Beer After Wine: Is It A Good Idea?

Drinking beer after wine is a topic that has been widely discussed and debated. The popular belief, as reflected in various rhymes and sayings, suggests that drinking beer after wine can lead to unpleasant consequences such as a severe hangover or sickness. However, scientific studies have set out to examine the validity of this claim. Researchers from the University of Cambridge and Witten/Herdecke University in Germany conducted experiments to determine if the order of drinking beer and wine had an impact on hangover intensity. The studies involved participants drinking beer and wine in different orders and assessing their hangover symptoms. The results of these studies concluded that the order of consumption did not significantly affect the severity of hangovers. Instead, it was found that drinking too much alcohol, regardless of the order, was the main factor contributing to hangovers.

Beer before wine, you'll feel fine

The saying goes, "beer before wine and you'll feel fine; wine before beer and you'll feel queer". But does drinking beer before wine have any impact on how you feel the next day?

In 2019, researchers at the University of Cambridge set out to answer this question once and for all. They recruited 90 volunteers aged 19 to 40 and split them into three groups. The first group drank about two and a half pints of lager followed by four large glasses of white wine. The second group had the same drinks but in reverse order. The third group drank only beer or wine. The groups switched the order of their drinks a week later, and throughout the experiment, researchers monitored the participants' wellbeing and levels of drunkenness.

The results, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, showed that the order of drinks consumed had no impact on hangover intensity. Women tended to have slightly worse hangovers than men, but individual factors such as age, sex, body weight, and drinking habits did not appear to help predict hangover intensity. Two things that did appear to foretell a heavier hangover were vomiting and perceived drunkenness.

So, while the saying "beer before wine, you'll feel fine" may not be true, it's important to note that this study only compared beer with white wine and did not include red wine, spirits, or dark beers. Additionally, the study lacked a control group that drank non-alcoholic beverages. Therefore, it's possible that the order of drinks may have some impact on hangover intensity when including other types of alcohol.

However, the researchers concluded that the best way to predict how you'll feel the next day is by paying attention to how drunk you feel and whether you are sick. So, while "beer before wine, you'll feel fine" may not be a guaranteed cure for hangovers, it's still a helpful rhyme to remember when deciding which drink to start your night with!

Total alcohol amount matters more than order

The old adage goes: "beer before wine and you'll feel fine; wine before beer and you'll feel queer". But does the order in which you drink beer and wine really make a difference?

Well, researchers at the Witten/Herdecke University in Germany and the University of Cambridge in the UK decided to put this saying to the test. They recruited 90 participants aged 19 to 40 and split them into three groups. The first group drank about two and a half pints of lager followed by four large glasses of white wine. The second group had the same drinks but in reverse order. The third group drank only beer or wine. The participants were asked to rate their level of drunkenness and, the next morning, their hangover intensity. A week later, the groups that drank both beer and wine repeated the experiment in reverse.

The results showed that the order of drinks did not affect hangover intensity. In other words, it doesn't matter whether you drink beer before wine or wine before beer—you're going to be hungover either way. As Dr. Tarek Hassanein, a specialist at the Southern California Liver Centers, explains, "The order in which you drink alcohol does not matter because it all reflects on how many grams of alcohol the person is drinking...Everything depends on the total grams."

So, if you're trying to avoid a hangover, it's not the order of drinks you should be concerned with, but rather the total amount of alcohol you consume. This is supported by another source, which states that "the total amount of alcohol consumed [and] how fast the alcohol is absorbed" are the two most relevant factors when it comes to intoxication.

While the order of drinks may not matter in terms of hangover intensity, it's worth noting that women tended to have slightly worse hangovers than men, and that vomiting and perceived drunkenness were associated with heavier hangovers. Additionally, previous studies have suggested that darker drinks may lead to more severe hangovers due to the presence of congeners, which are natural compounds that add flavour and colour to liquor.

