I’ve always heard things like liquor before beer. You’re in the clear and that mixing brown and white can go bad, but why are you not supposed to mix alcohols?
In: Biology
The most important factor for whether you feel sick from alcohol, is the total amount of alcohol you drink in a given time period.
Sure, there are other minor factors, like if you are drinking on an empty stomach that may make you feel sicker. Or if you aren’t used to how bubbly and heavy beer is, it may give you a stomach ache unrelated to the alcohol. But the MOST important factor is just the quantity of alcohol and the time period you drank it in.
So why do people say liquor before beer is the way to go? Well, when you are sober, you are more likely to pace yourself and be cautious. You’ll feel the burn of the liquor you are drinking. So you are unlikely to go overboard. Then, if you switch to beer when you feel tipsy, the logic is that even if you drink it a little too fast, it’s a lot to drink! So while it’s possible to get too drunk, it’s less likely because you’ll have to physically drink so much to do it. It’s easier to control, which is great for when you have less control.
On the other hand, if you continue drinking liquor after you feel tipsy, it’s much easier to drink too much. You won’t feel the burn as much, and you may feel tempted to “keep up” with others. Whenever they do a shot, you’ll want one too. You might lose count of how many shots you’ve done because they happened quickly.
So it’s not that there’s anything chemically different going on based on the order. It’s just that you are more likely to drink less total alcohol if you drink liquor first and beer later. And since the total alcohol over time is the most important factor, it’s a good way to not get sick from drinking. But if you know your limits and don’t overdo it, drink whatever you want in whatever order you want. You won’t get sick if you know your body well and drink to get tipsy instead of blackout drunk.
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