There are many folk tales about drinking wine before beer and vice versa. Is there any truth to these tales, and what will happen if you mix beer and wine on a night out? So, do beer and wine mix well together?
Beer and wine do mix well together, and there are a variety of beer/wine hybrids available on the market. Drinking beer and wine in any order will not make you feel sick or increase the risk of having a hangover. Drinking too much may lead to feeling ill and an increased chance of having a hangover.
Read on to discover what will happen if you mix beer and wine, find out the outcome of a scientific study, and find a list of beer/wine hybrids that are available.
Does Drinking Beer And Wine Together Make You Sick?
Many believe that the sequence in which you consume an alcoholic beverage will affect how your body processes the alcohol, in turn making you feel sick. But no evidence proves this theory correct. Rather the liver can effectively process one standard drink per hour. This is equivalent to 5-ounces of wine, or 12-ounces of beer, or 1½-ounces of hard liquor per hour.
Although the quantities of alcohol you consume are different, the amount of alcohol in them may cause you to feel the effect sooner. For instance, wine generally has a higher alcohol percentage than beer; you may feel the wine’s effect quicker than with beer.
So if you start drinking wine and the alcohol effects are present, you switch to beer, which will cause the same effects over a more extended period. This may cause you to consume more beer quicker to maintain the same level of effects as the wine. Overall a person will feel sickly due to the total amount of beer.
In general, mixing beer and wine is safe. It should not cause any sick feeling, but only if consumed in moderation and in a timely manner.
Does It Matter If You Drink Wine Or Beer First?
In 2019 a study was conducted at the University of Cambridge to determine the effect of drinking wine before beer and then beer before wine. The reason for the study was to prove the following old saying, true or false. “Beer before wine, and you’ll feel fine; wine before beer, and you’ll feel weird.”
The study group was comprised of 90 adults under 40 years of age. They were split into 3 separate test groups:
- Group 1: consumed beer until their breath alcohol level was at a minimum of 0.05%. They then switched to wine until their breath alcohol level was at 0.11%. Well over the threshold of what can get you charged with drunk-driving (DUI) in the US.
- Group 2: Consumed wine until their breath alcohol level was at a minimum of 0.05%. They then switched to beer until their breath alcohol level was at l 0.11%.
- Group 3: was allowed to consume wine or beer until their breath alcohol level was at 0.11%
The study was repeated after one week, with the groups swapping the order of their drinks. Group 1 drank wine first, then beer; Group 2 drank beer first, then wine, and Group 3 swapped their drinks.
After each study session, the participants were interviewed, assessed, and monitored to see if there were any visible transformations in the order of consumption. The study was also conducted to find any differences in their hangover symptoms.
The study’s results were reviewed, and there was no evidence that mixing wine and beer in any specific order would speed up the alcohol effect or make you feel sick. So it does not matter in which order you consume wine and beer, but rather on the amounts a person costumes.
Does Mixing Wine And Beer Cause Hangovers?
During the same study of mixing beer and wine, the participants were also assessed on their hangovers the following morning. The participants were asked the following morning how they felt, and they were given an AHS (Acute Hangover Score) out of 56.
The research found that none of the study groups significantly differed in the AHS scores. The only difference was that women had slightly worse hangovers compared with men. This is due to the difference in body structure /weight between male and female participants.
So mixing wine and beer in any order will not cause a worse hangover than sticking to only one type of alcohol. Again it is all about the total amount of alcohol consumed that will affect the integrity of the hangover.
Popular Beer/Wine Hybrid Drinks
The tradition of brewing beer and wine together has been around since the early Bronze Age. But with the up-and-coming craft beer scene, the practice has been revitalized. Many started experimenting with a combination of beer and wine, resulting in Hybrid beer/wine drinks. Here are a few popular hybrids to sample on your next night out.
Hudson Valley Purelake
Hudson Valley Purelake is a sour IPA that has been conditioned on sweet Gewürztraminer grapes, hops from Mandarina Barvaria, and Hallertau Blanc. It has a unique grapefruit bitterness with pineapple flavors and hints of white grapes.
Dogfish Head Mixed Media
The closest an ale can legally become to be a wine. Dogfish Head Mixed Media is a mix of 51% fermented sugars from grain and the remaining 49% from grapes. It has aromas of ripe melon and chardonnay grapes with a delightful spicy wine body. Great for a sundowner.
Cascade Brewing Barrel House Vitis Noble 2016
Vitis Noble 2016 is a combination of sour wheat, blond ales, and chardonnay grapes that have been aged in oak barrels for a maximum of sixteen months. It has notes of ripe melon, various tropical fruits, and crisp apples.
Stillwater Oude Bae
Stillwater Oude Bae is a unique sour ale with a variety of pinot noir grapes added. The blend is then aged in old French oak barrels. It has a dry sweetness from the sour malt with hints of cherry tart and a subtle oak aftertaste.
The Bruery Yount
The base for Bruery Yount is their Black Tuesday Imperial Stout. It is perfectly blended with the must and skins of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes from the Yountville appellation of Napa Valley. The blend is then aged in new French oak puncheons for 12 months. The Bruery Yount has notes of cocoa, ripe berries, cassis, and hints of tannins. A great first beer/wine hybrid to try.
Conclusion
Drinking beer and wine in any order will not make you feel sick. It will not make you feel drunker and will not cause you a worse hangover. Suppose you overindulge in the two alcoholic drinks. In that case, you may feel sick, and the odds of having a really bad hangover increase.
References
https://draftmag.com/mixing-beer-and-wine/#Beer_and_Hybrid_Brands_on_the_Market
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/02/190208094319.htm
https://www.winemag.com/2018/05/29/wine-beer-hybrids/
https://www.winchesterhospital.org/health-library/article?id=156993
Recent Posts
Does Bud Light Seltzer Taste Like Beer? - Unveiling the Flavor Profile
The popularity of hard seltzers has risen dramatically in recent years, with an increasing number of consumers seeking a lighter, refreshing alternative to traditional alcoholic beverages. Bud Light...
How to Flavor Moonshine with Extract: Tips and Tricks for a Delicious Batch
Moonshine, a homemade distilled spirit, has a reputation for its strong flavor and robust alcohol content. Many people find the taste too harsh to enjoy on its own, which is why flavoring moonshine...