Women tend to have worse hangovers

It is a well-known fact that women tend to have worse hangovers than men. A study of the drinking habits of 76,000 Danes revealed that women experience hangovers more frequently than men after consuming more than five alcoholic drinks in a night. A hangover is a collective term for sensations such as tiredness, thirst, headache, nausea, lack of appetite, dizziness, stomach ache, vomiting, and palpitations.

There are several reasons why women tend to have worse hangovers. Firstly, women have a higher percentage of body fat and lower amount of body water than men. Since alcohol is distributed in body water, women reach higher blood alcohol levels than men even when consuming the same number of drinks. Secondly, men have a small amount of alcohol dehydrogenases—enzymes that break down toxic alcohols—in their stomach, while women do not. This means that men can start metabolising alcohol more quickly. Additionally, women's organs, including their livers, tend to be smaller, making them less able to produce alcohol dehydrogenases.

The impact of hangovers on women can be significant, and it is important to consider this when consuming alcohol. While the presence and severity of hangover symptoms may be similar between men and women, the effects on mood and performance can vary considerably. Therefore, it is recommended that women pay attention to their drinking habits and take steps to minimise the risk of experiencing a hangover, such as staying hydrated and not consuming more alcohol than recommended.

Vomiting and drunkenness predict hangover intensity

There are many old sayings about the order of drinking beer and wine, such as "beer before wine and you'll feel fine; wine before beer and you'll feel queer". However, these sayings are not based on scientific evidence. A study by British and German researchers found that the order of alcohol consumption has little effect on the severity of a hangover.

The study, led by researchers from Witten/Herdecke University and the University of Cambridge, recruited 90 volunteers aged 19 to 40. The volunteers were split into three groups, with the first group drinking lager beer followed by white wine, the second group drinking the same drinks in reverse order, and the third group drinking only beer or wine. All participants drank until they reached a blood alcohol content level (BAC) of 0.11%.

The next morning, the participants were scored on the Acute Hangover Scale, which rates hangovers based on symptoms such as fatigue, headache, nausea, and poor appetite. The volunteers returned one week later and repeated the experiment, this time with the drink orders switched. The results showed that the order of drinks did not impact the intensity of the hangover.

Instead, the factors that best predicted an intense hangover were how drunk individuals felt during the drinking session and whether they vomited. Those who rated themselves as more drunk on a 10-point scale and those who vomited were more likely to experience a severe hangover the following day. Other factors such as age, sex, body weight, and drinking habits did not predict hangover intensity as well as perceived drunkenness and vomiting.

The study's first author, Jöran Köchling of Witten/Herdecke University, stated, "The truth is that drinking too much of any alcoholic drink is likely to result in a hangover. The only reliable way of predicting how miserable you'll feel the next day is by how drunk you feel and whether you are sick."

Hangovers are a warning sign

Hangovers are a clear indication that you have consumed too much alcohol. They are characterised by a set of symptoms, including fatigue, weakness, thirst, headache, muscle aches, nausea, stomach pain, vertigo, sensitivity to light and sound, anxiety, irritability, sweating, and increased blood pressure. While hangovers are typically unpleasant, they are the body's way of alerting you to the fact that you have overindulged and that you need to take better care of yourself and your health.

The severity and duration of a hangover can vary from person to person, and it is influenced by factors such as the quantity of alcohol consumed, the presence of congeners and sulfites in the drink, dehydration, disrupted sleep, gastrointestinal irritation, inflammation, and mini-withdrawal. The order in which you consume your drinks, such as drinking beer after wine, does not affect the intensity of a hangover, contrary to popular belief.

However, hangovers can serve as a warning sign of something more serious, such as alcohol withdrawal or alcohol use disorder. If you find yourself experiencing frequent and severe hangovers that last for several days, getting progressively worse over time, and interfering with your daily routine, it may be a red flag for a developing alcohol problem. Acute alcohol withdrawal is a sign of physical dependence on alcohol and can be life-threatening, requiring immediate medical attention.

Therefore, it is important to pay attention to the warning signs your body is giving you through hangovers and to take steps to moderate your alcohol consumption or seek professional help if needed. The only surefire way to avoid a hangover is to drink in moderation or abstain from alcohol altogether.

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