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Why is alcohol so difficult to drink?

Underemployed

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Underemployed
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Having just become a new Dad, I've taken to drinking whisky a lot more than I used to. One thing that has always struck me about the stuff - or indeed any drink with a high-alcohol content - is that it is physically difficult to swallow.

Why is it easy to chug down water and soft drinks, but not alcohol? What is it in the alcohol that stops me from knocking back whisky like water? Do all animals have this reaction to alcohol?
 
Generally I think it's because it tastes like crap.

No seriously, I am a fan of Jameson's and you're right it is difficult to swallow.

I'd bet it has to do with the burning sensation from the alcohol.
 
Underemployed said:
Having just become a new Dad, I've taken to drinking whisky a lot more than I used to. One thing that has always struck me about the stuff - or indeed any drink with a high-alcohol content - is that it is physically difficult to swallow.

Why is it easy to chug down water and soft drinks, but not alcohol? What is it in the alcohol that stops me from knocking back whisky like water? Do all animals have this reaction to alcohol?
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Alcohol is a toxic bi-product of anaerobic or facultatively anaerobic microorganisms. In short, anything tasting of alcohol is probably contaminated by high levels of some form of microbe (namely fungi or bacteria). Hence I'd assume that some form of aversion to the taste or smell of alcohol could be related to that (same reason we have an aversion to hydrogen sulphide smells - rotten egg gas).

During human evolution, humans adapted to being able to consume small amounts of alcohol, probably in response to eating fruit that's fallen from the tree (rather than climbing to pick them). We have between two and five different types of enzyme that breaks alcohol down. We're so well adapted to it, our liver treats alcohol as a priority toxin and breaks it down over nearly anything else.

As for why it's difficult to swallow, I can offer a couple of possible reasons. One might be that different boiling point it has to water (of which our body is comprised mostly of). It evaporates at a rather low temperature, hence is uncomfortable as we swallow it.

Alcohol is also something of a nervous irritant. Cut yourself and rub it into a wound and you'll see what I mean. Hell, just rub in some aftershave on raw skin.

Athon
 
Re: Re: Why is alcohol so difficult to drink?

athon said:
Alcohol is a toxic bi-product of anaerobic or facultatively anaerobic microorganisms. In short, anything tasting of alcohol is probably contaminated by high levels of some form of microbe (namely fungi or bacteria). Hence I'd assume that some form of aversion to the taste or smell of alcohol could be related to that (same reason we have an aversion to hydrogen sulphide smells - rotten egg gas).

During human evolution, humans adapted to being able to consume small amounts of alcohol, probably in response to eating fruit that's fallen from the tree (rather than climbing to pick them). We have between two and five different types of enzyme that breaks alcohol down. We're so well adapted to it, our liver treats alcohol as a priority toxin and breaks it down over nearly anything else.

As for why it's difficult to swallow, I can offer a couple of possible reasons. One might be that different boiling point it has to water (of which our body is comprised mostly of). It evaporates at a rather low temperature, hence is uncomfortable as we swallow it.

Alcohol is also something of a nervous irritant. Cut yourself and rub it into a wound and you'll see what I mean. Hell, just rub in some aftershave on raw skin.

Athon
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Athon, I've got nothing but mad respect for ya, but all I got out of that was "rahrahrahrahrahrahrah something biology related rahrahrahrahrahrahrahrah liver rahrahrahrahrahrahrahrahrah aftershave."

I'll take your word for it, but I still maintain it just flat out tastes like donkey anus.:D
 
Huntsman said:
[off-topic]When was the last time you tasted donkey anus?

I suspect there's a strong correllation to that answer and alcohol...call it a hunch:D[/off-topic]
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You know, come to think of it, *EVERY* time I tasted donkey anus was drunk at the Iowa State Fair...:D
 
I am not sure it is really an aversion but there may be a quantity/concentration issue.

I was drinking scotch last night and trying to figure out what it was about scotch I like. I decided that for me that scotch produce a sensation similar to spicy food.

I think the comparison between scotch and spicy food is apt. For me, both are great in smaller quantities but both painful with extreme doses.

I think I will have to go home and do a scientific study about tequila and jalepenos.

CBL
 
CBL4 said:
I am not sure it is really an aversion but there may be a quantity/concentration issue.

I was drinking scotch last night and trying to figure out what it was about scotch I like. I decided that for me that scotch produce a sensation similar to spicy food.

