO was very miffed at this slur on her homeland and refused to touch it after that and insisted on drinking the ones we'd brought from her side of the Øresundsbron.

        Being the British drainhole I am I had to finish of the Swedish stuff. Waste not, want not!

        1. Chris Parsons

          Re: Beer?

          Malmö! Sweden isn't Denmark.

          1. Spamfast
            Happy

            Re: Beer?

            Malmö! Sweden isn't Denmark.

            I don't speak Swedish. Jeg snakker dansk. (Badly!) :-D

            But upvoted because, you're right, the Swedes don't use 'ø'.

            In my defense, I was navigating with a Danish road atlas when we went there.

            Wouldn't have all this uppitiness from the minions if the Danes had held on to their vassal countries back when. And the beer might be better. ;-)

  14. FozzyBear
    Pint

    Many of the commentators are suggesting their own home remedies for a hangover. The best is, of course, Don't stop drinking.

    Now I'd like a big grant to study the old adage "drink yourself sober"

  15. Sgt_Oddball
    Childcatcher

    I don't get it.....

    Where's the bacon angle?

    I used to swear by a bottle of sprite the following morning but instead these days I just drink far better stuff than I used to. Less mass produced crap, more tasty goodness and because the damn stuff costs so much you can't afford to drink to a hangover.

    Having children also makes you take measures to avoid a hangover. Nothing worse than a 4 year old crawling into your bed and kicking you in the nuts when you've got a hangover.

    (kiddie catcher because there's that moment where you wish he would take them away at least until the elephants stop jumping on your head)

  16. mylittlepwny

    Mythbusters did a similar test like a decade ago and reached the same conclusion.

  17. gekko
    Facepalm

    Beer and wine don't go together

    Why would anyone drink both beer and wine in the same evening? Never have and never will. They just aren't compatible.

    Beer and whiskey? Sure.

    "Whiskey on beer, have no fear. Beer on whiskey, that can be risky."

    1. werdsmith Silver badge

      Re: Beer and wine don't go together

      It’s when you go out and have a meal and a bottle of wine with it. After you,started the evening on beerl, end the meal with an Irish coffee then resume the beer. Finally end the evening with a brandy or a single malt.

      This is what I used to do before I noticed the Emperor was naked.

    2. Spamfast

      Re: Beer and wine don't go together

      Beer on whiskey, that can be risky.

      Isn't that just a chaser?

    3. Roj Blake Silver badge

      Re: Beer and wine don't go together

      Or as I was told as a youngster - "never mix the grape with the grain"

      So you can have beer and whisky in an evening, or wine and brandy, or even cider and wine as apples are more grape-like than grain-like.

      But you can't have beer and brandy, beer and wine, wine and whisky, or beer and cider.

      This at least explains why snakebite is so lethal.

      1. Charles 9

        Re: Beer and wine don't go together

        Where does rum fit in, then, as it's made from sugarcane or molasses? Or tequila, made from a plant product that isn't a fruit? Or vodka, which can come from various ingredients both grain and non-grain?

        1. Spamfast

          Re: Beer and wine don't go together

          Don't forget mead - honey.

        2. M.V. Lipvig Silver badge

          Re: Beer and wine don't go together

          Rum and Tequila both belong in the same place; someone else's glass. Vodka is like O-negative blood, it mixes with anything and everything. But don't be putting that crap in my whiskey.

          1. Charles 9

            Re: Beer and wine don't go together

            So a grain-based vodka is safe to mix with wine? Or must it be non-grain-based?

            As for rum and tequila, it'll be hard to avoid if you're going to the West Indies or Mexico, respectively. Plus it still doesn't answer the question: do rum and tequila mix well with wine? I know the two don't mix well with each other (a popular mnemonic is "Captain Morgan is a racist; he hates Mexicans.").

    4. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Beer and wine don't go together

      I would agree, except Guinness and port do go very well together - either Guinness then port, or a Guinness with a shot of port in the top.

      Switching is good with a meal though - couple of pints before, switch to wine with the meal and then switch to port with the cheese course, then brandy after.

