Folk wisdom suggests that the sequence in which different types of alcohol are consumed determines the severity of the next day’s hangover. This belief often focuses on the danger of mixing drinks, specifically drinking liquor before wine or vice versa. However, this widely held idea is not supported by the current understanding of alcohol metabolism. Science points to factors other than the drinking order as the true determinants of both intoxication and hangover discomfort.
The Science of Alcohol Order
The notion that switching from liquor to wine, or the reverse, makes one sicker is a scientific misconception. Research specifically designed to test this idea has found no significant difference in hangover severity between groups that consumed the same total amount of alcohol in different orders. The human body processes the primary psychoactive substance in all alcoholic beverages, ethanol, in the same way, regardless of the source sequence. A study involving volunteers drinking the same quantity of wine and beer in different orders found that the resulting hangover scores were statistically identical. This demonstrates that the liver and central nervous system are concerned only with the total load of ethanol they must process. The amount of pure alcohol consumed is the overwhelming factor in determining both the level of intoxication and the intensity of the subsequent hangover.
The True Drivers of Intoxication
The physiological state of intoxication is driven entirely by Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC), which is the measure of alcohol mass per volume of blood. BAC rises as the body absorbs ethanol faster than the liver can break it down, and the peak concentration is the most significant factor in how impaired a person feels. The speed and amount of ethanol consumed are the key variables that influence the rate at which BAC increases. Consuming alcohol on an empty stomach allows for faster absorption, leading to a quicker and higher peak BAC compared to drinking after a meal.
The liver metabolizes alcohol at a relatively constant, slow rate, averaging around 0.015% to 0.020% per hour. This fixed metabolic rate means the body cannot accelerate the process to cope with a sudden influx of alcohol. Since the amount of time required to return to a zero BAC is predictable and unchangeable, the total volume of ethanol introduced into the bloodstream dictates the duration and degree of intoxication. The order of drinks, such as liquor before wine, has no bearing on this fundamental metabolic mechanism.
Non-Ethanol Factors That Influence Hangovers
Although the order of drinks is irrelevant, the type of drink does introduce secondary chemical factors that can affect how a person feels the next day. These non-ethanol compounds, known as congeners, are byproducts of fermentation and distillation that can include small amounts of substances like methanol, acetone, and tannins. Darker beverages, such as whiskey, bourbon, and red wine, typically contain higher levels of congeners than lighter options like vodka or white wine. These compounds can aggravate hangover symptoms, leading to a more severe experience even when the total ethanol consumed is the same. Therefore, a night of red wine and dark liquor may feel worse than a night of vodka and white wine, regardless of the sequence.
The perceived worsening effect of switching drinks is often a result of consumption speed and volume, not the switch itself. Transitioning from a lower-alcohol beverage like wine to a higher-alcohol spirit can unintentionally lead to a much faster intake of pure ethanol. This rapid increase in consumption spikes the BAC quickly, which is what actually causes the unpleasant, sudden feeling of being overly drunk. People often mistakenly blame the change in beverage type for this effect.