I think the comparison between scotch and spicy food is apt. For me, both are great in smaller quantities but both painful with extreme doses.

I think I will have to go home and do a scientific study about tequila and jalepenos.

CBL
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I volunteer for that expiriment.
 
One of my friends tried to drink rubbing alcohol when he was a toddler. He says his throat swelled up so much he could not swallow a drop. If he'd succeeded in drinking that stuff, he'd be dead by now. So purpose or not, the trait does have a certain evolutionary advantage.
 
Re: Re: Re: Why is alcohol so difficult to drink?

fowlsound said:
Athon, I've got nothing but mad respect for ya, but all I got out of that was "rahrahrahrahrahrahrah something biology related rahrahrahrahrahrahrahrah liver rahrahrahrahrahrahrahrahrah aftershave."

I'll take your word for it, but I still maintain it just flat out tastes like donkey anus.:D
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That must be a throwback to our Donkey Anus days, when mankind developed a taste for the anal secretions of the Western Asian Grey Mule. This is evident in a diverse array of enzymes which makes mule-bum less toxic than horse-bum.

Any science text book will tell you this.


:p

Athon
 
fowlsound said:
You know, come to think of it, *EVERY* time I tasted donkey anus was drunk at the Iowa State Fair...:D
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No suprise that you'd develop an aversion agaisnt alcohol. It's got Pavlov written all over it....
 
Re: Re: Re: Re: Why is alcohol so difficult to drink?

athon said:
That must be a throwback to our Donkey Anus days, when mankind developed a taste for the anal secretions of the Western Asian Grey Mule. This is evident in a diverse array of enzymes which makes mule-bum less toxic than horse-bum.

Any science text book will tell you this.


:p

Athon
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So am I more or less evolved for liking the donkey anus over the horse anus? Cause you know...I don't want to be on the same evolutionary level as Pat Robertson. We all know he's a horse's ass.
 
CBL4 said:
I am not sure it is really an aversion but there may be a quantity/concentration issue.

I was drinking scotch last night and trying to figure out what it was about scotch I like. I decided that for me that scotch produce a sensation similar to spicy food.

I think the comparison between scotch and spicy food is apt. For me, both are great in smaller quantities but both painful with extreme doses.

I think I will have to go home and do a scientific study about tequila and jalepenos.

CBL
Click to expand...
I think just like spicy food, you develope a tolerance for the feel of alcohol in your mouth. Just like hot stuff you can get used to more alcohol in your mouth. However for me a few drinks also work to make the rest smoother. Or at least it used to work back when I used to drink hard liquor.
 
Re: Re: Re: Why is alcohol so difficult to drink?

fowlsound said:
Athon, I've got nothing but mad respect for ya, but all I got out of that was "rahrahrahrahrahrahrah something biology related rahrahrahrahrahrahrahrah liver rahrahrahrahrahrahrahrahrah aftershave."

I'll take your word for it, but I still maintain it just flat out tastes like donkey anus.:D
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Alcohol is a poison, our body seems to be picking that up somehow.
 
This thread is a study in why mixed drinks are popular. You cover up the burn and strong taste with something more palatable.
 
There are 'gifted' people out there who can chug a lug an entire pitcher of beer. Amazing. I have drank my share of beer in my life, so far. As I am posting this I am trying to think how many gallons I have consumed. Hmmmm. Let's see....for a while I was averaging probably 3 beers a day. That be 3 ounces of alcohol, roughly. In one year, that be 1095 ounces / 128 per gallon = roughly 8 gallons of pure alcohol per year x perhaps 15 years of this =...well, something over 100 gallons. That ain't TOOOO bad. Well......then again, I have heard that bathtubs hold about 30 gallons and that be several bathtub loads. Yikes! :D
 
Try the clearer alcohols... they're much more smooth.

I'm a Tequila drinker myself. And I can tell you that there is a huge drinkability difference between rot-gut tequilas like Jose Cuervo and some of the better brands.

I actually enjoy savoring a good tequila in my mouth before swallowing... some of them are very fine spirits indeed! The really good stuff has virtually no burn at all.

Anyway, my point is that quality really matters when drinking harder alcohols straight (if you're mixing, feel free to get the plastic-packed crap... you won't notice a difference).

I've had friends who say they hate tequila shots who, after some fast talking on my part, sit down and drink a bottle of Patron or Cabo Wabo (Rock on Sammy Hagar!).

And of course, the big payoff with the good stuff is little or no hangover the next day. :D
 
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