A common saying about drinking is this:
Beer before liquor, never been sicker.
Sometimes this is followed by:
Liquor before beer, you're in the clear.
Is there any merit to this? Assuming one drinks the exact same amount of beer and harder alcohol in the exact same time period, all other things being equal, does it matter whether they drink the beer first or drink the shots first?
There are also many other common ideas people have about what gets you sick drinking- one guy might be convinced that having tequila and gin in the same night is a recipe for disaster, while another might feel that mixing wine and beer is. Does the type of drink/combination of drinks matter, or is it strictly a function of the raw amount of alcohol consumed (and the other standard factors such as how long it takes to consume it and if you're drinking on an empty stomach, etc.)?
Reference: http://www.google.com/search?q=beer+before+liquor+never+been+sicker turns up 10000 hits; the top ones all seem to be debunking the first claim.
Wine before beer makes you feel queer. Beer before wine makes you feel fine.