Photo by Joonas kääriäinen
Many of us like a cocktail or two on a night out or a beer or three when we are relaxing at home with friends and family after a long week of work.
Alcohol when taken in moderation can be delicious, relaxing, and an excellent social lubricant, and although most of us adults will indulge in it from time to time, there is still a lot most of us do not know about alcohol whether it be wine whisky or liqueurs.
So, why not explore the topic more with these fun alcohol-based facts that will be great to break out during any lulls in the conversation at your next dinner party?
All alcohol contains the same ingredient
Although beer, wine, and vodka all have their own distinct flavor profiles. They all contain the same form of alcohol which is ethanol, a form of alcohol that is safe to consume in moderate amounts. There are other types of alcohol that are not safe to drink in any quantities, but ethanol is generally well tolerated.
Animals love alcohol too
Humans are not the only ones who love alcohol, there are many animals who love to consume ethanol too. For example, Bohemian waxwing birds are known to get so drunk on fermented rowan berries that they have to be hospitalized! We hope you are able to handle your liquor better than they do!
Whiskey does not always get better with age
Does whiskey get better with age? Most people would say an unequivocal yes, but that is not always the case. Although good whiskey does get better with age, this is only the case if it is stored in a barrel and if it is decanted from said barrel before it turns bad. So, keeping a bottle of jack for 30 years might not improve the flavor after all. It’s a delicate process.
Vodka is cold-proof
Have you ever wondered why vodka is so popular in Russia? It’s not just due to its clean taste and ability to be mixed with a wide range of drinks to create amazing cocktails. No, the fact is, vodka is so popular in Russia because it can withstand cold temperatures to around -27 degrees Celsius providing it is 80-proof vodka, of course. So, if you ever visit the North Pole, you know what to bring in your hip flask.
There’s more pressure in a champagne bottle than your car tires
A fun fact about the French delicacy that is champagne is that the average pressure inside each bottle is 90 PSI, which is actually three times as much pressure as you will find in the average car tire, which is why cork injuries are a very real threat people. Be careful!
Rooms can be breathalyzed
We know that people can be breathalyzed by the cops to determine whether they are driving drunk but did you know rooms can be breathalyzed too? In 2017, a bunch of students partied so hard and drank so much that the property they were in recorded a positive reading on a breathalyzer test!
As you can see, alcohol is more interesting than you might have thought!
