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Misc Why does tequila tend to have more adverse effects on people than other liquors?

WeirdCrazyShortGuy

WeirdCrazyShortGuy

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Joined
Feb 14, 2012
Messages
12
I work in a liquor store. I've met MANY people who say they can handle themselves well on any liquor, except tequila. Many tell me that tequila is the only liquor which makes them act inappropriately and lose control. Is there some psychoactive chemical in the agave?
 
There are higher and lower alcohols, aldehydes and esters that seem to alter the taste and effects of ethanol, but most of the effects come from ethanol. Could be the congeners combined with setting and expectations. For me I'm okay with tequila, but cheap wine/vodka seems get me a little bit more crazy drunk.
 
No, it's psychological.

Liquor does not contain any other psychoactives in appreciable amounts. Even absinthe - the active comp'd is ethanol.
 
I do not believe it is solely psychological, although that can be a factor as well. I think that while it isn't likely due to other ingredients being psychoactive, other ingredients can affect the absorption and metabolization of alcohol. For example, fructose is known to greatly increase the metabolization of alcohol. Carbonation slows the absorption of alcohol. Everyone's body is different, so it makes sense that different alcoholic drinks would affect them in different ways. Genetics are known to affect the effects experienced from alcohol, its metabolization, and the severity of hangovers, so perhaps it's possible they may affect these things on different levels for different types of alcohol. I have noticed that a high number of people seem to be not able to handle Tequila, but I don't know whether it's due to the Tequila itself, set/setting, how they take the Tequila (whether they mix it with something, whether they drink it straight), whether they've eaten beforehand, or whether they've experienced alcohol poisoning from Tequila in the past and so are conditioned to associate it with that experience, etc. There could be a lot of factors at play.
 
Tequila is made from the blue agave plant, which produces a lot of sugar, mostly fructose. Some tequilas use only the blue agave (high fructose content), and others kinds are mixed and have both glucose and fructose.

Maybe the high amount of sugar in it is what adds to the hangover. Sugar hangovers have similar symptoms to alcohol hangovers, so the symptoms may be synergistic.
 
Tommyboy said:
Tequila is made from the blue agave plant, which produces a lot of sugar, mostly fructose. Some tequilas use only the blue agave (high fructose content), and others kinds are mixed and have both glucose and fructose.

Maybe the high amount of sugar in it is what adds to the hangover. Sugar hangovers have similar symptoms to alcohol hangovers, so the symptoms may be synergistic.
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This would make sense, as different kinds of tequila seem to have different effects for me and people I know, maybe something to do with the type of sugar and the level or sugar?
 
I may like to also add that different alcoholic beverages produce slightly different effects (for me anyway). Beer tends to give me more of a sedated, "stoney" type of buzz while whiskey (scotch especially) tends to give me more of a "up" and almost stimulating type of buzz.
 
Ethanol itself is a very adverse drug experience. I find it is a drug filled with dysphoria.

I'm siding with sekio; it's just a perceived difference, not an actual one.
 
I have found that Jack Daniels makes me hyper and crazy and Crown royal makes me more mellow. I think that it mite be the taste. When I taste JD I instantly wanna go go go. Psychological? Maybe. But it does trigger a part of my brain that make me very fun and wild. CR is what I was stuck on for a while and I did not get buck wild. I know this isn't about tequila but I'm sure the same would apply to some people.
 
For me, alcohol is alcohol. The ABV is the only thing that matters, it all effects me the same.
 
Someone above mentions carbonation slowing absorption. I was under the impression that the exact opposite is true. Somehow carbonation allows faster absorption of the ethanol. I could be wrong though :)
 
I think the most likely reason is that only someone who was already really drunk would consume tequila IMO.
 
people tend to drink tequila fast and straight, which can cause the behaviour you talk about. the lack of mix makes for more dehydration, which equals hangover.
 
Hiltoniano said:
Someone above mentions carbonation slowing absorption. I was under the impression that the exact opposite is true. Somehow carbonation allows faster absorption of the ethanol. I could be wrong though :)
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Isn't hops psychoactive? I thought that's the reason that beer seems to be more intoxicating per amount of alcohol consumed relative to spirits.
 
Swimmingdancer said:
This would make sense, as different kinds of tequila seem to have different effects for me and people I know, maybe something to do with the type of sugar and the level or sugar?
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Yea.

"There are two basic categories of tequila: mixtos and 100% agave. Mixtos use no less than 51% agave, with other sugars making up the remainder. Mixtos use both glucose and fructose sugars" (source).

Maybe have a look through the tequila wiki page which is linked as the source above to see if you can figure out which kinds of Tequila cause different effects for you. I also linked to the page for the agave which is the main plant used to produce tequila, since I figure it can't hurt to know more about what you are putting in your body, and it might provide more insight into the different hangovers.
 
I actually do think it has some psychological elements because I know positively the drunk I used to get from it is VERY different than any other drunk I've ever felt. No question! I think agave has some kind of something like mescaline'ish (sp?) maybe, not in huge quantities mind you but enough to notice.
 
From my own experience I can say, that with Tequila you tend to consume a larger amount of liquour in a shorter amount of time.
At least I tend to do that when I drink Tequila shots with friends.
Usually I'm not a big drinker. A few beers or a glass of wine every now and then but usually no liquors. But with Tequila its just fun drinking that stuff, licking the salt and eating your lime and suddenly you're drunk as hell. Which results in a worse hangover.
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congener

might have something to do with it. I find that, with liquor, im going to pay for it one way or another: up front with expensive stuff that seems to give less hangover, or later on with cheap stuff.

I'd guess that since tequilla is usually in margaritas (with a salted rim) or done in shots (salt, shot, lemon/lime) you're consuming way more salt than normal, which is probably not a good thing.

Also, many people say they can "handle their liquor, except for ..." when the truth is they are shitfaced after 4 drinks of anything.
 
as a seasoned alcoholic i can this:
i once drank a bottle of silver tequila with the whole lemon salt thing in two hours and had one of the worst hangovers of my life the next day. kept me away from tequila for a long time.
same goes for jägermeister.
i find that good single-malt scotch is my liquor of choice, but i guess the price and the taste (i usually don't enjoy the taste of hard liquor) give me the placebo of actually drinking something more sedating than other liquors. this only last for the first 2-3 glasses though and only when i'm in emotional turmoil.
now vodka i drank in ungodly quantities and really cheap shit too, and that stuff always brings out the worst in me. not that other liquor doesn't have the same tendencies.
as for absinthe, i've tried a lot of different brands, even once drank a single glass of pre-ban absinthe in switzerland and it's just basically a more potent version of pastis/pernod.
all alcohol has one active ingredient, that is ethanol, and the perceived differences are due to expectations etc. in my opinion
 
xxxyyy said:
as a seasoned alcoholic i can this:
i once drank a bottle of silver tequila with the whole lemon salt thing in two hours and had one of the worst hangovers of my life the next day. kept me away from tequila for a long time.
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I am certain that your salt intake had a major role in your hangover (caused by dehydration)
 
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