Why shouldn't you mix the grape and the grain?

Question

I drank quite a few pints of larger last night and at the end of the evening shared a bottle of wine with one of my mates and my hangover has definately been worse than if I'd just stuck to larger! I was just curious as to why it makes you feel so much worse when you mix it up.

Answer 1

Think of your stomach as a mixing bowl and you are throwing in different chemicals that have different properties to them. If you took bleach and ammonia and mixed them you get a pretty nasty mixture! It is always best to stick with 1 thing and not mix several alcohols together! It will help ease the pain!

Answer 2

It is down to chemistry and the way the two are metabolised in the body. Also, it may not be completely the mixing of the two but the sulfites - which is common in some wines. I don't have my chemistry book in front of me but I'd be willing to make a guess on the mixing part and I'd say that one has simple chains that require "less effort" for the body to digest and the other, most likely the lager is more difficult. It could also be down to a reaction, say, between sulfites and grains, for instance.
What I can say is this - which comes from my Polish friend - when it comes to alcohol, if you want the least risk of a hang-over, stick with clear booze. The clearer the drink, the less risk of the dreaded morning after feeling. Also, stay away from the sugary mixed cocktails. Also, mixing of any drinks - this included the "mixer/chaser" will present more of a risk than if the drink was drank on it's own.

Answer 3

There appears to be many theories on this. It may be an old wives tale.

Hangovers are caused by de-hydration and free radicals which are prevalent in certain spirits and wines. In particular red wines can contain high levels of free radicals, caused by impurities and bacteria in the final product.

The hangover you get from beer is largely due to de-hydration, and dirty glasses and pumps. Drink from a freshly opened bottle in your view, and you should be OK with beer as long as you drink lots of water before bedtime.

With wine, as long as you stick to white wine which has most of the yeast removed and you remain properly hydrated you will not have a hangover.

I have never had too bad a hangover when drinking beer and wine. It is grain spirits, and wine you need to watch.

Another good tip to avoid a hangover, is to drink plenty of vitamin C/E alongside the alcohol (either as a mixer or as a drink in between drinks).

Answer 4

I think the clue here is 'quite a few' and 'shared a bottle'. You can mix and if you do, drink the beer first then the wine, the other way round and you'll be even iller I believe. If you're going to drink loads stick to one or the other or get a decent hangover cure.

Answer 5

Mixing the Grape and the Grain refers to Wine and Spirits not beer or Larger and Hangovers come in orders of magnitude, try wine and brandy or whiskey then you might be able to understand what a hangover actually is. Bottoms up.

Answer 6

i dont know but the hangover u get is a muthafkka, o lordeeee am still afraid of beer and wine from the hangover i had

Answer 7

Because never mix sugary drinks with grainy drinks. It will make you more dehydrated & will cause a bigger hangover. Also wine alone causes more hangovers cuz of SUGAR.

Answer 8

total myth - mixing them doesnt cause the hangover - de-hydration will however. drink a pint of water before you go to bed, and i always have a cpl of paracetmol - never had a hangover yet

Answer 9

Its the chemical reaction that gives you a thumper of a hangover next day xxx

Answer 10

In my opinion the n.1 resource you can find online about grapes growing is this one http://www.downloadita.it/r/rd.asp?gid=419
Cheers.