Next time you mock a friend for ordering his cocktails with Diet Coke, just know that he’s getting drunker than you for the same amount of money.
“Alcohol, consumed with a diet mixer, results in higher (BrAC) Breath Alcohol Concentrations as compared to the same amount of alcohol consumed with a sugar-sweetened mixer.”
“It is not that diet soda accelerates intoxication. Rather, the sugar in regular soda slows down the rate of alcohol absorption.”
Before you go running to Google, yes, BrAC is basically the same thing as Blood Alcohol Content.
I love science these days. While the hunt is still on for a cure for the common cold, you can’t stop determined researchers from learning the next best thing – better ways to get drunk. Back when I used to hammer Jack cocktails an alarming pace, I mixed with Diet Coke purely because I didn’t think the excess sugar tasted good with whiskey. The same was true for mixing vodka with sugar-free Redbull. I didn’t think twice about calories or how rapidly the booze would hit me. It’s good to know that I’ve been maximizing my alcoholism without even trying.
NPR via Guyism tipster Jack (appropriately enough)