      A straight drinking sesh has a natural order of things.

      1. William Towle
        Pint

        Re: Beer and wine don't go together

        +1

        ...though personally I would recommend adding a double to a pint: my Guinness drinking speed is quite slow (although not as slow as per the watch from the brewery shop with the depleting pint glass images in place of numbers; I can only assume it's not meant to be a guide) and the resulting tipsy feeling is pleasantly satisfying [YMMV obv].

        In my 20s I got quite good at ordering both ("separately please") and then drinking just enough Guinness to make room in the glass.

        // wrong colour, but I also usually start pale and go dark... -->

  18. Danny 2

    My breakfast today is 43% gin and a pie

    Sorry, hoor, I just wanted to boast about how good unemployment is. Gin and a pie for breakfast good.

  19. cookieMonster Silver badge
    Pint

    How beer is processed by the body

    More or less explains everything....

    https://youtu.be/L6dzUOYTQtQ

  20. Huw D

    Question or two...

    "In the first experiment, 31 people slurped beer until their breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) measured 0.05 per cent, they then sipped wine until their BrAC increased to 0.11 per cent. Another handful of 31 participants repeated the same experiment but consumed wine before beer. The rest of the group, 28 people, acted as the control group and were only given one type of alcoholic beverage to drink."

    How much alcohol are we talking here to get a BrAC of 0.11% ? Can different people get to the BrAC on different quantities?

    I'm confused.

    1. BinkyTheMagicPaperclip Silver badge

      Yes. BrAC is blood alcohol level, so depending on your weight, fat content, metabolism, and sex (generally women get drunk faster as they're on average shorter and naturally have more body fat (*)) it takes different amounts of alcohol to reach the same BrAC.

      (*) On average. I've drunk with quite a number of women who could drink me under the table, and I'm not a lightweight, although I'm trying to keep consumption to a maximum of 5-6 pints, because beyond that a hangover looms (**)

      (**) Recent drinking spree : 'I've had six, but there's a gap before I go out for a couple more, is this safe?'. Answer : no. Definite hangover territory in early morning, but by the time you wake up properly it's 'gone', so 5 remains a safe limit.

  21. andy gibson

    "wine before beer and you’ll feel queer"

    Unless you're reporting on the BBC, the saying is now:

    "wine before beer and, oh dear"

    (From BBC Breakfast News last week)

    1. Eddy Ito

      I'm guessing there are probably several variations which all disagree with each other. Here's another:

      Beer before liquor will make you sicker; liquor before beer and you're in the clear.

      Of course the problem with this study is that it just goes to a fixed BrAC level. It doesn't attempt to show whether someone would change their pattern after a switch. I know the missus gets a bloated feeling drinking beer or anything carbonated really so she would only have one and be unlikely to drink anything for hours after that but wine or Irish cream would be another story entirely.

  22. pyite42

    This study is seriously wrong headed

    This saying only applies to whether or not you are likely to throw up before the end of your drinking session... drinking a lot of beer first makes shots a lot easier to swallow. Go ahead and ask me how I know!

    In fact, I would suggest that throwing up the night before is likely to make your hangover less annoying.

  23. Florida1920

    Slightly OT but info requested

    Back in the day, whenever I drank Jameson's, I'd wake up feeling as though I'd been strangled. JW, even Red, did not have the same effect. I stick to [country] coffee without [country] these day, but I always wondered why the Irish were trying to throttle me.

    1. M.V. Lipvig Silver badge

      Re: Slightly OT but info requested

      What you're probably feeling is the cork in the Jameson whiskey.

  24. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Homebrew ?

    Soon as I started brewing and distilling my own, glass for glass, pint for pint, shot for shot, hangovers are a thing of the past.

    Commercial alcoholic drinks have a lot of adulterants slipped in.

  25. albaleo

    Affront comment

    "probably they thought hangovers were just annoying, rather than character-forming"

    For Iain M Banks fans.

  26. Greycon

    Adage

    It's adage, not old adage.

    1. Charles 9

      Re: Adage

      What? You're saying there can never be a young adage? Explain.

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