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For example, tequila is widely considered to get one drunk quickly (versus, say, whiskey or vodka). Yet, the percent of alcohol -- proof -- is almost the same (or greater for some whiskeys and vodkas). So do certain kinds of liquors get one drunk faster or more drunk overall (controlling for weight and other alcohol-processing factors)? Does % of alcohol by volume make a difference between liquors? Is proof a reliable method of measuring alcohol content?

Edit: continuing with the tequila vs. whiskey vs. vodka example, doing 5 or 6 shots of each over the same time period would have tequila getting one more drunk than vodka, and vodka getting one more drunk than whiskey.

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Sparkling beverages definitely make you get drunk faster, because bubbles increase ethanol absorption speed. Well, tequila is not sparkling :) – Andrey May 9 '11 at 11:45
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The bioavailability of alcohol will differer from beverage to beverage because digestion is a complex. How much difference would be enough for youself? How about making a specific claim about specific beverages in your question? – Christian May 9 '11 at 11:47
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@billynomates I was off by 4 lbs and pulled that number out of thin air. Close enough. – Tyler K. May 9 '11 at 14:00
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@Tyler Good job! If I had guessed, I would have probably said taller and heavier. – billynomates May 9 '11 at 14:11
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I suspect a strong psychological component: You drink Whiskey slowly but you take Tequila shots. You definitely don't drink Whiskey (good one, at least) just to get drunk quickly. The same cannot be said for (cheap) Vodka. :) – Lagerbaer Mar 31 '12 at 5:06
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closed as not a real question by Sklivvz♦ Apr 6 '12 at 18:42

It's difficult to tell what is being asked here. This question is ambiguous, vague, incomplete, overly broad, or rhetorical and cannot be reasonably answered in its current form. For help clarifying this question so that it can be reopened, see the FAQ.

1 Answer

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Alcohol makes you drunk by getting into blood and with it into the brain. Your digestion system tries to destroy alcohol before it gets into bloodstream; byproducts of this process [partly] induce hangover.

Alcohol can get into your blood just by "seeping through" the surface of your mouth, throat, and stomach. If you drink alcohol slowly, not very cold (or it has time to warm up inside you), and/or with something sparkling, more alcohol gets into the bloodstream. If you drink alcohol in shots, ice-cold, less of it effects your brain and more is destroyed by your liver (at great expense).

This is why low-alcohol but carbonated beer or relatively low alcohol but warm sake can make you as drunk as serious amounts of cold vodka. You sip beer and sake, and gulp vodka.

Maybe tannins found whiskey or cognac slow down the absorption of alcohol; I don't know.

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