That other « Beer Feeling »

Hops have a calming effect an can induce feelings of euphoria. Kinda like it's cousin...

 

I get a similar feeling of "euphoria" (maybe too strong) with almost every alcoholic beverage I drink.

With me, beer is just a flavor I enjoy over most of the others -- and yeah, from a Kolsch to an Imperial Stout. I guess I've just studied so much about beer ingredients and the myriad of flavors that can be produced, I'm always finding beer makes me happy.

 

Seems like different forms of alcohol effect different people in different ways. For me beer is the most likely to produce a calm and pleasant effect, cactus liquors often induce extreme euphoria and excitement, gin will often make me pensive, whiskey often inspires rowdiness, and wine can either incite instant debilitating heart burn or a very warm, affectionate, affability.

 

Nothing like drinking a barrel aged stout out of a Snifter or Coupe. Additionally, I also love drinking classic cocktails out of a Coupe (Sidecar, Corpse Reviver #2, or Last Word). Both respectively slow down my world and allow me to chill and reflect on the day with the wife while she too imbibes; we'll split a BBA or I'll make double of any above. Good Times.

 

Beer is mellow
Bourbon is mellow
Rye in cocktails is edgy
Scotch is mellow
Vodka is too easy and too fast
Tequila is edgy
Rum is mind bending
Gin gets me going. It's too easy to drink. Happy and then...WTF, I'm drunk!
Over the years I have settled into a light drinking habit. I love beer and spirits but I have got to the point that I loath being out of control with my actions or emotions.
So, like weed, different avenues can get you a ticket on a different train.
Enjoy the ride!

 

I drink beer 99% of the time. A few months back I said some vodka and hard lemonade. I noticed an unpleasant headache that settled in that I don’t get with beer.
Ive also noticed the lighter and/or hoppier beers tend to get me buzzed faster than dark/heavy/thick ones.

 

There is definitely something else going on for me with beer. Sitting down with my evening "relax" I get an instant rush of enjoyment and contentment with the first sip. Obviously that is psychological, nothing works that fast. I have friends who've said the same thing, so it's not just me. Even the idea of sitting back on a winter night, book in hand and a dark cold weather seasonal is close to bliss.

 

I gave up the liquor I would drink in my younger years, a long time ago, in favor of the “beer buzz” I believe you are describing here. Too many horrible hangovers, regrettable actions, being informed of things I had no idea I had done the following day, many of which were embarrassing. Once I realized I could relax and unwind and drink beer for many hours without adverse effect, but instead just the opposite, there was no turning back. Save for the very occasional taste of good whiskey, or sip of the wife’s wine, beer is all I drink. I expect it’s for the “feeling” you’re alluding to here. Cheers.

 

Depends on the beer.
Trappist: "Contemplative."
Farmhouse Ale: "Food, friends, and conversation."
WCIPA: "I'm in my happy place."
Imperial Pastry Stout: "I hope this day never ends."
NEIPA: "Boy, I bet this'd be great with some scrambled eggs and bacon."
English Mild: "I wish I was in a pub drinking this on cask."
Märzen: "I love this time of year."
Lambic / Gueuze: "Why, oh, why did I wait so long to discover this?"
Fruited Kettle Sour: "This is okay, but I'm damned if I understand what all the fuss is about."
AAL: "Hey, barkeep, I could've sworn I ordered a beer!!"

 

having done extensive personal experimentation on this topic including duplication of experiments I conclude that my mood is unaffected by the kind of alcohol even if I do get different physical afteraffects. However, my research continues. :-)

 

Firstly, ethyl alcohol is ethyl alcohol.

But each drink which included ethyl alcohol is 'more' than the alcohol.

As @richOutsidePhilly brought up there is a psychological aspect here. I enjoy the flavors and other attributes of beer (of varying beer styles). Drinking beer brings a smile to my face. While I recognize and enjoy that ethyl alcohol is 'part of the equation' there is just waaaay more going on here.

I also enjoy drinking other alcoholic drinks. For example I enjoyed drinking a glass of South African Sauvignon Blanc with dinner earlier this evening. And from time to time I enjoy drinking whiskey (Scotch, Bourbon, Rye, etc.) it is beer that provides the most enjoyment for me.

Life is good! Why question why!?!

Cheers!

 

Part of the effect for me is knowing that I'm drinking a quality product, something that required a degree of skill and effort to make. It's gratifying, like a good album on clean vinyl, a well-built guitar, a home-cooked meal from scratch, etc.

 

I think it has to do with the format of the alcoholic intake. Due to the carbonation in most beers, they will be absorbed quicker than other beverages as the carbonation irritates the lining of the stomach. Additionally, we pace our consumption to match the heft of the intake. Accordingly, we sip whiskey, but drink beer.

Over time, I have experimented at various business dinners and have determined that three beers vs three whiskies will result in more inebriation. The former causes a quicker absorption of alcohol, whereas the latter allows for more lucid interaction with other dinner attendees.

 

I’ve always been intrigued by the different “buzzes” that occur with different types of alcohols. Beer makes some sense as hops do have some inherent properties that elicit certain reactions, or so they say, but why should whiskey vs vodka or even vs wine be different. I don’t know, but it does and i’m fairly certain it’s not just a placebo effect.

 

It definitely seems that each person experiences different reactions to alcoholic drinks very similar to how different people react to effects of weed. Drugs are drugs and experiences are very individualized.

 

Ha, I'm loving this thread, especially the difference from a thread about eight-nine years ago (right, @Roguer?) where no one would admit that there was a different kind of inebriation between alcohols/cocktails, let alone different beers. I do wonder if more cannabis literacy has helped people see that this is a real thing.

For me, these days almost any dark liquor induces nightmares and bad sleep; armagnac has always resulted in trippy, lucid dreaming. My cocktail happy place is G&T, and I'm starting to re-explore the world of craft gin. You couldn't pay me to drink tequila anymore.

When it comes to beers, I'm never more happy than when drinking Heady (and I never get a hangover with it, even after drinking a lot of it). Very potent Stone WCIPAs (thinking Enjoy By, even the recent Liquid Poem) tend to make me brooding, even angry. I tend to settle into a more pot-like place, pensive and chill, with NEIPAs.

 

I wish I could get a job like that.
I do know my tequilas and other agave spirits.

 

Agree that a beer buzz is the best.
I think Tom T. Hall said it best.