It is a common belief that mixing different types of alcoholic drinks, such as following wine with vodka, guarantees a bad outcome.
The physical effects experienced after drinking are not based on folklore or a specific beverage order. They are instead a direct result of how the body processes ethanol, the active ingredient in all alcoholic drinks.
Understanding the physiological factors, particularly the alcohol content of the drinks and the rate at which they are consumed, explains the perceived difference in effects when switching from one type of alcohol to another.
Chemical Differences Between Wine and Vodka
The primary chemical difference between wine and vodka lies in their alcohol content by volume (ABV) and the presence of compounds called congeners. Wine generally has an ABV ranging from about 9% to 16%, while vodka is a distilled spirit typically containing 40% ABV. The higher concentration of ethanol in vodka means a standard serving delivers a much greater dose of pure alcohol than a standard glass of wine.
Darker drinks, such as red wine, tend to have higher congener levels than clear, highly distilled spirits like vodka. Congeners, which include substances like methanol and tannins, may contribute to the severity of a hangover, even though ethanol remains the main cause of intoxication and subsequent illness. Experimental studies have shown that high-congener beverages can result in more severe hangover symptoms when compared to low-congener drinks, even when the same amount of ethanol is consumed.
The Impact of Consumption Rate and Absorption
The feeling of rapidly becoming more intoxicated when switching from wine to vodka is often less about the change in drink type and more about the change in consumption speed. Wine is typically consumed slowly, allowing the body time to begin metabolizing the ethanol.
Switching to vodka, which is frequently consumed as a shot or in a strong mixed drink, introduces a much higher concentration of ethanol into the stomach very quickly. This rapid intake overwhelms the stomach’s ability to process the alcohol before it moves into the small intestine, where most absorption occurs.
The concentration of the beverage directly affects the absorption rate. More concentrated drinks are absorbed more quickly, leading to a faster and higher peak blood alcohol concentration. A faster rate of consumption is directly correlated with a steeper rise in blood alcohol content.
The True Determinant of Severity: Blood Alcohol Concentration
The ultimate metric for determining the degree of impairment and the severity of after-effects is the Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC). BAC measures the amount of ethanol present in the bloodstream, regardless of the drink it came from or the order in which it was consumed.
The body metabolizes alcohol at a relatively constant rate. This means that once ethanol enters the bloodstream, its elimination speed is largely unaffected by the type of beverage.
The total volume of pure ethanol consumed over a period of time is the factor that determines the resulting BAC level. Whether a person drinks wine followed by vodka or the reverse, the total accumulated dose of ethanol dictates the level of intoxication and the severity of the subsequent hangover. Controlling the total amount of ethanol consumed and the rate of consumption remains the most effective way to manage the physical effects of drinking.