# Get me drunk! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 7, 2001, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-me-drunk/48888 "2001-01-07T20:01:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mnementh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/898d66/32.png) [@Mnementh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mnementh)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2001, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-me-drunk/48888/1 "2001-01-07T20:01:51Z")
If that title dosn’t attract attention, I have no idea what will… Regardless, I have a bit of a problem. At least it’s a problem in my eyes. I can’t seem to get drunk. I don’t drink often, mind you, but when I do I like to get faced. And I can’t. I used to be able to, I seemed to have an average tolerance, but it started to take more and more to do it over time. On New Years, I went out drinking with a few friends and, try as I might, was unable to get even a buzz. I had someodd five mixers, 4 or 5 mixed shots (chocolate martinis, B-52’s and the like) and (here’s the kicker), something between 6 and 10 shots of straight vodka. All this happened within about a 2 hour period, with 6-9 of those shots occouring in the last 20 minutes. At no point did I feel any effect from the alcohol. By the end my stomach was burning nicely, so I figured it was time to stop. Now, what’s going on here? I know alcohol is a poison, so am I building up a toxin resistance, or what? Any ideas? I’m getting me a bottle of absinthe… or what was that one that’s 195-200 proof? Where can I get that? Help me… -Mnem ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2001, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-me-drunk/48888/2 "2001-01-07T20:07:06Z")
Well, don’t eat. That might help. The food that’s already in your stomach lessens the effect of the alcohol. Everclear is the very high proof item I think you’re thinking. It should be readily available. ---
**Author:** ![Ad\_Noctum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b19c9b/32.png) [@Ad\_Noctum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ad_Noctum)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2001, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-me-drunk/48888/3 "2001-01-07T20:11:39Z")
> [@](#): > > Now, what’s going on here? I know alcohol is a poison, so am I building up a toxin resistance, or what? Any ideas? I’m getting me a bottle of absinthe… \*\* or what was that one that’s 195-200 proof? \*\* Where can I get that? Help me… Smackfu’s right, Everclear is the 200Prf item [sly grin] well, I don’t drink or anything, but I think that if I did I’d have the same problem as you [/sly grin] ---
**Author:** ![bare](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bare/32/471_2.png) [@bare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bare)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2001, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-me-drunk/48888/4 "2001-01-07T20:23:12Z")
You might try tipping your bartender more. Of course If I was your bartender and you ordered 6-9 drinks in twenty minutes, I guarantee they’d be mostly flavored water. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2001, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-me-drunk/48888/5 "2001-01-07T20:24:09Z")
[enable sermon mode] [sermon mode enabled] [heavy sarcasm] Good news, **Mnementh**! You are still only in the Early or Adaptive Stage of alcoholism. [http://www.opm.gov/ehs/alcohol.htm](http://www.opm.gov/ehs/alcohol.htm) > [@](#): > > The Early or Adaptive Stage > > The early or adaptive stage of alcoholism is marked by increasing tolerance to alcohol and physical adaptations in the body which are largely unseen. This increased tolerance is marked by the alcoholic’s ability to consume greater quantities of alcohol while appearing to suffer few effects and continuing to function. This tolerance is not created simply because the alcoholic drinks too much but rather because the alcoholic is able to drink great quantities because of physical changes going on inside his or her body. > > The early stage is difficult to detect. By appearances, an individual may be able to drink a great deal without becoming intoxicated, having hangovers, or suffering other apparent ill-effects from alcohol. An early stage alcoholic is often indistinguishable from a non-alcoholic who happens to be a fairly heavy drinker. > > In the workplace, there is likely to be little or no obvious impact on the alcoholic’s performance or conduct at work. At this stage, the alcoholic is not likely to see any problem with his or her drinking and would scoff at any attempts to indicate that he or she might have a problem. The alcoholic is simply not aware of what is going on in his or her body. But hey, keep working with that Everclear and maybe pretty soon you can be up to the The Middle or Dependence Stage, characterized by blackouts and craving. Maybe in a year or so you might attain the exalted heights of the The Late or Deteriorative Stage, characterized by heart failure, fatty liver, hepatitis, cirrhosis of the liver, malnutrition, pancreatitis, respiratory infections, brain damage, and death. [/heavy sarcasm] [disable sermon mode] [sermon mode disabled] Yes, your body builds up a tolerance to alcohol, the same as with any other drug. ---
**Author:** ![Mnementh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/898d66/32.png) [@Mnementh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mnementh)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2001, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-me-drunk/48888/6 "2001-01-07T20:25:39Z")
Water nothing, she was egging me on. It was pretty late, the place was pretty empty, so I was a cause of good excitement. It was mostly straight vodka anyway, right out of the bottle… ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2001, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-me-drunk/48888/7 "2001-01-07T20:26:53Z")
The highest acohol content I’ve ever seen listed for Everclear is 95% (190 proof). Around here (Texas) it’s 90% (180 proof), or was the last time I looked. There was a recent thread that touched on the subject where somebody said it was 150 proof in their area. Perhaps the alcohol content is subject to state regulation. ---
