Why is it that I can sip bourbon all afternoon long and never get more than a slight buzz with little impairment, but let me have a tall Sierra Nevada with lunch, and have a bomber of Stone IPA every 2 hours after that and by 6pm I am totally blitzed? Why?

This post brought to you by Teachers™, your local "I've got the summer off and you don't, so "Plplplplp!" group.

The short answer: Carbonation and your pyloric sphincter.

The long answer, high concentrations of alcohol in the stomach (I think ~17% +) causes the pyloric sphincter to shut, blocking the passage of alcohol to the small intestine where it is more readily absorbed -- so your bourbon is pretty much just sitting there giving you a nice even keel buzz. However, carbonated beverages (such as beer, champaign, bourbon and soda) actively relax the pyloric sphincter allowing the full effects of the alcohol to hit you hard and fast. Huh, well, that wasn't so very long now was it.

This response brought to you by me, your local, "I've got tomorrow off and only two months of freedom until Med-School starts so I just poured a hole heaping handful of bourbon into what was left of my coke, pyloric sphincter be damned."

Which Med School are you attending?
- jimlouis 5-19-2012 6:11 pm [add a comment]

i believe the indented remarks imply a quotation but if you are trolling for a one liner id say Self Med U.
- dave 5-19-2012 6:25 pm [add a comment]