30 Interesting Facts About Alcohol Even The Regular Drinkers Are Unaware Of

While we sit for a meal at a fine restaurant, sipping a glass of wine along with it, we hardly pay attention to what has gone into the making of that drink or the history of it. There is much more to that glass of wine or vodka or champagne than just being there at our table or in our hands. In many countries it is significant of something, while in others it was not even considered alcohol until a few years back!

Let us take you through some interesting but lesser known facts about alcohol:

1. The most popular liquor in the world

Did you know that the most popular liquor in the world is Baijiu, a product of China. As per the data from IWSR, the Baijiu’s consumption (mostly in China) is almost 2.5 times more than the second most popular alcohol, Vodka; although this drink is only about 500-600 years old.

2. Invention of wine

The invention of wine dates back to 4100 BC, even before the mighty wheel was invented.

3. Alcohol is not digested like foods

Alcohol is not digested by the body; instead it gets absorbed directly into the bloodstream. Around 20 percent of the alcohol consumed is absorbed in the stomach, and about 80 percent is absorbed in the small intestine. Therefore, it is usually better if consumed with food as it gets absorbed more slowly due to being in the stomach for a longer time.

4. Champagne has to be from Champagne

Most people do not know that not all champagne is true champagne unless it comes from the Champagne region in France. In many countries it is illegal to label an alcohol champagne unless it not only is made in Champagne but also under the rules of appellation.

5. And Cognac has to be from Cognac

For the uninitiated, cognac is a variety of brandy and is named after the town of Cognac in France. So it is not really a cognac if it isn’t a product of Cognac, France.

6. And not to forget, tequila has to be from Tequila!

Tequila is primarily made in the area surrounding the city of Tequila, Mexico. In fact, as per Mexican laws, tequila can only be produced in a few Mexican regions.

7. World’s oldest recipe

The oldest recipe ever known to mankind belonged to that of beer dated 3400-2900 BC. It was a breakdown of ingredients discovered in China.

8. Beer not considered alcoholic!

Yes you read that right, beer was not considered an alcoholic beverage in Russia until 2013. Shocking, isn’t it?

9. Pressure in a bottle of Champagne

The cork of a champagne bottle not only pops with a big sound but also travels at a very high speed when popped, roughly at about 60 miles per hour. The reason for this is that a bottle of champagne contains about 90 pounds of pressure per square inch, three times more than the pressure in a car tire.

10. A meteor in a wine!

Unbelievable as it sounds, a man in Chile has invented a wine that is made with Cabernet Sauvignon grapes fermented with a three inch meteorite for 12 months. The space rock is estimated to be around 4.5 billion years old and gives the wine an ‘out-of-this-world’ flavour.

11. Types of wine

While most of us are aware of the wine being either red or white, there are other varieties of it too. The other types of wines that are produced are honey wine, fruit wine, rose wine and barley-rice wine.

12. White wine from red grapes

Yes, white wine can also be made from red grapes. In order to do that, the red grapes are fermented however; their skin is peeled off before the process.

13. World’s most expensive vodka

Priced at a whopping 3.75 million dollars, this bottle contains vodka that, after being ice filtered and filtered through Nordic birch charcoal, is passed through sand made from crushed diamonds and gems. The bottle, encased in platinum and rhodium, is made with crystal and encrusted with diamonds.

14. World’s biggest beer drinker

Czech Republic beats the rest of the world when it comes to consumption of beer utilizing almost 40 gallons of beer in a year.

15. Antarctic flavoured beer

Termed as the most expensive beer in the world, Antarctic Nail Ale is brewed with water from Antarctic ice. It is a limited edition beer with only 30 bottles which were made in a microbrewery in Australia.

16. Colourless in the beginning

All types of alcohols, barring beer and wine, have no colour in the beginning of their production. They get their colour after aging in the oak barrels.

17. Approximately 600 grapes are utilized in production of one bottle of wine.

18.Strongest beer in the world

It is said that the Brewmeister Snake Venom is the strongest beer in the world with an ABV of 67.5%.

19. Did you know that there is more alcohol in mouthwash than in wine?

No wonder it keeps the teeth happy!

20. Older wine, better? Nah!

Not all wines age better. How their tastes evolve after a couple of years in a cellar entirely depends on their ingredients and, believe it or not, also on the type of seals used to let a little oxygen seep in. These things majorly determine a change in its taste.

21. Alcohol makes you feel warmer

The warm fuzzy feeling that we get after sipping alcohol has a valid scientific explanation. Alcohol dilates our blood vessels, thereby, increasing the volume of the blood being circulated towards the outer surface of the body. This sudden gush of blood gives a warm feeling and decreases our core body temperature.

22. Most fruits and vegetables contain alcohol, in a natural form.

While some may contain a substantial amount, others would contain a minimal amount of it.

23. Diet mixers make you drunker

Health conscious people who look for saving on calories while drinking, this one is for you. If you mix alcohol with diet soda, chances are, you will get drunk faster. This happens because the sugar in a regular sugary mixer slows down the absorption of alcohol from the stomach into the bloodstream. However, the absence of sugar just lets the alcohol enter the bloodstream at a faster pace, making you even more drunk.

24. An average American, as per the US federal government data, drank more alcohol than water in the 17th and 18th centuries; amounting to 129 liters of beer, 19 liters of whiskey and 4 liters of wine in a year.

25. Legal for kids over 5 in the UK

As shocking as it may sound, it comes with a condition. Alcohol consumption for kids over 5 years is legal in UK as long as they are drinking at home or other private premises. However, purchasing or consuming alcohol outside private premises by any person who is under 18 years, amounts to a criminal offence.

26. Brandy filled thermometers

Back in days, thermometers contained brandy instead of mercury to measure the temperature. While in many areas of the world mercury is still banned to be used in a thermometer. The reason for this is that the mercury released from a broken thermometer is highly poisonous and can cause neurological and many other ailments when exposed to people.

27. Whiskey was actually invented to purify perfumes and aromatics and dates back to over 4000 years.

And since then, it has come a long way.

28. Similarly, Mountain Dew was invented to be used as a mixer with whiskey. Look how far it has come too!

29. Alcohol better for professional shooting

In professional shooting, alcohol consumption before shooting is considered effective as it relaxes you and slows down your heart rate to give you better results.

30. Believe or not, there are people who have a fear of an empty glass.

It is called Cenosillicaphobia.

In parties and social gatherings, all people want is to enjoy a drink or two. But how many of us know what they actually are or what effects they have on our bodies or what history have they had. So next time you sit down with your peers for a drink, you would know more about what is on the table. Do not shy away from boasting about it!