Is there any truth to the saying, ‘beer before liquor, never
been sicker; liquor before beer, you’re in the clear’? This
question is, of course, often confidently answered by friends
(usually fellow drinkers) who draw on personal experiences. Most
experts say that what matters most is the amount of alcohol you
consume, not the order or form in which you consume it. Evidence
for the Health Claim Beliefs about the sequence of drinking may
stem from the rate at which the body processes alcohol. The
liver can only efficiently process one standard-sized alcoholic
drink per hour, although men can process more alcohol per hour
than women. What constitutes one drink? Twelve ounces of beer,
five ounces of wine, and one shot (1.5 ounces) of hard liquor
are generally equivalent in their alcohol content. The amount of
alcohol in the blood rises more quickly after drinking liquor
than after drinking beer. If you drink liquor before beer,
therefore, you are likely to feel the effects of the alcohol
sooner. This may encoura