Difference between beer and rum?

Question

Why does rum affect you in different ways than beer. For instance, it seems like rum can give you a different buzz than beer.

Answer 1

Beer is the world's oldest and most popularalcoholic beverage. It is produced by the fermentation of sugars derived from starch-based material—the most common being malted barley; however wheat, corn, and rice are also widely used, usually in conjunction with the barley. Less widely used starch sources include millet, sorghum and cassava root in Africa, potato in Brazil, and agave in Mexico.

The starch source is steeped in water, along with certain enzymes, to produce a sugary wort which is then flavoured with herbs, fruit or most commonly hops. Yeast is then used to cause fermentation, which produces alcohol and other waste products from anaerobic respiration of the sugars.

Beer uses varying ingredients, production methods and traditions. The type of yeast and production method may be used to classify beer into ale, lager and spontaneously fermented beers. Some beer writers and organisations differentiate and categorise beers by various factors into beer styles. Alcoholic beverages fermented from non starch sources such as grape juice (wine) or honey (mead), and distilled beverages are not classified as beer.

Rum is a distilled beverage made from sugarcane byproducts such as molasses and sugarcane juice by a process of fermentation and distillation. The distillate, a clear liquid, is then usually aged in oak and other casks. The majority of rum production occurs in and around the Caribbean and along the Demerara River in South America, though there are rum producers in places such as Australia, India, Reunion Island, and elsewhere around the world.

Rum is produced in a variety of styles. Light rums are commonly used in mixed drinks, while golden and dark rums are appropriate for use in cooking as well as cocktails. Premium brands of rum are also available that are made to be consumed neat or on the rocks.

Rum plays a part in the culture of most islands of the West Indies, and has famous associations with the British Royal Navy and piracy. Rum has also served as a popular medium of exchange that helped to promote slavery along with providing economic instigation for Australia's Rum Rebellion and the American Revolution

Generally three types of beer are sold: regular, light, and non-alcoholic. The term light intends to signify a product with less alcohol and fewer calories than regular beer. About 2-3 percent of beer sales are now of the light type (4). Non-alcoholic beer usually claims less than a half percent of alcohol and is intended for people who desire a product with little or no alcohol.

REASONS FOR THE DIFFERENT KIND OF "HIGH"

Alcoholic beverages include wines, beers, and spirits. In beers the alcohol content varies from as little as 2 percent to as much as 8 percent; most lager- or ale-type beers contain between 4 and 5 percent. Natural or unfortified wines (such as burgundy, Chianti, and chardonnay) usually contain between 8 and 12 percent alcohol, though some varieties have a somewhat higher content, ranging from 12 to 14 percent. Spirits, including vodka, rum, and whiskey, usually contain between 40 and 50 percent alcohol. A standard drink served in most bars contains 0.5–0.7 fluid ounce of absolute alcohol. (One ounce equals approximately 30 ml.) Thus, a 1.5-ounce (45-ml) shot of vodka, a 5-ounce (150-ml) glass of wine, and a 12-ounce (355-ml) bottle of beer are equally intoxicating.

Alcohol and the individual > Ingestion > Absorption through the stomach and intestines
When an alcoholic beverage is swallowed, it is diluted by gastric juices in the stomach. A small portion of the alcohol is diffused into the bloodstream directly from the stomach wall, but most passes through the pyloric junction into the small intestine, where it is very rapidly absorbed. However, up to half the alcohol is degraded in the stomach before it passes into the small intestine. In general, a lower percentage of the alcohol is degraded in a young woman's stomach than in a young man's because a young woman's gastric secretions contain lower levels of the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), which breaks down alcohol prior to absorption.

The rate at which alcohol is absorbed can be affected by a number of factors. For example, a strong alcoholic drink, when taken into an empty stomach, may cause a spasm of the pylorus that will impede passage into the small intestine, resulting in a slower overall rate of absorption. The presence of food in the stomach, especially some fatty foods, will also delay absorption. Naturally carbonated alcohol such as champagne or alcohol taken with a carbonated beverage such as soda water will ordinarily be absorbed more rapidly than noncarbonated alcohol. Other factors, such as the emotional state of the drinker, may also affect the rate of absorption.

Alcohol is diffused in the body in proportion to the water content of the various tissues and organs, appearing in greater concentration in the blood and brain than in fat or muscle tissue. The absorbed alcohol is greatly diluted by the body fluids. Thus, 1 ounce of whiskey at 50 percent alcohol by volume (100 U.S. proof, or 87.6 British proof) will be diluted, in a man of average build, to a concentration of about 2 parts per 10,000 in the blood (0.02 percent). The same amount of alcohol will lead to higher blood levels (up to 50 percent higher) in a woman because of differences in size, ratios of body water to body fat, and levels of gastric ADH. The average blood alcohol concentrations per number of drinks in men and women of various weights are shown in the table.

The body begins to dispose of alcohol immediately after it has been absorbed. An insignificantly small proportion of alcohol is exhaled through the lungs, and a tiny amount is excreted in sweat. A small proportion is excreted by the kidneys and will be accumulated and retained in the bladder until eliminated in the urine. However, only between 2 and 10 percent of the alcohol is eliminated by these means. The remainder, 90 percent or more of the absorbed alcohol, is disposed of by metabolic processes, mainly in the liver.

Answer 2

Miss "justme" has got it perfect.

I would add that one ounce of rum is approx. the same alcohol as one average beer. Beer is about 90% water and carbonated and so it tends to bloat and fill us up. Where rum being one small shot we tend to use several in a drink often with sweet mixers and boy can we pound em down. Thus the different affect is a higher blood-alcohol concentration (big buzz baby).

Pace yourself people.

Answer 3

Because rum has 5 times more alcohol than beer.

Answer 4

Spirts have more congrens or toxins that impair the body in a different way than beer. The more congrens the more worse a hangover is. Beer on the other hand is carbonated and will cause the body to absorb it more quickly. This is way mixing beer with liquor causes so much sickness (faster absorbation rate).

Answer 5

Because rum has more alcohol per serving than beer does.

Answer 6

You're comparing apples and oranges. Rum is a distilled spirit made from sugar cane with a very high alcohol content. Beer is a fermented product made from barley, hops and other grains, and is very low in alcohol content.

Answer 7

rum is awesome in mix drinks. but do it in moderation.

Answer 8

You should try tequila sometime! LOL