If you’ve spent time in social drinking situations, you’ve likely heard the age-old rhyme: “Beer before liquor, never been sicker; liquor before beer, you’re in the clear.” This popular saying suggests that the order in which you consume alcoholic beverages can determine whether you’ll wake up with a pounding headache and nausea the next morning.
But is there any scientific truth to this widespread belief? Can simply switching up your drinking order save you from the misery of a hangover? Let’s dive into the research and separate fact from fiction when it comes to mixing beer and liquor.
The Origins of the “Beer Before Liquor” Saying
Like many folk remedies and drinking myths, the exact origin of this phrase remains unclear. However, several theories attempt to explain how this saying became so deeply ingrained in drinking culture.
One common explanation relates to typical drinking patterns. Many people start their evenings with lower-alcohol beverages like beer or wine, gradually moving to stronger spirits as the night progresses. When they feel awful the next morning, they may attribute their hangover to this progression, rather than to the total amount of alcohol consumed.
Another theory focuses on how different types of alcohol affect blood alcohol concentration. Liquor contains significantly more alcohol by volume than beer, typically ranging from 40% to 50% compared to beer’s 4% to 6%. Some believe that ending the night with high-proof spirits rapidly elevates already-high blood alcohol levels, pushing drinkers over the edge into hangover territory.
Conversely, this theory suggests that starting with liquor and finishing with beer might slow down the rate at which blood alcohol levels rise later in the evening, potentially resulting in a less severe hangover.
What Science Actually Says About Drinking Order
Despite the persistence of this belief, scientific evidence doesn’t support the idea that drinking order significantly impacts hangover severity.
Here’s why: Once alcohol enters your mouth, your body begins absorbing it immediately through the tissues in your mouth and continues throughout your digestive system. The majority of absorption occurs in your stomach and small intestine. By the time you experience hangover symptoms the following day, your body has already processed all the alcohol from the previous night, regardless of what order you consumed it in.
What truly matters is the total amount of alcohol that enters your system. Your liver processes alcohol at a relatively constant rate—roughly one standard drink per hour for most adults. Whether you drink three beers followed by two shots, or two shots followed by three beers, your body receives and processes the same total amount of alcohol.
The one caveat is if a particular drinking order leads you to consistently consume more total alcohol. For example, if starting with beer causes you to drink more overall because it goes down easier, or if shots at the beginning of the night lower your inhibitions and lead to excessive drinking, then that pattern might result in worse hangovers—but it’s the quantity, not the order, that’s responsible.
What Really Causes Hangovers?
To understand why drinking order doesn’t matter, it helps to know what actually causes hangovers. Hangovers result from a complex combination of factors:
Dehydration: Alcohol is a diuretic, meaning it increases urine production and can lead to dehydration. This contributes to many common hangover symptoms like headache, dizziness, and thirst.
Inflammation: Alcohol triggers an inflammatory response in your body, which can affect your brain and other organs, leading to memory problems, difficulty concentrating, and mood changes.
Stomach Irritation: Alcohol increases stomach acid production and can irritate the stomach lining, causing nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain.
Blood Sugar Changes: Drinking can interfere with blood sugar regulation, potentially leading to fatigue, weakness, and mood disturbances.
Sleep Disruption: While alcohol might help you fall asleep initially, it disrupts sleep quality, preventing you from reaching deeper, more restorative sleep stages.
Toxic Byproducts: As your body metabolizes alcohol, it produces acetaldehyde, a toxic compound that contributes to hangover symptoms until it’s further broken down.
Factors That Actually Affect Hangover Severity
If drinking order doesn’t matter, what does? Research has identified several factors that genuinely influence your likelihood of experiencing a hangover and its severity:
Total Alcohol Consumption
This is the single most important factor. The more you drink, the more likely you are to experience a hangover. Higher blood alcohol concentrations correlate directly with worse hangover symptoms.
Drinking on an Empty Stomach
Food in your stomach slows alcohol absorption, helping prevent rapid spikes in blood alcohol levels. Eating before and while drinking can significantly reduce hangover risk and severity.
Drinking Frequency and Tolerance
Regular heavy drinkers may develop tolerance to some of alcohol’s effects, but paradoxically, repeated heavy drinking can actually increase hangover severity over time. Your drinking history and patterns play a significant role.
Type of Alcohol and Congeners
Congeners are chemical compounds produced during fermentation that give different alcoholic beverages their distinctive flavors, aromas, and colors. Darker liquors like whiskey, brandy, and red wine contain higher levels of congeners than lighter drinks like vodka, gin, and white wine.
