It’s not just in your head: Tequila really might make you more fun than merlot.
Different types of alcohol can inspire different moods, according to new research published in the BMJ Open.
Researchers surveyed nearly 30,000 young drinkers about their emotional responses to different types of alcohol.
First, the good news: A glass of red wine really does take the edge off a bad day. Nearly half of participants felt relaxed after a swilling a glass.
And, fortunately, beer goggles work in the mirror, too. Nearly 20 percent of those surveyed said they felt sexy after drinking beer.
Those Jägerbombs? They’re doing wonders for party people’s party vibes: Nearly 60 percent of the respondents felt “energized” and “confident” after sipping spirits, and 42 percent reported feeling sexy.
But it’s not all alluring bar-top whiskey dances.
About a third of participants reported feeling aggressive after a shot or two of hard liquor — whereas less than 7 percent of beer drinkers and 3 percent of wine lovers felt aggressive after their preferred potions.
Nearly half of the respondents said they felt ill after drinking hard liquor, 28 percent felt restless and about 22 percent shed sad vodka tears.
And even wine drinkers didn’t make it out scot-free: A teary 17 percent of red wine drinkers reported growing weepy after a few pours.
The study’s researchers hope that their work will remind people of the wide range of emotions drinking exacerbates — specifically, the less desirable ones, not the mood-lifting ones seen in alcohol advertisements.
“There is plenty of promotional material . . . to promote the positive emotions people might look for from drinking . . . [but people] need to know the full picture of how alcohol affects moods and emotions,” study co-author Alisha Davies, head of research and development at Public Health Wales, told Popular Science.