What is the difference between expensive spirits and cheap spirits?

Question

Well the main reason me and my friends drink is to get drunk but as we shop there is always the expensive bottle of voka vrs. the 5$ gallon of vodka. Now I was wondering if the only difference is taste the only between them or will drinking more of one get u drunk faster or for longer (assuming they are the same proof). Is it that the cheaper vodka there is more chance of getting sick too?

So I guess my essiential question is what is the difference between a 5$ gallon of vodka (80 proof) and buying premium vodka (80 proof)?

Answer 1

The difference is the amount of processing the liquor goes through before distribution.

From graykangaroo.com:

"Filtering removes unwanted organic particles left over from the distilling process. These particles are common in inexpensive liquor because it has been processed less than more expensive liquors. These particles cause the off-taste associated with inexpensive liquor. They also get into your blood and cause you to get a headache, prematurely nauseated and are major contributors to a hangover. "

What is the Gray Kangaroo™?
The Gray Kangaroo™ is the world's first and only personal liquor filter™. It filters inexpensive liquor and gives it qualities of more expensive liquor by removing the impurities which cause bad taste and hangover.

Answer 2

The cheaper stuff is way worse tasting and is worse just in general. There is a better chance of getting sicker on that crap. If you want a good vodka for getting nice and drunk and its cheap go with Smirnoff 100 proof. It's the blue labeled one. The first time I drank this stuff I got hammered so be careful, the extra 10% of alcohol is huge. Now, whenever I drink by myself I will usually go with something a little better but when I'm entertaining or making a punch or watermelon, I go with the 100. I'm 26 and have introduced it to some of the younger servers I work with and they love it.

Answer 3

Wow...Ive listened to all the responses and I have to tell you...some are halfway right...some are just funny...I work for a large un-named distillery....and this is it in a nutshell. First...dont drink to get drunk...its not good for you...thus the hangover. If your going to drink, drink in moderation...who cares what your friends think...you can have just as much fun without the morning after. Second...the difference between the two is ingredients and the process in manufacturing the spirits. Any drink can give you a hangover...no matter what its made with or how its made....its how your body reacts to it that determines that...although some really cheat drinks contribute to that. Eat first...drink a small glass of water inbetween each drink...this will do lots for you....you can stay up later...have more fun...and NO hangover(hopefully). Third...usually the more expensive bottle tastes better...smoother and more filtered....but there are tons of types of filtering Hope this helps.

Answer 4

I have to agree with Steffo on this one. Particularly with Vodka, a good rule of thumb is, "The less you pay to begin with, the more you pay in the morning."

Fortunately for you, I can help you out. Do you have a Brita pitcher, or any kind of filtering pitcher for tap water? Run the cheap vodka through the filtering pitcher 3 or 4 times. Congratulations, you've just filtered out most of the impuritites that contribute to your hangover. Also, this will make your chep vodka taste better.

Of course, drinking too much will still give you a hangover, regardless. Enjoy in moderation.

Answer 5

Beer and wine owe their alcohol content to fermentation by yeast. In beers, this process is ordinary terminated at about 4%-6% alcohol, though some European beers go higher. In wines, it terminates at about 12%-14% alcohol, which is about all the alcohol yeasts can tolerate before they stop metabolizing sugar into alcohol. Distilled spirits begin with wine or a beer-like liquid, and exploit the difference between the boiling points of water and alcohol to increase the alcohol content to anywhere between 30% and 75% or so. The flavor changes in the process, too, as the heat produces chemical changes in the various flavoring agents present in the liquid.

Answer 6

Any cheap alcohol is not as smooth as the expensive
you pay for the Brand name too.
and if it is in plastic or glass .
if you buy 100 proof you will get drunk faster .
cheaper vodka doesn't have anything to do with getting sick.
it is how much and how fast you drink it , same for expensive.

Answer 7

spend at LEAST $20 a fifth, Stoli or something good, IF you really want to drink it.

Beer and wine are better and MUCH safer.

Anyway , the cheaper ones have weird other alcohols and crap that can make you blind and all that sort of thing.

If you are planning to live more than a year avoid that $5 a gallon stuff.

Answer 8

Smoothness and ingredients and aging defines the higher priced liquors but you can get drunk on all of them equally fast if they are of comparative proofs and you might get a worse hangover from the cheap stuff.

Answer 9

The difference is in the filtering process.And that means yes,the cheaper stuff can cause a worse recovery because it has more impurities in it.P.S. take Midol before drinking.A hangover is because the brain suffered from oxygen deprivation.

Answer 10

It has to do with the quality of the indregients, the distilling process, the filteration and in the case of whiskey - the aging.

Start grink the good stuff - you'll find out how much better it is. Some problem, once your pallatte gets use to it, its hard to go back to drinking crap.