Here’s why champagne and prosecco make you feel more drunk than normal wine

Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/

Lisa Schönhaar

August 16, 2018

Many often say they feel drunker when consuming sparkling alcoholic beverages than non-sparkling drinks.

A higher alcohol content can actually be detected in the blood after drinking champagne.

This is because the carbon dioxide in sparkling drinks increases the permeability of your biomembranes, letting more alcohol into your bloodstream.

The Germans actually have a word specifically designated for the cheerful, exuberant “flush” one experiences on enjoying a flute of bubbly: “Sektlaune” is the term used for being compelled into doing something one wouldn’t usually while under the influence of the champagne, specifically.

We’ve all experienced it: sparkling tipples like prosecco and champagne are usually reserved for celebrations and toasts, and with good reason: the ‘pop’ of the cork is usually followed by an interesting phenomenon. Even if the alcohol content in sparkling wines and other alcoholic beverages is similar to that in non-sparkling wine, it feels like the former makes you feel drunker – and does so much faster. But is it just in our heads?

A higher alcohol content can actually be detected in blood after drinking champagne

H2CO3, a compound of carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O), is not only found in champagne and sparkling wines but also in mineral water. In a study published in Alcohol and Alcoholism, researchers have demonstrated that the same drink – one with and one without carbon dioxide – can make you feel tipsy to different degrees.

The scientists divided twelve volunteers into two groups. Some received two glasses of freshly uncorked champagne, while others were given the same drink, only it had been stirred or shaken – in other words non-carbonated. The subjects in both groups each received the same amount of alcohol, exactly 0.6 grams per kilogram of body weight.

The two freshly uncorked glasses of champagne pushed the alcohol content in subjects’ blood to 0.54 parts per thousand after five minutes. The stirred version, on the other hand, only pushed the subjects’ alcohol levels up to 0.39 parts per thousand. The subjective feeling of being less tipsy corresponded to the values in their blood, with perception and reaction tests also confirming this result.

Alcohol is better absorbed with higher blood circulation

“Carbon dioxide in sparkling drinks is what increases the permeability of your biomembranes,” explains Nikolaus Merkt from the University of Hohenheim, who researches the quality of herbal products and is an expert in viticulture.

According to Merkt, carbonic acid stimulates blood circulation in your mucous membranes, such as in your stomach, small intestine, and oral cavity.

He said: “Better circulation means more alcohol can be absorbed into the bloodstream.” And that happens from the first sip.

So no, you’re not just imagining that champagne gets you tipsy just that little bit quicker than wine does, nor are you the only one who’s noticed. The effect can be softened by drinking sparkling wine from a non-fluted glass – the slim design of the champagne flute is specifically to allow as little carbon dioxide as possible to escape.