**Author:** ![Mnementh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/898d66/32.png) [@Mnementh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mnementh)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2001, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-me-drunk/48888/8 "2001-01-07T20:36:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Duck Duck Goose \* > \*\*[enable sermon mode] > [sermon mode enabled] > [heavy sarcasm] > > Good news, **Mnementh**! You are still only in the Early or Adaptive Stage of alcoholism. > [http://www.opm.gov/ehs/alcohol.htm](http://www.opm.gov/ehs/alcohol.htm) > The Early or Adaptive Stage I am not a drunkard! There’s no way I could be! I drink very infrequently, only once every few months! Or so. Okay, maybe a little more often. But there’s no way I’m an alcoholic! _scoff_scoff\* > [@](#): > > In the workplace, there is likely to be little or no obvious impact on the alcoholic’s performance or conduct at work. At this stage, the alcoholic is not likely to see any problem with his or her drinking and would scoff at any attempts to indicate that he or she might have a problem. The alcoholic is simply not aware of what is going on in his or her body. Damn. ---
**Author:** ![Mnementh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/898d66/32.png) [@Mnementh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mnementh)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2001, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-me-drunk/48888/9 "2001-01-07T20:38:13Z")
Okay, too much bold… sorry, still new here. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2001, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-me-drunk/48888/10 "2001-01-07T20:38:54Z")
Duck Duck Goose is right, Mnementh. You are exhibiting tolerance of ethanol, a key feature in early alcoholism. If you keep on drinking, this tolerance will eventually go away. So will your posessions, job, loved ones, health, self-respect, etc. A word to the wise is sufficient, but who among us is truly wise? Qadgop, MD ---
**Author:** ![peepthis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9d8465/32.png) [@peepthis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peepthis)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2001, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-me-drunk/48888/11 "2001-01-07T20:42:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mnementh \* > **I had someodd five mixers, 4 or 5 mixed shots (chocolate martinis, B-52’s and the like) and (here’s the kicker), something between 6 and 10 shots of straight vodka. All this happened within about a 2 hour period, with 6-9 of those shots occouring in the last 20 minutes. At no point did I feel any effect from the alcohol. By the end my stomach was burning nicely, so I figured it was time to stop.** First, welcome aboard, **Mnementh**. Unless you are an alcoholic, this sounds like complete **BS** to me. As a bartender, I am used to encountering all the time guys who exaggerate their drinking abilities in just this way. You really don’t know if it was 6 or 10 shots? Don’t recall if it was 6 or 9 in the last 20 minutes? Not knowing how much you’ve consumed means (a) you in fact were drunk; (b) you are full of crap; or © you are predisposed to alcoholism. That amount of binge drinking would shoot your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) well over .20, which is more than twice the legal limit for drunk driving in many states. I might buy it if you were an alcoholic (maybe you have alcoholism in your family?), since an alcoholic is accustomed to being drunk and can convincingly feign sobriety (but would still fail a Breathalyzer). Check out this [page](http://www.duidefense.com/resources/basics/basics.htm) for details on how to estimate your BAC, based on gender and size (women typically get blotto quicker). FWIW if you want to get drunk quickly, **smackfu** is right about not eating before drinking. Other tips: drink standing up, consume starchy foods after you’ve started drinking (which will stimulate your pyloric valve into getting the 'cohol to your system quicker; eat fatty foods to slow its absorption), and order carbonated drinks – rum & coke, champagne, 7&7, etc. – which will also get it to your system faster. Cheers! > [@](#): > > Now, what’s going on here? I know alcohol is a poison, so am I building up a toxin resistance, or what? Any ideas? I’m getting me a bottle of absinthe… or what was that one that’s 195-200 proof? Where can I get that? Help me… > -Mnem \*\* Absinthe isn’t going to get you drunk quicker, since it’s a lower-proof liqueur. Although you can get drunk on it eventually, absinthe’s allure comes from the hallucinations it produces. ---
**Author:** ![Mnementh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/898d66/32.png) [@Mnementh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mnementh)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2001, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-me-drunk/48888/12 "2001-01-07T20:54:04Z")
> [@](#): > > You really don’t know if it was 6 or 10 shots? Don’t recall if it was 6 or 9 in the last 20 minutes? Not knowing how much you’ve consumed means (a) you in fact were drunk; (b) you are full of crap; or © you are predisposed to alcoholism. I wasnt keeping track, we were playing pool all night and I was doing this between my turns. My ability with numbers is significantly less than excellent, which is why I provided a range. Also, along the same line, my perception of time (sober or otherwise) is terrible. So it could have been over a longer period of time. Seeing that chart, having even 6 in the last 20 minutes would probably have shot me into the alcohol poisoning range, so it’s likely my estimation of time is off, so perhaps I didnt have as much as quickly as I’d thought. Regardless, it still dosnt seem to work… Oh, and the brands of absinthe I was referring to are the ones ranging from 65-70%. ---