Research suggests that drinks high in congeners are more likely to cause worse hangovers compared to those with fewer congeners, even when the same amount of alcohol is consumed.
Hydration Status
Starting your drinking session already dehydrated makes you more vulnerable to hangover symptoms. Alternating alcoholic drinks with water throughout the evening can help maintain hydration.
Genetic Factors
Your genes significantly influence how your body metabolizes alcohol and responds to its effects. Genetic variations affect enzymes responsible for breaking down alcohol and acetaldehyde, impacting how quickly these substances are cleared from your system and how severely they affect you.
Genetics also influence how alcohol affects your sleep patterns, hydration, blood sugar regulation, and blood vessel dilation—all factors that contribute to hangover symptoms.
Smoking
Research indicates that people who smoke while drinking are more likely to experience hangovers compared to non-smokers who consume the same amount of alcohol.
Sleep Quality
Poor sleep, whether caused by alcohol or other factors, can worsen hangover symptoms. Getting adequate rest after drinking may help reduce symptom severity.
The Surprising Exception: Some People Don’t Get Hangovers
Interestingly, research suggests that approximately 25% of people who drink alcohol never experience hangovers, regardless of their drinking patterns or behaviors. This appears to be largely due to genetic factors that affect how their bodies process alcohol and respond to its effects.
If you’re among this lucky minority, it doesn’t mean alcohol isn’t affecting your body—it simply means you don’t experience the constellation of symptoms we recognize as a hangover.
Effective Strategies for Preventing Hangovers
While you can’t control your genetics, you can take steps to reduce your risk of experiencing a hangover:
Moderate Your Intake: The most effective way to prevent a hangover is to drink less. Set a limit before you start drinking and stick to it.
Pace Yourself: Spread your drinks out over time rather than consuming them rapidly. This gives your body time to process the alcohol.
Eat Before and During Drinking: Never drink on an empty stomach. Consuming food, especially foods high in protein and healthy fats, slows alcohol absorption.
Stay Hydrated: Drink water before, during, and after consuming alcohol. A good rule of thumb is to have one glass of water for every alcoholic drink.
Choose Lighter-Colored Drinks: If you’re sensitive to hangovers, opt for drinks with fewer congeners, such as vodka or gin, rather than darker spirits.
Avoid Smoking: Don’t smoke while drinking, as this combination increases hangover risk.
Get Adequate Sleep: Plan your drinking so you can get a full night’s rest afterward.
Consider Your Medications: Some medications interact with alcohol. Always consult your doctor about potential interactions before drinking if you’re taking any medications.
What to Do If You Already Have a Hangover
If prevention fails and you wake up with a hangover, time is the only true cure—your body needs to finish processing the alcohol and recover from its effects. However, these steps may help you feel better while you wait:
- Rehydrate with water, sports drinks, or coconut water to replace lost fluids and electrolytes
- Eat bland, easy-to-digest foods to settle your stomach and restore blood sugar levels
- Rest as much as possible to allow your body to recover
- Avoid additional alcohol, despite the myth that “hair of the dog” helps
- Take over-the-counter pain relievers if needed, but be cautious—consult with a healthcare provider about safe options, as some pain medications can be hard on your already-stressed liver or irritated stomach
The Bottom Line on Beer Before Liquor
The popular saying “beer before liquor, never been sicker; liquor before beer, you’re in the clear” is a myth without scientific support. The order in which you consume different types of alcohol has no significant impact on whether you’ll experience a hangover or how severe it will be.
What really matters is the total amount of alcohol you consume, along with other factors like whether you’ve eaten, how quickly you’re drinking, your individual genetics, and the type of alcohol you choose.
If you want to minimize your risk of a hangover, focus on drinking in moderation, eating before and during drinking, staying hydrated, and getting adequate sleep. These evidence-based strategies are far more effective than worrying about drinking order.
Remember, the safest level of alcohol consumption is none. If you choose to drink, doing so responsibly and in moderation is the best way to enjoy social occasions while minimizing negative effects on your health and well-being.
Sources:
- National Center for Biotechnology Information – Alcohol Absorption and Metabolism
- National Center for Biotechnology Information – Hangover Research
- National Center for Biotechnology Information – Factors Affecting Hangover Severity
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – Alcohol and Public Health
⚕️ Medical Disclaimer
This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information provided has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional before making any changes to your diet, taking supplements, or starting any health regimen. Individual results may vary.