For all the beer lovers out there, you will find that you like to spend an evening kicking back with a refreshing and ice cold beverage.
Whether you’re just getting a small and tipsy buzz, or planning on getting a bit more wild and drunk, you may be interested in the effects that beer can have on our mind.
You may think that you know how much beer will get you to different levels of drunkenness, but there is one theory you might have overlooked.
You see, some people argue that if you use a straw to drink beer then it will make you drunker faster.
Is this true? Well, we’ve got the answers for you. In our helpful guide below, you’ll find out whether drinking beer via a straw will make you get drunk more quickly.
On top of that, we will also have a look at the benefits and drawbacks of using a straw to drink beer.
Can You Get Drunk Faster Using A Straw To Drink Beer?
To begin with, let’s have a look at answering the key question on everybody’s minds. We all know that the more you drink beer, the better your tolerance gets and the more you can consume without getting as drunk.
Obviously this can be dangerous, because if you become too tolerant then you may not see the signs to stop drinking – and you need to exercise control and stop at a reasonable amount of beer.
However, some say that if you drink beer via a straw then you get drunk faster. In this way, the straw is like a vacuum.
As you’re inhaling through the straw, it gets rid of the oxygen in the straw and forces the beer into it, which allows you to drink it more rapidly.
On top of that, you’re going to be inhaling the vapors of the alcohol directly to the lungs, making the body absorb it quickly – and allegedly turning you drunk even more rapidly.
At this point, you might be wondering whether it actually increases the strength of the alcohol too – the answer is no.
Whether you’re using a straw or not for the beer, you will still get the same amount of intoxication either way. The only difference that the straw makes is how quickly you get drunk, not how much.
However, is the first part of that statement actually even correct? Well, no…
Despite the popularity of the idea, the theory of straws and beer has been disproven by a few outlets.
For example, the National Institute of Alcoholic Abuse found that sipping beer via a straw does not actually make you drunk faster.
The difference in the rate that you would absorb the alcohol when using a straw to drink it compared to when not using a straw is practically nothing, so there isn’t a difference overall.
So, sadly, we have to report that you do not get drunk faster if you use straws to drink beer.
With that being said, you can still drink beer via a straw if you want to, and there are even some benefits to that choice – which we’ll get into now.
Using A Straw To Drink Beer – The Pros And Cons
Although it has been proven that drinking beer, or any alcohol for that matter, via a straw does not make you get drunk more quickly, you can still choose to do so. In fact, some people do, for many reasons.
Some people may even have to, too, such as disabled people or people with health problems. For them, they may need a straw to help them with drinking the beverage.
There are a few benefits to using a straw with beer, and they are as follows:
Pros
It Is More Hygienic
This is especially the case if you’re drinking your beer from a can, although a bottle served to you in a pub can have the same problem.
While cans are handled in their manufacturing plants, or stored in the shop that you bought it from, they can build up germs over time on their surface.
When you buy it, your lips are going on that surface as you drink. This means that your body could be taking in the harmful bacterias that are resting on the aluminum can, where they could make you ill once inside.
If you use a straw for the drinking instead, you can bypass these germs that are living on the surface of the can, giving you direct passage into the drink instead.
It Can Be Easier
A straw also makes drinking the beer easier, though not in all cases.
While it may be more exhausting to sucking a straw repeatedly, instead of just gulping back liquid, you are getting to avoid the effort of tipping a glass towards your mouth again and again.
With straws, you can simply keep in one position as you drink. On top of that, people wearing lipstick won’t have their lipstick ruined by the rim of the glass, instead leaving it intact.
It Prevents Discolored Teeth
Like with other drinks like tea and coffee, there are a few beers that might stain or discolor your teeth.
If you want to avoid yellowish tints to your teeth, then using a straw is the way. With straws, the liquid completely passes your teeth and instead goes straight to your mouth and throat.
Cons
However, there are also drawbacks to drinking beer via a straw.
It Is Harmful To The Environment
You have probably heard about paper straws, and how they are supposed to be better for the environment and used instead of the plastic straws that we’ve used for decades.
These plastic straws of before were certainly terrible for the environment, because their production contributes to air pollution and their unrecyclable remains leave harmful microplastics in the sea.
If you do use a straw for beer, use a recyclable paper straw.
It Wrinkles Your Mouth
If you use a straw an awful lot, then you’re going to be puckering your lips a lot. It may not have occurred to you, but this can create wrinkles around the lips over time, which you may not want.
It Causes Gas
Using straws to drink beer causes gas and bloating for you. Drinking via a straw captures air which will go to your digestive tract and prompt gas.
On top of this, beer is a carbonated drink, which already can cause gas. The combination of the two is going to result in some uncomfortable bloating.
How Should I Drink Beer The Correct Way?
If you’ve just read over the pros and cons to using a straw to drink beer but are still undecided on whether it would be the right choice for you, let us tell you about the benefits of just normally drinking beer straight from a glass – without a straw.
For one, it’s a much fuller experience. When you drink beer via a straw, you’re sort of distanced from the drink.
When you drink it without a straw, straight from the glass, you can lose yourself in the drink better – letting it wash over you!
Secondly, using just a glass helps to release some of the carbon dioxide that is going to be taken directly from straw to stomach if you use the straw method.
You will get more flavor if you let the carbon dioxide dissipate, as well as more aroma – and that really is half the experience with enjoying a beer.
On top of all that, drinking just from a glass simply lets you see the glorious golden color of the beer.
Or, of course, the glorious brown if it’s a stout! Seeing the liquid itself can actually contribute to the pleasure of drinking it.
However, that’s just us! It’s completely up to you whether you use a straw or not.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Using Straws To Drink Beer Hurt Your Stomach?
We touched on this earlier, but we didn’t cover everything. Drinking your beer via a straw can give you gastric issues, such as problems with bloating and digestion.
ON top of that, you can also suffer acid reflux from drawing an excess of air into your stomach, and that’s painful. Additionally, you might get some abdominal cramps, which aren’t pleasant either.
Can You Have Muscles And Drink Beer?
There are a lot of calories in beer, so you will need to burn off more the more you drink.
However, some other properties in beer fight obesity, so it can work both ways. The key, though, is to drink in moderation and be safe.
Final Thoughts
Drinking beer via a straw does not make you drunk faster, but it does have some benefits.
I want to share with you all of my favorites, as well as share advice on picking certain alcohols and flavors.
I hope you enjoy my articles as much as I enjoyed researching them!
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