**Author:** ![peepthis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9d8465/32.png) [@peepthis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peepthis)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2001, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-me-drunk/48888/13 "2001-01-07T21:08:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mnementh \* > \*\*Oh, and the brands of absinthe I was referring to are the ones ranging from 65-70%. \*\* Looking at my post, I see I wasn’t very clear. I meant that absinthe isn’t the fastest way to get drunk, if that’s what you’re looking for. Since it can be up to 140 proof, as you correctly state, it will get you trashed – just not as efficiently as, say, Everclear. ---
**Author:** ![IBBen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/85f322/32.png) [@IBBen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IBBen)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2001, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-me-drunk/48888/14 "2001-01-07T21:27:35Z")
I request an example of your abilities Mnementh. Here is what I suggest: 1. Purchase a bottle of liquor 2. Post on this board 3. Take a shot every five minutes 4. Continue to post between shots Let’s see if you can still write effectively after 25 minutes and 5 shots. I am trying to think of a sufficiently challenging subject which you might write about. Any ideas? The time stamp on your post and your coherence should be evidence enough to convince any non-believers (including myself) ---
**Author:** ![Mnementh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/898d66/32.png) [@Mnementh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mnementh)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2001, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-me-drunk/48888/15 "2001-01-07T23:27:24Z")
Well no, not as fast as everclear, perhaps (though I have to wonder what 100% alcohol tastes like!), but I’d be willing to bet it’d be faster than one of the more common 40% spirits. Another query of mine… Like I said, by the end my stomach was starting to burn, which is why I stopped. I chalked this up to the fact that alcohol is harsh, and was damaging my stomach in some way. With a stronger spirit, would I get more alcohol in me without that burning, since I would be drinking less? Or would the effect be the same, since the amount of alcohol I would be taking in would be the same, and that’s what’s causing it? I’m assuming the latter… ---
**Author:** ![wbricks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f17d59/32.png) [@wbricks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wbricks)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2001, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-me-drunk/48888/16 "2001-01-07T23:44:04Z")
One side effect of binge drinking all of us ex-college students can attest to - alcohol is HIGH in calories. It doesn’t matter if it’s a shot of Absolut or a glass of wine or a bottle of beer - no matter what you drink it’s going to be high in calories. For instance, a 12 oz. bottle of American beer has about 140 calories (going of memory, but that seems about right). A “lite” beer has less alcohol and thus less calories, but you’re still looking at about 125 calories per bottle. A 1.5 oz shot of 80 proof liquor is going to run you about 100 calories, and it goes up steadily from there - so 1.5 oz shot of 190 proof liquor (Everclear) will get you about 240 calories per pop! Feel the burn! (There is about 7 calories per gram of alcohol, compared to 9 calories per gram of fat, 4 calories per gram of carbohydrate and protein). Now that 100 calories is for pure liquor. Start mixing and you significantly boost your calories! Kahlua, for instance, has 14 grams of alcohol (80 proof) and 17 grams of carbs (per 1.5 oz) for a whopping total of: 7 cal/gram x 14 gram + 4 cal/gram \* 17 grams = 166 calories per 1.5 oz! Ever hear of the freshman fifteen? Well, if you drink on average of two drinks more per day than you did before you got to college (a typical amount) you should expect to put on about a pound every two weeks, which amounts to seven pounds per 14 week semeseter and 14 pounds per school year! Oh joy! Just keep that in mind next time you go on your 20 shot binge drinking nights! Not only have you just killed your liver, but you have also consumed about 2,000 calories with no nutritional value whatsoever! ---
**Author:** ![occ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8c91f0/32.png) [@occ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/occ)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2001, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-me-drunk/48888/17 "2001-01-08T00:18:23Z")
Don’t listen to these jerks. First, I _wouldn’t_ try drinking a ton of booze in a short amount of time, as everyone here seems to be suggesting. If this is an actual problem, I’d suggest consulting a medical professional. Better not to take risks when it comes to things that can kill you. ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2001, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-me-drunk/48888/18 "2001-01-08T01:25:51Z")
**occ** , I agree that going on a major drinking binge is a poor way to measure the problem here, calling those who suggested it, in jest or otherwise, “jerks” is also not productive. Please refrain from direct personal insults in this forum. ---
**Author:** ![Shiva](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@Shiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shiva)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2001, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-me-drunk/48888/19 "2001-01-08T02:14:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by manhattan \* > \*\*I agree that going on a major drinking binge is a poor way to measure the problem here… \*\* And I agree with you. What we need is a controlled drinking binge. Let’s minimize the variables and go with the General Jack Ripper P.O.E. plan-- Grain alcohol and distilled water at a set ratio and at a set time inteval. A drink every 10 minutes and a typing textbook exercise every 30 minutes might work. ---
**Author:** ![HP\_Ellison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HP\_Ellison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HP_Ellison)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2001, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-me-drunk/48888/20 "2001-01-08T02:29:02Z")
> [@](#): > > Absinthe isn’t going to get you drunk quicker, since it’s a lower-proof liqueur. Although you can get drunk on it eventually, absinthe’s allure comes from the hallucinations it produces. Could someone please briefly elaborate on absinthe’s hallucinogenic qualities? When I was in Prague, I consumed a fair amount of it and never experienced anything like a hallucination, but I could have just been drinking really bad absinthe. -H.P.E. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-me-drunk/48888.md?page=2)